The bar book: elements of cocktail technique

Textandillustrationscopyright©2014byJeffreyMorgenthaler.Photographscopyright©2014byAlannaHale.

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformwithoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.

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ISBN978-1-4521-1384-5(hc)

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ThisbookisdedicatedtothecountlessmenandwomenallovertheworldwhosebarsIhavesatatovertheyears,askingquestions,borrowingideas,andstealingrecipes.Itisyourcombinedknowledgethatfillsthesepages,anditisyouwhocontinuallyinspiremetoworkharder,learnmore,andsharewiththerestoftheworldsothatwecancontinuetokeepgrowingthisthingtogether.

CONTENTSWHYIMAKECOCKTAILS,ANDWHYIWROTETHISBOOK8

ANYGOODCOCKTAILNEEDSTHESETHREEELEMENTS10

I’VEORGANIZEDTHEBOOKTHEWAYIBUILDMYCOCKTAILS11

CHAPTERNO1

CITRUSJUICE13

CHOOSINGYOURFRUIT16BUYINGINBULK16HOWMUCHJUICECANYOUEXPECT?17

CHOOSINGTHERIGHTJUICER19HANDPRESSES19MECHANICALPRESSES20ELECTRICPRESSES20

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:ELECTRICJUICER20

JUICINGTECHNIQUE22CUTTINGYOURFRUITFORJUICING22HOWTOJUICECITRUSFRUITWITHAHANDPRESS22HOWTOJUICEINVOLUME23HOWLONGWILLCITRUSJUICESTAYFRESH?24GETTINGTHEMOSTFROMYOURCITRUS24

CITRUSPROFILES27DaiquiriNo.328

CHAPTERNO2

OTHERJUICES31

TYPESOFJUICERS33FOODMILL33FOODPROCESSOR33JUICEEXTRACTOR33

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:BREVILLEJUICEFOUNTAINELITE33

IMPROVISATIONALJUICEEXTRACTION34StrainerMethod34MacgyverCentrifugeMethod36

APPLEJUICE38EQUIPMENTFORMAKINGAPPLECIDER38PICKINGAPPLESFORJUICING38APPLEBLEND39KEEPINGTHEJUICEFRESH39SHOULDYOUWORRYABOUTTHESEEDS?39FlannelShirt40

PINEAPPLEJUICE42PICKINGPINEAPPLESFORJUICING42KingstonClub42

TOMATOJUICE43THESANMARZANOHOAX43

POMEGRANATEJUICE44PICKINGAPOMEGRANATE44HOWTOJUICEAPOMEGRANATE44KEEPINGTHEFRUITANDJUICEFRESH44

GINGERJUICE45CHOOSINGGINGERFORJUICE45HOWTOJUICEGINGERWITHAJUICEEXTRACTOR45KEEPINGGINGERANDITSJUICEFRESH45

FRUITPUREES46HOWTOMAKEAFRUITPUREE46HowToMakeaStoneFruitPuree46STORINGFRUITPUREES46Bellini49

CHAPTERNO3

SODAS&MIXERS51

AHISTORYOFCARBONATION53CARBONATEDWATERASHEALTHTONIC54MECHANICALCARBONATION54HOWCARBONATIONWORKS55TomCollins56

SODAWATER57MAKINGYOUROWNSODA57HowtoUseaSodaSiphon57OtherWaystoCarbonate57

TONICWATER58MAKINGTONICWATER58QuinineSyrup59GinandTonic62GingerBeer65DarkandStormy68

SPARKLINGWINE70French7571

CHAPTERNO4

SIMPLESYRUPS73

SELECTINGTHERIGHTSUGAR75WHITESUGAR75

BROWNSUGAR75RAWSUGAR75MUSCOVADOSUGAR76HONEY76AGAVESYRUP76MAPLESYRUP77CALORIECOUNTSFORSUGARS77ASUGARISASUGARISASUGAR77

MEASURINGYOURINGREDIENTSFORSIMPLESYRUP78WHYCRYSTALSTRUCTUREMATTERS78DISSOLVINGTHESUGARINTHEWATER78HotProcess78ColdProcess80STORINGTHESYRUP80

SUGARSYRUPSINCOCKTAILS81HouseOld-Fashioned82RumOld-Fashioned82OaxacaOld-Fashioned83MapleOld-Fashioned83

CHAPTERNO5

COMPOUNDSYRUPS87

SWEETSYRUPSWITHADDEDFLAVOR90SWEET-AND-SOURSYRUPS90

FLAVORLESSBUTFAMILIAR:GUMSYRUP90GUMWHAT?91GumSyrup93

HERBSYRUP94HOWTOBLANCHHERBSFORSYRUPS94MintSyrup96

FRUITSYRUPS97

SOFTFRUITSYRUPS97SYRUPFROMFIBROUSINGREDIENTS97Grenadine98JackRose100RaspberrySyrup102CloverClub102GingerSyrup103PineappleSyrup103HotelNacionalSpecial106OleoSaccharum108PhiladelphiaFishHousePunch111

ORGEAT112JapaneseCocktail113

SHRUBS114Strawberry-MintShrub114

CHAPTERNO6

INFUSIONS,TINCTURES&BITTERS117

INFUSIONS119HOWINFUSIONSWORK119THECOMPLEXITIESOFFLAVORANDINFUSIONS119CHOOSINGYOURINGREDIENTS119HowtoInfuseLiquor121HOWTOSTRAININFUSEDLIQUOR122STORINGINFUSEDLIQUORS122TequilaPorMiAmante122INFUSINGWITHHOTCHILES124INFUSIONSOFHERBS,SPICES,ANDOTHERINGREDIENTS126InfusingwithHerbs126Thyme-InfusedCointreau127SpeedInfusionthroughPressure127

ToInfuseUsingaCreamWhipper127InfusingwithSpices127ChineseFive-SpicedDarkRum128Nocino129Limoncello130

WOODINFUSIONS,A.K.A.BARRELAGING132

AgingCocktailsDo’sandDon’ts132

TINCTURES133CHOOSINGALCOHOLSFORTINCTURES133HowtoMakeaTincture134CinnamonTincture134AutumnLeaves135

BITTERS136

ALCOHOLTHAT’STOOHARDTODRINK?136COMMERCIALBITTERS136AngosturaBitters137

Peychaud’sBitters137OrangeBitters137HouseOrangeBitters138Revolver140

CHAPTERNO7

DAIRY&EGGS143

CHOOSINGTHEBESTDAIRYPRODUCTSANDEGGS145

CREAM146AlexanderCocktail146WhatDoestheSell-ByDateMeanonaCartonofCream?147HOWTOSTORECREAM147

HOWTOWHIPCREAM147UsingaCreamWhipper147WhippingCreamManually147TheMasonJarMethod148IrishCoffee150

EGGS152MEASURINGEGGS152CRACKINGEGGS152WHOLEEGGCOCKTAILS153CynarFlip153ClydeCommonEggnog154EGG-WHITECOCKTAILS154HOWTOSEPARATEANEGG154TheShellMethod154TheHandMethod156TheToolMethod156HOWTOPREPAREANDSTOREEGGWHITES156HOWTOSHAKEANEGG-WHITECOCKTAIL157SealingaBostonShakerforaDryShake158WhiteLady161

CHAPTERNO8

ICE163

HOWICEBEHAVES165

WHYICECLARITYMATTERS165OBTAININGCLEARICE166

STORINGICE168

TRANSPORTINGICE168

HANDLINGICE168

TYPESOFICE170

BLOCKICE170HowtoBreakDownBlockIce170LARGE-FORMATICE172CUBES172SPEARS174CRACKEDICE174CRUSHEDICE174MintJulep176ICEFORPUNCH178AddingIcetothePunch178ChillingPunchExternally178MAKINGSPHERICALICE181

CHAPTERNO9

MEASURING183

WHYDOWEMEASURE?185OLDTERMINOLOGY185

MODERNMEASURES186THEMETRICSYSTEM187HOWMUCHISADASH?188

MEASURINGTOOLS188JIGGERS188HOWTOMEASURELIQUORPROPERLYUSINGJIGGERS189HOWTOPOURFROMABOTTLE189

SPEEDANDFREEDOM191SPEEDPOURINGVERSUSFREEPOURING:THETWOCAMPSOFMEASURING193WHYMETRICMAKESMORESENSE195Vesper196BATCHINGDRINKS196LiquidMeasurements197

CHAPTERNO10

STIRRING&SHAKING199

CHILLINGANDDILUTION201TimesandMeasurementsforIdealDilution202

STIRRING203THESPOON203

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:BARSPOON204STORINGBARSPOONSDURINGSERVICE204MIXINGGLASSES204

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:MIXINGGLASS206PROPERSTIRRINGTECHNIQUE206HowtoPerformtheJapaneseStir208STRAININGASTIRREDDRINK208HOWTOSTRAINWITHAJULEPSTRAINER208

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:JULEPSTRAINER208Martini210

SHAKING213THESHAKER213TheCobblerShaker213TheBostonShaker213TheParisianShaker214LEARNINGTOSHAKE214HowtoShakeaCocktail214HowLongtoShake215

SHAKINGDON’TSANDDO’S215OpeningtheShaker215HowtoSealandOpenaBostonShaker218StrainingTwiceforTexture218Fine-MeshStrainer218Sidecar220

CHAPTERNO11

OTHERMIXINGMETHODS223

BUILDINGINTHEGLASS225

ROLLING225HowtoRollaCocktail225

SWIZZLING226HowtoSwizzle226Queen’sParkSwizzle226

BLENDING227HowtoMakeaBlendedDrink227THEBLENDEROFDESIRE228

PiÑaColada229

MUDDLING230HowtoMuddleHerbs230Mojito233MUDDLERSFORFRUIT235HowtoMuddleFruit235Caipirinha237

“MIXING”ABSINTHE238ToServeAbsinthe238

FLAMINGDRINKS239FIRETOBURNALCOHOLANDBALANCEADRINK239BlueBlazer240

FIREFORTOASTING241CaféBrûlot242

FIREASCARAMELIZATIONTOOL243SpanishCoffee245

CHAPTERNO12

GARNISHING247

DROPPEDGARNISHES250CHERRIES250ImprovingonJarredCherries250DanielShoemaker’sBrandiedCherries252CherryPitter253OLIVES254StuffedOrNot254PittedorNot254HowManyOlives254ToSpearorNottoSpear255StoringOlives255HOWDOTHEPIMENTOSGETINTOTHEOLIVES?255ONIONS256ToddThrasher’sPickledOnions256

VISUALGARNISHES259FRESHHERBSANDFLOWERS259ChoosingHerbsandFlowersforGarnish259KeepingHerbsandFlowersFresh260CITRUSTWIST260ToolsforCuttingCitrusTwists260HowtoCutaTwist262

HORSE’SNECK262

HowtoMakeaHorse’sNeck262CITRUSWHEEL262ToolsforCuttingCitrusWheels264HowtoCutCitrusWheels264PINEAPPLEGARNISHES265HowtoCutPineappleTriangles265HowtoCutPineappleSpears265StoringPineappleGarnishes265

UTILITARIANGARNISHES266CITRUSWEDGES266HowtoChooseCitrusFruitforWedges266HowtoCutALengthwiseCitrusWedge266HowtoMakeaCross-CutWedge267WHIPPEDCREAM267

RIMMEDGARNISHES268HowtoRimaLip269HowtoCreateaBand269Margarita272

AROMATICGARNISHES274CITRUSPEEL274ChoosingFruitforMakingPeels274ToolsforCuttingPeels274HowtoCutaCitrusPeel275HowtoGarnishWithaPeel275THEFLAMEDORANGEPEEL277SPICES277SPRAYS278Sazerac278BITTERSDROPLETART281HowtoMakeDecorativeBittersArt281

Index282

ABOUTTHEAUTHORS289

WHYIMAKECOCKTAILS,ANDWHYIWROTETHISBOOKI’llneverforgetthefirsttimeIsteppedbehindthebar.ItwasthenightofApril25,1996,whichwasaThursday.I’dsomehowconvincedthemanagertogivemeajob,thoughIhadnoexperienceandwasabouttentimescockierintheinterviewprocessthanIwasinreallife—orahundredtimesmorethanIshouldhavebeen,givenmylimitedsocialskillset.

TheplacehadbeenaroundsincetherepealofProhibition,withsmoke-stainedwallsandNaugahydebooths.Itwasprettyrough-and-tumble,overinthesketchierpartoftown,oppositetheuniversitydistrict,whereIlived.Iwasnervousashell,andmyhandsshookasIwrotedowneveryorderfortheonlydrinkweservedthere:oneofthreebeersontap.Thatnight,andforprettymucheverynightthefirstsummerIspentthere,atleasttenpeopletoldmeIwastheworstbartenderthey’deverseen.

ButIhonestlydidn’tmuchcare.IwasattheUniversityofOregon,gettingmydegreeininteriorarchitecture,andbartendingatnighttomakesomemoney,meetsomeladies,andhavealittlefun.LittledidIknowthejobwouldgrowonme,andthatIwouldbegintogrowonthosepeoplewhothoughtIwastheworstbartenderever.

Itwasjustsupposedtobeasummerjob,butwhenthefallquarterrolledaround,theownersaskedmetostay.AndsoIdid.IworkedattheTinyTaverninEugene,Oregon,forfouryearswhileIwenttoschool,andthattimespentbehindthebarthere,servingthesamethreebeerseverynight,laidthefoundationforalife-longloveaffairwithbarsandbartending.

IstartedmyfirstarchitecturejobthesummerafterIgraduated.Itwasn’tentirelyfull-timework,soIkeptafewshiftsbehindthebartopaythebills.Itwasfine,andIwashappytobefinallyworkinginthefieldIthoughtIwantedtobein,butoverthecourseofseveralyearsIrealizedthatI’mnotreallythetypetositbehindadesk.

Ialsorealizedsomethingelse,somethingfarmoreimportant:bars,bartending,andcocktailsweremyhobby.Ifoundmyselfcominghomeeverynightandreadinguponclassiccocktails.Ispentmytimeatworkonline,biddingonout-of-printcocktailbooks,rarebartools,andevenrarerliquors.Ihadcocktailpartiesandregaledmyfriendswithtalesofthedaiquiri,sidecar,andManhattanwhilewesippedandswilled.

Eventuallyitbecamecleartomethatmyrealinterestlayinspendingtimebehindthebar,andIslowlyphasedoutthearchitecture—muchtothechagrinofmyfriendsandfamily.Ibecameinvolvedintheworldofrestaurants,climbedhigherandhigheruptheladderoffinedining,andlearnedmoreandmoreeverydayaboutthecraftoftendingbar.

Istartedmyownblog,mainlysoourguestscouldhaveaccesstomycocktailrecipes.Ibecamemoreconnectedinthegrowingworldwidecommunityofpeopleinterestedincocktails.Peoplebegantolooktomeforinformation,andatsomepointsomeonecalledmeanexpert.

It’sallverysurrealtothinkabout.WhenI’mnotactivelybehindthebar,Ispendmytimemanaging,traveling,speakingatseminarsandconferences,andtrainingthenextgenerationofbartenders.Andthesedays,it’sonlyonceamonththatsomeonereferstomeastheworstbartenderthey’veeverseen.

ANYGOODCOCKTAILNEEDSTHESETHREEELEMENTSWhenItrainbartenders,Ibeginbyteachingthemonebasicrule,andhereitis:Therearethreethings,ofequalimportance,thatmakeagreatcocktail.Andunlessallthreearegiventheirduerespect,thedrinkyoumakeisn’tgoingtoreachitsfullpotential.

ThefirstoftheseistheRECIPEthatyouchoose.Let’ssaywe’regoingtomakeawhiskeysourinthisexample.Well,ifyoureallystartdoingyourresearch,you’regoingtofindthatthereareaboutathousanddifferentrecipesoutthereforawhiskeysour.ChecktheInternetifyoudon’tbelieveme.Oneoldbookmighttellyoutobeginwith1oz/30mlofwhiskeyand2oz/60mlofsourmix,butsomeguy’sblogmightarguethatit’sgottabe2oz/60mlofwhiskey,withfreshlemonjuiceandadollopofeggwhite.Anotherrecipemightbetoosweet,andyetanothermightnotbesweetenough.Choosingtherightrecipeisexactlyone-thirdofthebattle.

Thesecondthingthat’sgoingtomakeorbreakourwhiskeysouristheINGREDIENTSwechoose.Somewhiskeysarebettersuitedtothedrinkthanothers.Ahigher-proofbourbonwhiskeyisgoingtoshinethroughtheotheringredientsbetterthanalower-proofIrishwhiskey.Ifwe’reusinglemonjuice,isitfreshorfrozen?Ifwe’reusingeggwhites,aretheypasteurizedandpackagedorfreshfromalocalfarm?Allofthesedecisionsareasimportantastherecipewe’vespentyearsresearchingandperfecting.

Butthethirdthing,theonethat’ssooftenoverlookedbybartendersandhomemixers,andthethingthat’sthesubjectofthisbook,isTECHNIQUE.Everythingfromjuicingthoselemonsproperly,preparingyoureggwhites,andmeasuringtheingredientstohowthedrinkisshaken,strained,andservedinaperfectlychilledglassisasimportantastherecipeandingredientsyou’veselected.

Asyoumightguess,thereareplentyofbooksoutthereaboutrecipes.Andtherearemoreandmorevolumesonbookstoreshelveseverydayaboutcocktailingredients.Butthisbookaimstobeamongthefirstinwhatwillhopefullybecomeanongoingconversationabouttechnique.

I’VEORGANIZEDTHEBOOKTHEWAYIBUILDMYCOCKTAILSThechaptersinthisbookarelaidoutalittledifferentlythanmostotherbooks.Thereisnochapteronvodka—infacttherearenochaptersonalcoholatall.Instead,wehavebrokendownthecocktail-makingprocessasyouwoulddoitbehindthebar.Thefirstthirdofthebookisallaboutprep:we’llteachyouhowtogetyourjuicesready,prepareyoursyrups,makeyourbitters,andproduceyourice.Nextwe’llshowyouhowtoputthedrinktogether:howtomeasureandproperlymix.Andthenwe’llshowyouhowthedrinkisfinishedandserved.

I’veincludedafewofmyfavoriterecipes,whichI’vecollectedovertheyears—myown,someofmyfriends’,andsomeofthebestversionsoftheclassicsI’vefound—inordertoillustratesomeofthepointswe’remakingabouttechnique,andtoshowyouhowthesetechniquesareapplied.

CHAPTERNO1

CITRUSJUICE

THEBRACINGFOUNDATIONOFAWIDERANGEOFCOCKTAILS

Everydayatmybar,wetypicallyjuiceintheneighborhoodofonecaseoflemons,three-quartersofacaseoflimes,halfacaseofgrapefruit,andhalfacaseoforanges.That’severysingleday.WhenIseehowmuchcitruswegothroughonanaveragebusydayandnight,IthinkbacktothefirstcocktailbarIworkedin.Itwasthedaytimebartender’schoretoheadovertothegrocerystoreacrossthestreeteverymorningandpickupapackofVirginiaSlimsforthedaytimecook,oneofthosebigmetalcansofgrapefruitjuice,andsixlimesandsixlemonsforgarnishingginandtonicsandicedteas.AndIrememberclearlythatatonepoint,thewomanwhowastrainingmeinformedmethat“limesandlemonsareactuallythesamething;limesarejustunripenedlemons.”Thatwasn’treallytoolongago,butIfeellikewe’veallcomealongway.

Citrusissoubiquitousincocktailsnowadaysthatit’softentakenforgranted.BackwhenIcameofageandstartedhangingaroundinbars,drinkswerebeingmadewithcanned,neon-greensourmix,andnobodythoughttwiceaboutit.Thesedaysweshouldn’tthinkofusinganythingotherthanfresh-squeezedjuiceinourcocktails.Andyet,astoday’scraftbartendersturntheirattentiontothingssuchasapothecaryherbsandesoterictinctures,thebasiclemonorlimestilldoesn’treallygettheattentionit’sdue.

Citruswasprettymuchtreasuredbyearliercivilizations;itwasusedasasourceofperfumeandotherbeautyproducts,asamedicine,andofteninreligiousceremonies.Thesatsuma,citron,andmandarin—threeoftheearliestancestorsofthecitrusweknowtoday—madetheirwayfromcontinenttocontinent,thankstoearlyexplorersandtraders(andsometimesconquerers,suchasAlexandertheGreat,whowasabigcitronfan).CultivationandconsumptionofthefruitsspreadfromIndiatoPersia(modern-dayIran),andeventuallyaroundtheMediterraneanrim,includingtheMiddleEast,NorthAfrica,andEurope.

CitrusmadeittoNorthAmericainthefifteenthcentury,supposedlyarrivingviaChristopherColumbus(hey,atleasthebroughtsomethingotherthanjustdiseaseandgenocidewithhim),andahalfcenturylater,explorerPoncedeLeónplantedorangegrovesaroundSt.Augustine,Florida.Thoseearlytreeshaveledtoamultibillion-dollarorangeindustryinFlorida.

Thenotionofmixingcitruswithalcohol—which,aswe’vesaid,isagivennowadays—probablytookmillenniatocatchon.Despitetheuseofcitrusinprettymucheveryfacetofdailylife,theconceptofcitrusandalcoholdidn’treallybecomewidespreaduntiltheearlyseventeenthcentury,whenmixingspiritswithcitrusandsugartookholdinBritainanditscolonies.

Variationsonlemonorlimejuicemixedwithalcohol—punch—werebeingsippedindrawingroomsaroundEngland,butthepairingcaughtfiregloballyoncetheBritishRoyalNavygotatasteforitandrealized,aftermuchtrialanderror,thatcitruscouldstaveoffscurvyinitssailors.TheRoyalNavy–madebeveragebecameastaple,andastheBritishsailorstraveled,sodidpunch.Thatcombinationofhotandsour—mitigatedbysugar,water,andspices—seemstobesomethingourhumanphysiologyrespondsfavorablyto,becausesomanycocktailsstillusecitrusastheirbackbone.

Citrusinallitsformsbringsmuchtotheparty:quartersaremuddled,peelsarezested,oilsareextracted,andwedgesaresqueezedoverthetop.Butit’sthejuice—sour,fresh,pungent,bracingjuice—thatbringsthemosttotheworldofcocktails.Andsoit’sabsolutelycriticalthatyouknowhowtochoose,store,andhandlecitrusfruit,andthencoaxoutthebestqualityjuicefromit,ifyou’regoingtobeabletomakeapropercocktail.

CHOOSINGYOURFRUITWhenwetalkaboutcitrusincocktails,we’remostlydiscussinglimes,lemons,oranges,andgrapefruits.Butyuzu,Buddha’shand,kumquats,andotherexoticscanallbefoundnowinthemodernbartender’stoolbox.

Aswitheverythingthatyou’llusetomakeacocktail,thefirstcriterionwhenchoosingcitrusisfreshness.Withprettymucheveryotherfoodtype,Iwouldadvocateworkingwithalocalgrower,butunlessyou’relivinginaclimatealongthe

linesofCalifornia’s,CostaRica’s,orMorocco’s,thatmaynotbefeasible.

Fortunately,mostcitrushasamoderatelylongshelflifeandwillstaybrightanddeliciousforuptoaweekafteryoubuyit.Thespecificcharacteristicsthatyouneedtolookforwhenchoosingcitruswilldependonwhatyou’regoingtodowithit.Whenweselectcitrusatourbar,weplacethefruitintooneoftwocategories:fruitforjuicingorfruitforgarnishes.

Citrusfruitthatistobejuicedshouldbeplump,onthesoftside,andheavyforitssize,withthethinnestandsmoothestskinpossible,whichisanindicationofmorejuice-producingcontents.Andathin,suppleskinjustmakesiteasiertosqueeze.Theskincolorofjuicefruitdoesn’tmattermuch;nordoafewblemishes.Toevaluatefruitforjuice,youneedtoheftquiteafewtofindtheheavy,plumpones.

Forgarnishes,Iwantcitruswiththickerskinorapebbledsurface,andabright,evencolor.Ialsowantfruitthathasn’tbeentreatedwithpesticidesandisn’tcoatedwithwax.(Learnmoreaboutmakingandusingcitrusgarnishesinchapter12.)Unfortunately,youusuallydon’tgetitallinthesamepieceoffruit,butforbothjuiceandgarnishfruit,choosingorganicisalwaysagoodstart.

BUYINGINBULK

Theprofessionalbartenderhastheconvenienceofadailyfreshproducedeliverytotherestaurantorbarroomdoor.Butthisisn’tthecasefortheaverage,orhome,bartender.Whenplanningforjustafewcocktails,sourcingcitrusisjustamatterofgoingtoadecentgrocerystore.Butifyou’replanningalargeevent,ormakingcocktailcomponentsthatusealotofcitrus(suchasHouseOrangeBitters,page138),havingaccesstowholesalepricescanmakeabigdifference.

Somerestaurant-supplywholesalerswillselltothegeneralpublic,butfindingthemcantakealittlesleuthing.Agoodpracticeistocontactyourfavoritelocallyownedrestaurant(chainrestaurantsoftenhavetheirowninternalsupplyavenues)orbarandaskwhomtheyprocurecitrusfrom.Contactthefrontofficeofthatparticulardistributorandaskifthey’llselltothegeneralpublic.

Afarsimpleralternativeistocontactyourlocalsupermarketorgrocerandsimplyasktheproducemanagerforbulk-buyingoptions.Oftenaproducemanagerwillbeabletoofferadiscountforpurchasingcitrusbythecase,soitneverhurtstoaskaboutyouroptionsthere.Planonorderingseveraldaysinadvance.

AnotheroptionisfindingalargeAsianorLatinmarket,whichcanbefoundinmostsizablecities.Afterjustashortdriveandafriendlyconversationwiththemarket’sproducemanager,youmayleavewithawholelotoffresh,gorgeouscitrusatbargainprices.Plus,Ifindthesemarketsofferanexcitingarrayofotherproductsthataren’tfoundattraditionalAmericansupermarkets.Ienjoybrowsingaroundthemandgleaninginspirationfornewcocktailcombinations.

Onceyougetyourfruithomeortoyourbar,youwanttostoreitinawaythatwillkeepitfresh,whichinthecaseofcitrus,isintherefrigerator.There’samythouttherethatchillingcitruswillreducetheyieldofjuice,sosomebartendersleaveitonthecounter,butyoucantrustmewhenItellyouthatthisisaloadofbull.Checkouttheexperimentwedidonpage24.

HOWMUCHJUICECANYOUEXPECT?

Nowthatyou’vefoundasourcefortheleastexpensive,freshestcitrusinyourtown,it’stimetodeterminehowmuchtobuy.Obviously,differentvarietiesofcitrusaregoingtoyielddifferentquantitiesofjuiceatdifferenttimesoftheyear,buthere’saroughguide,whichcanatleasthelpyoumakeyourshoppinglist.

FRUIT AVERAGEYIELDOFJUICE

Lime 1oz/30ml

Lemon 1.5oz/45ml

Meyerlemon 2oz/60ml

Navelorange 3oz/90ml

Grapefruit 8oz/240ml

CHOOSINGTHERIGHTJUICER

Thebartenderhasseveralchoicesofequipmenttousewhenjuicingfruit,andthechoicewillbeamatterofwhatkindoffruitandhowmuchjuiceisneeded.

HANDPRESSES

Thesimplestoptionforjuicingathomeorinasmall-scalebarprogramiswhatwerefertoasahandpress(alsocalledaclamshell-type)juicer.Therearetwomaintypes,withminorstylisticdifferencesbetweenthem.Bothrequirethefruittobeplacedcut-sidedownintheunit.Atfirst,thisseemscounter-intuitive,giventheshapeofthejuicer,butIrepeat(probablyseveralmoretimes):placethecitruscut-sidedown.

Thefirsttypeofhandpressisanolderstyle;ithasnoholesinitsflatbase,butmerelyasmallreservoiraroundtheconeandapourspoutoneitherorbothsides.Youplaceahalflemonorlimeonthebasecut-sidedown,swingthehingedtophalfovertoembracethefruit,andthensqueezethehandlestogethertoputpressureonthefruitandreleasethejuice,whichflowsoutofthepourspout.

Sadly,thistypeofpressisnearlyextinct,butvintagecast-ironoraluminummodelscanbefoundatonlineauctionsitesorantiquesmalls.ThebestoneswereoncemadebyEbaloy,andIthinkthey’reworthseekingoutfortheireaseofuseanddurability.Asanaside,Iwouldthinktwicebeforeusingoneoftheseantiquesinaprofessionalbarsetting,asantiqueshaveahardtimehandlingrepeateduse.

Theother,morecommon,typeofhandpressalsoconsistsoftwopartshingedtogether.Thebasehasholesinittoallowthejuicetoflowout,andthetophalfhasabulbousprotrusionthatpushesintothecutfruitandturnsitontoitselfsothatthejuicecanflowthroughtheholes.Thereareinexpensivecast-ironmodelsfromMexico,whichareusuallyfairlysmall.But,whilegoodforjuicingsmalllimes,theymaybeworthlesswhenyou’rejuicinganythinglarger.

Thebestall-aroundhandpressisanenameledaluminumjuicermadebyAmco.Theymakefour:asmallgreenmodelmeantforlimes,amediumyellowmodelforlemons,andanorangemodelfor,well,oranges.There’salsoatwo-in-onemodelwithaplasticinsertmadeforbothlemonsandlimes—skipit.Andalsoskipthegreenlimemodelaswell.Thelemonandorangemodelswillsuitallofyourneedsjustfine;theycostaboutasmuchasacheapbottleofwine.

Butmyfavoriteisagorgeoussolidstainless-steeljuicermadebyNorpro,whichI’vefalleninlovewithinrecentyears.It’saroundthreetimesthecostoftheAmcoenameledaluminummodels,butifit’sstyleyou’regoingfor,thereisnorival.

MECHANICALPRESSES

Movingupthetechnologyscale,themechanicalcitruspress,ormanualstandjuicer,isthego-toforbartenderslookingtojuicealargeramountofjuice,foreitherapartyormedium-scalecocktailprogram.

Therearetwobasictypes:Thefirstisagearlessunitthatoperateswithleversandhasahandlemountedonthefront.ThemostpopularproducerofthisstyleisRaChand,whichmakesavarietyofcast-aluminumjuicers.Whilethelackofgearsandinterchangeablepartsmakesthistypeofjuicerasturdier,longerlastingpieceofequipmentthanothers,Ifindthefront-mountedhandleabitclumsy;it’sdifficulttogetproperleverageunlessyoucanpositionthejuicerbelowcounterorbar-toplevel.

ThemorecommonstandjuicerusedbytheprofessionalbartenderistheHamiltonBeach932commercialcitrusjuicer.Thisisaside-mountedjuicerwithagearedhandleandisbyfarthemostcomfortabletouseforlargejobs.ThebiggestdrawbackIfindwiththisunitisthatyoucan’treplacethegearsandtightentheindividualparts.Ifyou’regoingtobejuicingaverylargequantityofproduceaday,planonreplacingtheuniteverythreetosixmonths.Forthemorecasualuser,it’lllastagoodlongwhile.

ELECTRICPRESSES

Themostcomplextype,anelectricpress,commonlyreferredtoasanelectricjuicer,isalsothebestoptionforaprogramthatwillbeservingalargenumberofguests.Theinitialcostis,obviously,higherthantheprecedingtwotypesofmanualjuicers,butthesecommercial-gradejuicerswillendureyearsofabuse,manymorethantheirmanualcounterparts.

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:ELECTRICJUICER

Myfavoriteelectricjuicer,andtheonethat’swidelypreferredbyprofessionalbartenders,istheSunkistjuicer,modelJ1,whichrunsaround$600/£650.This1/4-horsepowermonsterwrappedinachrome-platedhousingandtoppedwithadomedplasticshellhasbeenaroundforyears,anditwillbearoundformanymore.

JUICINGTECHNIQUE

Whenwetalkaboutcitrusbehindthebar,weoftenuseanearth-inspiredmetaphor:Oneitherendofthe(usually)oblongfruitisa“pole.”Thestemend(NorthPole)iswherethefruitwasformerlyattachedtothetree;that’stheendwiththelittlebrownnubbin.Thestylarend(SouthPole)isattheoppositeendofthefruit,withnoindentationorstemremainder,butoftenwithanippledend.TheequatorencirclesthefruitandisequidistantfromtheNorthandSouthPoles.

CUTTINGYOURFRUITFORJUICING

Allcitrustobejuicedshouldbecutalongtheequator,perpendiculartothemembranesthatseparatetheindividualsegmentsinside.Bisectinginthisdirectionopenstheinteriorofthefruitcompletelyandmaximizesthejuiceextracted.Ifyou’repreppingalotofcitrusforjuicing,youcandothisbeforehand;there’snoneedtocuteachfruitimmediatelybeforejuicing.Cutyourfruitupto2hoursbeforejuicing,andkeepitintherefrigeratoronceit’sbeencut.

HOWTOJUICECITRUSFRUITWITHAHANDPRESS

Youcanjuicecitrustomakejustasinglecocktailusingaprocessthatthekitchencallsàlaminute(pronouncedahlahmee-NOOT),whichisaculinarytermthatbasicallymeans“toorder.”Inthiscase,you’lljuicethefruitusingahandpressandthenmeasureitdirectlyinthejigger.(Moreaboutmeasuringinchapter9.)

Tousethemodernhandpress,orclamshell-type,juicer(suchasthecolorfulones),putyourcitrushalfintothebottomhalfofthepress,cut-sidedown.Thismightnotfeelcorrectatfirst,becausetheconcaveshapeofthepressmakesyouthinkyoushouldnestlethefruitrightintoit,butyoushouldn’t.Swingthetophalfoverandsqueezethetwotogether,overyourglassorjigger.Thiswillpushthebulbinthetophalfintothecitrus,ineffectforcingitinsideoutasitsqueezesoutthejuice.

However,theprofessionalbartenderorhomeentertainerwillmostoftenbepreparingalargerquantityofjuiceinadvance.Thereareseveraladvantagestothis:First,juicingalotofcitrusmakesamess,whichyoudon’tnecessarilywantondisplayforyourguests;keepingthebarlookingcleanandtidyispartofthejob.Second,youcanstoreyourfresh-squeezedjuiceinplasticorglassbottlesandthenmeasureitoutonacocktail-by-cocktailbasis,expeditingthedrink-makingprocess—alwaysabonuswhenyou’refacedwithalarge,thirstycrowd.

HOWTOJUICEINVOLUME

Whenjuicinginlargerquantities,it’sreallybesttouseamechanicalorelectricpress,althoughIhavespentmoreoccasionsthanIcaretorememberwithagroupofbartendershuddledaroundcardboardcasesofprecutcitrus,handpressingfastandfuriouslyintoalargebucketaswepreppedforoneeventoranother.It’snotfun,andit’snotpretty,butitworksinapinch.

Startbycuttingallyourcitrus,andthensetthemechanicalorelectricjuicerinplace.Nexttothejuicer,setalargecontainer(abowlorplasticbucket)andpositionafine-meshstraineroverthetop.Theobjectofthestrainer,andIfeelverystronglyaboutthis,istocatchanypulporseeds,leavingyouwithsmooth,uniformcitrusjuicereadytobebottled.

Onceyou’vejuicedyourfruit,sealitincleanbottlesorcontainers,labelit,refrigeraterightaway,andkeepitascoldaspossible.

HOWLONGWILLCITRUSJUICESTAYFRESH?

Fresh-squeezedjuicechangesovertime,andstrangelyenough,thatchangedoesn’tgoinastraightlinefromfreshanddelicioustooldandstale.Whilealljuiceisverygoodinthefirstmomentsafteryousqueezeit,lemon,lime,andgrapefruitareactuallyabitbetterforcocktailsoncethey’vegotafewhoursofageonthem.Orangejuiceisadifferentstory,however.

OrangescontainflavorlesssubstancescalledLARL(limonoateA-ringlactone)andNARL(nomilinoateA-ringlactone).Duringandaftersqueezing,thosesubstancesareconvertedbyanenzyme,whichisalsopresentinoranges,intolimonin,whichisverybitter.Theearlierintheseasonthefruitispicked,themoreLARLandNARLtherewillbe.Ideally,youshouldsqueezeorangestoorder,ordefinitelyusethejuicewithinanhouratmost.

FRUITJUICE OPTIMALAGE MAXIMUMAGE

Grapefruit 4to12hours 48hours

Lemon 4to12hours 24hours

Lime 4to12hours 24hours

Orange 0to1hour 4hours

GETTINGTHEMOSTFROMYOURCITRUS

There’salotofconjecturethesedaysaboutwhichtrickextractsthemostjuicefromcitrusfruit.Somepeopleswearbyrollingandpressingthefruitonthecounter,tocrushthejuicesacsinside.Somethinkawarmerpieceoffruityieldsmorejuicethanastraight-from-the-fridgeone,andsomepeopleevenrecommendmicrowavingthecitrusinordertoextractmorejuice(Idefinitelypassedonthismethod).Rollingthefruitandbringingthemtoroomtemperaturebothmadesensetomeintheory,butI’dneverreallyinvestigatedtheseoptionsmyself.SoIsetouttodoalittleexperiment.

Igatheredsixtylemonsanddividedthemintofourgroupsoffifteenlemons.Iweighedeachgroupoflemons,makingsmalladjustmentsbetweenthegroupssothateachgroupweighedmoreorlessthesame,andthenIgaveeachgroupadifferenttreatment.

GROUP1:Ilefttheseintherefrigerator;thiswastobemycontrolgroup.Afterall,thefridgeiswheremostofusathome(andallofusinthebarandrestaurantbusiness)keepourfruit.

GROUP2:ThesecondgroupIleftoutinabowlonmykitchencounterovernight(aboutninehours).

GROUP3:Irefrigeratedthese,butIalsorolledthefruitfirmlyonthecounterwiththepalmofmyhandbeforejuicing.

GROUP4:ThislastgroupIleftoutinanotherbowlonthecounter,butaswithGroup3,Irolledthemfirmlyonthecounterbeforejuicing.ThislastgroupwastheoneIhadthemostconfidencein;afterall,I’mapplyingbothtricks,sothisshouldgiveusthegreatestyield,right?

WhenIwasreadytojuice,Irecordedtheaveragetemperatureofeachgroupwithadigitalthermometer,andthenIcutandjuicedeachgroupandstrained,measured,andweighedtheresults.

Theresultswererathersurprising.

Andifyoutakeacloselookattheresults,youseesomeprettygoodnews:goingthroughtheextrastepdoesn’tmakeawholeheckofalotofdifference.Youcankeepthefruitfresher,colder,andspareyourselfsomeeffort—whilestillendingup

withthebestyield—bysimplystoringitinthefridge.

CITRUSPROFILES

BITTERORANGE:ThemostwellknownistheSeville.Allvarietiesaretoobittertoeatoutofhandandinsteadarefrequentlyusedtomakemarmalades.Theiressentialoilsflavorfoodsandliquors,suchascuraçao.

BLOODORANGE:TheseareinthesamefamilyastheValenciaandthenavel,buttheircolorismuchmoredramatic.ThemostcommonareMorooranges.Thepeelwilloften,thoughnotalways,beflushedwithred,buttheinteriorofabloodorangeisadeepmagenta,andthejuiceretainsthatcolor.Bloodorangesareverysweet,withsomeberrynotestotheflavor.

BUDDHA’SHAND:Withitsstartlingshape,Buddha’shandlooksnothinglikeitsessentiallyroundcitruscousins.Themultifingered,fragrantfruitisatypeofcitron,anancientcitrusthatislongonrindandshortonflesh.TheBuddha’shandhasnofleshorjuiceatall,justlotsofzesttopareorgrate,andthewhitepithunderneathisverymild.

KEYLIME:AsmallerrelativeofthePersianlime,keylimesarethinnerskinned,andsomewhatmorefragrant,andaremostlyusedindesserts.Butthejuiceisfantasticandshouldbeconsideredforcocktails.

KUMQUAT:TheShetlandponiesofthecitrusworld,thesemarble-sizefruitsareallaboutthepeel,whichiscandy-sweet,incontrasttothesour-bitterfleshandseedsinside.Youcan’tjuiceakumquat,butwe’veseendrinksinwhichthefruithasbeenmuddled.

LEMON:Thetwomainvarieties—theLisbonandtheEureka—aresosimilarthatevenmostproduceexpertscan’ttellthemapart.Withinthesevarieties,however,thereisplentyofvariation,fromthickskinnedandsomewhatdrytothinskinnedandjuicy.

MEYERLEMON:Meyersareacrossbetweenalemonandatypeoforange,probablyamandarin.Theyhavethin,tenderskinthat’sverydeepyellow,headingtowardorange.They’resuperjuicy,andtheflavorissweet,lessacidic,andalmostfloral.

NAVELORANGE:Whilethesearemostlydestinedtobeeatingoranges,theyproducedeliciousjuiceandareoftenmorebrightlycoloredthanValencias,whichmeansthey’realsogoodforgarnishing.Navelorangejuicewillbecomebittermore

quicklybecausetheyareattheirpeakinthewintermonths(seepage24).LookforCaraCaranavels,whichhaveabeautifulpinkcolortotheflesh.

PERSIANLIME:Thisisthenameforthecommonlime,butofcourseit’sanythingbutcommon.Perfumed,sweet-tart,andmoderatelyacidic,limejuiceandzestplayahugeroleincocktails.

RIOSTARGRAPEFRUIT:Thisisthe“it”grapefruitofthemoment.GrowninTexasandavailablefromlatewinterthroughApril,thesethin-skinnedgrapefruitsarefantasticforjuicing,aswellaseating.Thefleshisadeeppink,andextremelysweetandjuicy,especiallyastheseasonprogresses;they’reattheirpeakofsweetnessinMarch.OthergrapefruitvarietiestolookforareHoneygoldandOroblanco,whichisagrapefruit-pomelohybrid.

TANGERINEANDMANDARIN:Therearemultiplemembersofthisfamily,andit’seasytogetlostinthevariations,butgenerallytangerine-typecitrushasaloose,easy-to-peelskin,whichiswhytheyareprimarilymeanttobeeatenoutofhand.Thejuiceisdelicious,however,floralandverysweet.

VALENCIAORANGE:Thesearetheorangesmostoftenusedforjuicing.They’rethinskinnedandjuicy,butcontainplentyofseeds.They’reattheirpeakinlatespringthroughsummer.

YUZU:ThisisasomewhatexoticcitrusnativetoChinaandgreatlyappreciatedinmodernJapan.Theslightlywrinklyroundfruitisn’tgoodforeating—fullofbigseedsandnotmuchjuice—butthefragranceisextraordinary,likeacombinationofthebestgrapefruitandlemon.

DAIQUIRINO.3

ByConstantinoRibalaiguaVert

AttheFloriditabarinHavana,Cuba,inthe1930sand1940s,thedaiquiriwasking,andanextensivedaiquirimenuwasdevelopedthere,dueinlargeparttobartenderslikeConstantinoRibalaiguaVert.HisfamedDaiquiriNo.3wasconsumedinmassivequantitiesbyErnestHemingway,thoughhetookhis“withoutsugaranddoubletherum,”whichbecamethelegendaryHemingway,orPapadoble,daiquiri.

Personally,IfindtheHemingwaydaiquirirepulsiveandinsteadpreferConstante’soriginal.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mlwhiterum1/2oz/15ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)1/2oz/15mlfreshlimejuice1/4oz/7.5mlgrapefruitjuice1tsp/5mlmaraschinoliqueur,preferablyLuxardoIcecubesforshaking

Crushediceforserving

1limewedgeforgarnish

OLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

Combinetherum,simplesyrup,limejuice,grapefruitjuice,andmaraschinoliqueurinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Shakewithicecubesandstrainovertheold-fashionedglassfilledwithcrushedice.Garnishwiththelimewedgeandservewithastraw.

CHAPTERNO2

OTHERJUICES

TECHNIQUESFORAWIDERARRAYOFFLAVORS

So,asImentionedbefore,Islowlyphasedoutmycareerinarchitectureinexchangeforacareerbehindthebar.AndI’veneverbeenhappieraboutachoice,becauseIessentiallygetpaidtodomyhobbyeverydaynow.Butabigpartofmestilllovesthestudyofthebuiltenvironment—thedesignprocessandconstruction.Soit’snaturalthatIlookforparallelstodrawbetweenmytwofields,butit’snotalwaysthateasy.

WhenIwaslookingforawaytointroducethischapter,itfinallycametomeasIsatthinkingabouttheothertypesofjuice,besidescitrus,thatweusebehindthebar:citrusjuiceislikeawoodentwo-by-four.It’sthemostbasicmaterialouttherewhenyou’retalkingabouttheconstructionofacocktail.Butthereareotherbuildingmaterialsthatneedtobeconsidered.Someofthemareclassicandsturdy,likemasonry.Othersaremoreexotic,likebamboo.Buttheyallhavetheirtimeandplace,andknowinghowtouseeachoneisahallmarkofawell-trainedbartender.

Fruitjuicesotherthancitrushavebeenusedincocktailsforalongtime.Imean,theUnitedStateswasprettymuchbuiltonboozyapplejuice.EthanAllenandhisGreenMountainBoysknockedbackciderdosedwithcopiousamountsofrumontheeveoftheraidonFortTiconderoga,whichsucceededincuttingoffakeysupplyroutefortheBritish.

Ascolonialsettlersmovedwest,theyneededorchardsinordertostakeaclaimontheland.JohnChapman—therealJohnnyAppleseed—plantedapplenurseriesthatallowedsettlerstogetajumpontheirorchards.Thoseapplesweremostlikelyusedtomakealcoholicappleciderorapplejack—applebrandy,essentially.

Theexoticpineapplehadbeencutupandusedtoflavorsyrupsandpunches,ortodecoratejuleps,forsometime,butitwasn’tuntilaroundtheProhibitionperiodthatwebegantoseepineapplejuicemakinganappearanceinAmericancocktails.

Nowitisthemostoften-usedjuiceindrinks,asidefromcitrus.TomatojuicemadeitsdebutinBloodyMarysataboutthesametime.Whatcornerbarwouldthinktwiceaboutstockingtomatojuiceasanecessarystaplethesedays?

Nowthatbartendershavebeguntoworkmorecloselywiththekitchen—hell,someofthebestbartendersintheworldstartedbackthere—theyhaveembracedthewideworldoffruitsavailabletothemandgivenusallahugelegupbyshowingushowtoworkwithfruitsandvegetablesinamoreculinaryway.

Sinceonlyafewproductsareactually“juice-able”(thatis,youcanpressorsqueezethemandthenextractamoreorlessclearliquid),we’realsoconsideringfruitpurees,inwhichthesolidsareblendedwiththeliquidinsidethefruit—anothertechniqueperfectlysuitedtococktails.Allofthesemethodsareanotherfoundationuponwhichyou’llbeabletoconstructsturdy,well-executedcocktails.

TYPESOFJUICERSTherearethreemaintoolsthatweusetojuicefruitsandvegetables.Mychoiceisbasedonboththecharacteroftheproduce(isitsoft,hard,fibrous,mushy?)andthequantityofjuicethatIneedtomake.

FOODMILL

Themostbasictoolformakingjuice,ortechnically,apuree,isafoodmill,whichisasortofstainless-steelstrainerfittedwithaplatethatyoucrankinordertopushthefoodthrough.Afoodmillislargeandunwieldy—certainlynotwhatwewanttousetomakedrinkstoorder—butitdoeshavetheadvantageofstrainingoutskinsandseedsasyouprocessthefruit.Foodmillsarebestforcreatingpureesofsoftfruit,suchasberriesorstonefruits,ratherthanclearjuices.Youcanachievenearlythesameeffectwithastrainerandasmallladleorspoon(seepage34),providedyou’reworkingwithasmallquantityofreallysoftfruit,suchasraspberries.

FOODPROCESSOR

Aregularfoodprocessormakesforareallygoodjuicer.Unlikeablender,thefoodprocessor’sbladeiswide,whilethebowlisshallow,maximizingthecontactbetweenfoodandsteel.Thefoodprocessordestroysthecellwallsofthefruitorvegetabletoreleasethejuice,soyouneedtotakefurtherstepstostrainandfilteroutanyfiber.AthomeIusetheMacGyvercentrifugemethod(seepage36)whenI’mjuicingapplesorotherfruitswithalotofmembrane,suchaspineapples.

JUICEEXTRACTOR

Thetoolthatworksbestforeverythingis,ofcourse,themosthighlyengineered,andthemostexpensive.Ajuiceextractorworksinanentirelydifferentmannerthanafoodprocessor.Spinningbladesgrindthefoodintoapulp,whichisthenthrownagainstaspinningperforateddrum,forcingthejuicethroughthedrumscreen,andthepulpoutthroughachuteinthebackoftheunit.Yougetthebenefitofhorsepower,centrifugalforce,andfinescreeningallinone,whichisgreatifyou’retryingtojuice“stalky,”fibrousvegetablessuchasceleryorrhubarb,orharderrootsandrhizomessuchasbeetsorginger.

Thebiggestdrawbackhereiscost:aprofessionalmodelcanrunupwardof$300/£350.Thegoodnewsisthateverydecadeorso,thenationgoesthroughasortoffreshjuice/smoothiedietcraze,sojuiceextractorsareplentifulatyourlocalthriftshop.Theseusedhomemodelsmightnotwithstandintensejuicinginalarge-scalebarprogram,butthey’llcostone-tenthofthepriceofnewmodels,makingthemwellworthashot.

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:BREVILLEJUICEFOUNTAINELITE

Thisisabeautifulmachinewithalotofpower,andaseriouspricetagofabout$300/£300.Foraprofessionalsituation,thepriceismoneywellinvested.Forhomeuse,thisjuiceextractormaybeasplurge,butyouwon’tregretitifyou’relookingforaprofessional-gradepieceofequipmentthatwilllastforyears.

IMPROVISATIONALJUICEEXTRACTIONForsmallerjobs,likewhenyou’reentertainingathome,thereisgoodsuccesstobehadwithoutthepricetagofapowerhousejuiceextractor.Followingaretwowaysofmakingjuicesathome:

StrainerMethod

Ifit’samatterofasmallquantityofreallysoftfruit,suchasberriesorkiwis,I’llsimplyforcethefruitthroughalargestrainerusingthebackofametalladle.

1.Placealargemeshstraineroveracontainer,putasmallamountofthefruitintothestrainer,and,withthebackofamediumstainless-steelladleoralargespoon,mashthefruitinacircularmotiontopushitthroughthestrainer.

2.Afteryou’vemashedabit,scrapethejuicypulpfromtheundersideofthestrainerintothecontainer.Theinsideofthestrainerwilleventuallygetcloggedwithseedsorskin,dependingonyourfruit,soscrapeoutthatspentpulpfromtimetotimealso,anddiscard.

3.Ifneeded,giveyourjuiceafinalstrainthroughanotherstrainerwithafinermesh.Forfreshestflavor,usejuiceimmediately.

MacGyverCentrifugeMethod

Forfruitthatdoesn’teasilycollapseintoapuree—suchasanappleorpineapple—IalwaysusemyfoodprocessorinconjunctionwithalittlesomethingIliketocalltheMacGyvercentrifuge.

1.Cuttwo36-in/91.5-cmlengthsofcheesecloth(soldinpacksatgoodgroceryorkitchensupplystores).Rinsethecheesecloth,wringitout,andthenrefolditsoyouhaveadoublelayer.

2.Layonepieceacrossthebasketofasaladspinner,sothattheexcesslengthhangsevenlyovertwosides.Laythesecondpieceperpendiculartothat,toformacross(onepiecerunningnorth-southandonerunningeast-west).Tuckandpulltheclothsothattherearenogaps,inordertocontainallthefruityouwillplaceinthecheesecloth.

3.Cutyourfruitinto1-in/2.5-cmpieces,putintoafoodprocessorfittedwithasingleblade,andprocessuntilyouhaveapulpymixture.Youmighthavetostopandpushdownthechunksthathavecrawledupthesidesoftheworkbowlfromtimetotime.Onceyou’vegotapureeabouttheconsistencyofapplesauce,stopandscrapeeverythingintothecenterofthesaladspinner.Foldtheendsofthecheeseclothtoencasethefruit.

4.Operateyoursaladspinner—veryslowlyatfirst.Asyouspin,watchthejuicethatbeginstoaccumulate.Pauseanddecantintoanothercontainerasneeded.Spinuntilthepulprunsdry.Forfreshestflavor,usejuiceimmediately.

APPLEJUICE

InNorthAmerica,therewouldn’tbemuchrewardforsufferingthroughautumnandwinterifitweren’tforapplecider—spicedwithorangepeelandcinnamonandservedpipinghottosipwhilepickingpumpkinsinOctober,orice-coldinapplecidercocktailstodullthepainonNewYear’sDay.Cooltemperaturesandwinterflavorshaveanaturalaffinityfortheflavoroffresh-pressedapples.

Thetermapplecidercanbeconfusing,becauseinEuropeitreferstoafermented,slightlyalcoholiccider(aswasimbibedbyAmericansettlersheadingwestward),whilegenerallyintheStatesthesedays,itmeansfresh-pressedjuicecontainingnoalcohol.Andthenthere’sthenot-to-be-mentionedapplejuice,whichisthehighlyfiltered,cleargoldenjuicefromconcentratethatoftencomesinalittleboxwithastrawattached.Applejuiceisforchildren;applejuiceisnotforcocktails.

ThankstoaseriousoutbreakofE.coliinsomebottledfreshjuices,virtuallyallapplecidersoldintheUnitedStatesandCanadasinceabouttheyear2000hasbeenpasteurizedortreatedbysomeotherantimicrobialprocess.This,ofcourse,robsciderofmuchofitsfreshcomplexity,soitmakessensefortechnique-orientedbartenderstowanttofashiontheirown.Fortunately,it’sasimpletaskandtherewardisamoreinteresting,fresheringredientforyourcocktails.

EQUIPMENTFORMAKINGAPPLECIDER

Forthepriceofanicedinnerout,youcanpickupanewciderpress,thekindwiththewood-slatpressingtub.It’sgotsomedisksinside,andabigmetalscrewthatyouturntoslowlypressthejuiceoutoftheapples.IfyouwanttogothisPennsylvaniaDutchrouteandareplanningongoingthroughtubsandtubsofthestuffatatime,bemyguest.Fortherestofusforwhomaciderpresswillonlytakeupspaceandcollectdustmostoftheyear,IrecommendajuiceextractorortheMacGyvercentrifugemethod(seepage36).

PICKINGAPPLESFORJUICING

Wholeapplesarealwaysinseasonsomewhereintheworld,sotheyareonsupermarketshelvesyear-round.Buttopickareallygood,brightapple,payattentiontowheretheappleisfrom.InNorthAmerica,theseasonislateAugustthroughaboutNovember.Applesstorewell,butbeyond,say,February,youmaybebetteroffchoosingapplesfromtheSouthernHemisphere,whereautumnappleseasonisjustrevvingup.Ifyoudon’twanttouseapplesfromhalfwayaroundtheworld,findalocalproducerwhostoreshisapplesproperly,keepingthemquitecold,withproperhumidityandventilation.

Onceyourapplesareatyourbarorhouse,storethemintherefrigerator,awayfromanystrong-smellingfoods,astheyabsorbodorseasily.Storedinthecold,appleswillstayingreatconditionforupto10days.

Howmuchjuicewillyouget?Applestendtobe,atmost,aboutone-thirdjuice,whichisadecentyield.OvertheyearsI’velearnedthat1lb/455gofappleswillyieldjustover5oz/150mlofcider;knowingthatallowsmetoplanmypreplistaccordingly.

APPLEBLEND

Thejuiceofasinglevarietyofappleisgoingtoresultinasingleapplenoteinyourcocktails.Abettersolutionisacarefullyselectedblendofapples,whichwillbringaricher,morenuancedflavortothedrink.Mystrategywhenselectinganappleblendismuchliketheorchestrationofawell-balancedcocktail:Istartwithastrongappleflavor,balancesweetapplesagainstthetartones,andaddinsomeaccentflavorsforcomplexityanddepth.

Thisisacombinationthathasneverletmedown:2partsRedDeliciousapplesfortheirclassicsweetappleflavor

2partsGrannySmithapplesfortartness1partBraeburnapplesforarich,dark,spicycomponent

1partHoneycrispapplesforcrisp,complexbrightness

KEEPINGTHEJUICEFRESH

Onceyou’vemadeyourcider,useitimmediatelyorstoreitinthefridge,tightlysealedandlabeledwithadate.Freshapplecider,withitshighsugarcontent,willbegintofermentinlessthanaweek,evenunderrefrigeration,soItossitafter4days.

SHOULDYOUWORRYABOUTTHESEEDS?

Shouldyouremovetheappleseedsbeforejuicing?You’llhearpeoplesaythatappleseedsarepoisonous,astheycontaincyanide,butfortunately,that’snotentirelycorrect.Appleseeds(andtheseedsofstonefruits,suchasapricots,plums,cherries,andpeaches)containaglycoside(basicallyasugarmoleculeboundtoanothergroup)calledamygdalin,whichisbrokendownbyenzymesinthesmallintestinetoproducecyanidegas.That’sthebadnews.

Thegoodnewsisthatwe’retalkingaboutincrediblysmallamountshere,andthehumanbodyisequippedtodetoxifyitselfintheeventofnormalamygdalinconsumption.You’dhavetoeatagargantuanquantityofappleseedstodoanyrealharm,butifyou’retheparanoidtype,feelfreetotaketheextrastepanddiscardtheseedsbeforejuicing.

FLANNELSHIRT

IdevelopedthisrecipewithHighlandParkScotchfortheStarChefsRisingStarAwardsinPortland,Oregon.TheeventtookplaceinDecember,andIknewIwantedtodosomethingwithScotchandappleciderthatwouldbeservedcold.Soaftercomingupwiththeappleblenddescribedonpage39,IsetouttobuildacocktailwhoseotheringredientswouldplayasupportiveroleinexpressinghowbeautifullyScotchwhiskyandfreshappleciderpairtogether.

MAKES1DRINK

13/4oz/50mlScotch11/2oz/45mlfreshapplecider1/2oz/15mlAvernaamaro1/4oz/7.5mlfreshlemonjuice1tsp/5ml2:1Demerarasyrup(seepage78)1/2tsp/2.5mlSt.ElizabethAllspiceDram

2dashesAngosturabitters

Icecubesforshaking

Crackediceforserving

1orangepeelforgarnish

CHILLEDOLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

CombinetheScotch,applecider,Avernaamaro,lemonjuice,Demerarasyrup,St.ElizabethAllspiceDram,andbittersinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Shakewithicecubesandstrainovertheold-fashionedglassfilledwithcrackedice.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktailanddropinthedrinktoserve.

PINEAPPLEJUICEPineapplejuicepracticallydefinesthetikicocktailcategory,andfreshpineapplejuiceisamustifyouwanttomakeanhonorabletikidrink.

PICKINGPINEAPPLESFORJUICING

Thiscanbeslightlytricky,becausetheskinofapineappleisthick,rough,anddoesn’tgivealotofclues.Andpineapplesarepickedripe;theywon’tgetanyriperonyourcounter.But,fortunately,thesedaysmostpineapplesarereallyhigh-qualityandreliablysweet.Lookforonesthatfeelheavyfortheirsize,haveaslightgivewhenyousqueezethem,and—mostimportant—haveanoticeablysweetperfumewhenyousmellthem.DelMonteGoldisavarietythatyoucancounton.Anddon’trelyonthatoldtrickofpullingoutaleaf,whichsupposedlywillcomeouteasilyifthepineappleisripe.There’snotruthtothat.

A3-lb/1.4-kgpineappleshouldyieldabout16oz/480mlofjuice.Storeyourpineapplejuiceintherefrigeratoratalltimes—it’squiteperishable—andtossitafter3days.

KINGSTONCLUB

PalatestendtobeprettyadvancedhereinPortland.Maybeit’stheweather,maybeit’sourintenseloveforcoffeeandbig,bitterbeers.Butwhateverthereason,Ifoundmyselfinabitofaconundrumwhiletryingtoputsomethingtiki-inspiredonmydrinkmenu:Portlandersdemandmoredepthofflavorthanyou’llfindinmostrum-basedtropicaldrinks.

Herballiqueurstotherescue.I’vealwayslovedworkingwithherballiqueurssuchasDrambuie,andFernet-Brancamakesasolidchunkoftheirsalesfromthestaffatourrestaurant.Andbehold,theKingstonClubwasborn.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlDrambuie11/2oz/45mlfreshpineapplejuice3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlimejuice1tsp/5mlFernet-Branca

3dashesAngosturabitters

1oz/30mlchilledsodawaterIcecubes

1orangetwistforgarnish

CHILLEDCOLLINSGLASS

CombinetheDrambuie,pineapplejuice,limejuice,Fernet-Branca,andbittersinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Shakewithicecubesandfinishwiththesodawater.Strainthemixintothechilledcollinsglassfilledwithfreshice,andgarnishwiththeorangetwisttoserve.

TOMATOJUICEOh,toknowthejoyofaBloodyMarymadewith...well,no,notwithfreshtomatojuice.Thiscategoryofjuiceistheonethatgoesagainstthegeneralruleof“fresherisbetter.”There’ssomethingoddaboutatomato:atrulyripeoneissolusciousandintenselyflavorfulwhenyoueatitoutofhand,butonceyouprocessitintoapureeandthenextractthejuice,itbecomesvegetal,weak,andweirdlyfrothy.Tomatoesneedsomesortofheatapplicationtobreakdownthecellsinawaythatwillyieldthesweetjuice,ratherthantheotherflavors.

Thiscanbegoodnewsforthebartender,however,becausetherearecannedtomatoesthatwillproduceadeliciousjuicethatismuchbetterthanactualcannedtomatojuice.Andit’seasierthanprocuringandhandlingfreshripetomatoes.MuirGlenorganicbrandtomatoesareperfectforjuicing.Justpureetheminafoodprocessorandthenstrain.Usewithin2days.

Anotheroption,moretime-consuming,istoroastfreshtomatoes.Cutripetomatoesinhalf,arrangecut-sideuponarimmedbakingsheet,androastina375°F/190°Covenuntilthetomatoesstarttoshrivelabit,about1hour(sometimesmore,ifthetomatoesarereallyjuicy).Slidethetomatoesandtheirjuicesintoablenderandprocessuntilyouhaveasmoothpuree.Strainthroughafine-meshsievetoremoveseedsandbitsofskin.

THESANMARZANOHOAX

Youmayfindothercannedtomatobrandsthatareequallydelicious,butpleasebewaryofso-calledSanMarzanotomatoes.ThisisafabledplumtomatovarietyfromItalythatissaidtobeincredible;itevenhasaD.O.P.(denominazioned’origineprotetta)designation.AndtherealSanMarzanosareinfactgreat—growninidealsoilandclimateandharvestedandprocessedwhenfullyripe.Delightful.Butthereisabrandofcannedtomatothatcallsitself“SanMarzano”thatissoldinmanystoresintheUnitedStates,mainlybecausethelabelingisattractive(graphicallyboldwhite,red,andgreen).TheyareinfactfromCalifornia,andeverycanIhaveevertastedisfullofstringy,pale,tastelesstomatoes.Readthelabel!

POMEGRANATEJUICEThatnobleandancientfruit,thepomegranate,hasbeenthesubjectofmuchpopulardiscussioninrecentyearsduetoitsallegedantioxidantqualities.OriginatinginPersia,thepomegranatespreadacrossAsiaandtheMediterraneaninancienttimes.Itssweet,darkjuice,encapsulatedintinyseeds,figuresprominentlyinGreekmythology;Persephone’sunwittingconsumptionofthefruitandresultingbanishmenttotheunderworldforhalftheyearwastheGreeks’explanationfortheseasons.

PICKINGAPOMEGRANATE

Pomegranatesareinseasonforonlyafewmonthsayear(thepeakseasonisNovembertoJanuary),sogetthemwhileyoucan.Pickasmooth-skinnedpomegranate,withnocracksorsplits,thatfeelsheavyforitssize.You’llneedtoheftafewtofindtheheaviest.

HOWTOJUICEAPOMEGRANATE

Gettingthejuiceoutofapomegranate(say,forGrenadine,page98)hasforalongtimeconfoundedandfrustratedbartenders.Ican’ttellyouhowmanyprofessionalandhomebartendersI’vespokenwithaboutthehardworkandlowyieldoffreshpomegranatejuiceandthetediumofdealingwiththeseeminglyendlessnumberoftinyjuice-filledseeds,eachwaitingtospillameagerdroportwoofitsmessy,stainingjuice.

I’veseenallkindsofmethods,usuallystartingwithseparatingtheseedsfromthefleshinsomelaboriousprocess,followedbyamultitudeofvariationsonthesametheme:gettingthejuiceoutofthosetinyseeds.I’veseenstrainersdeployedoverbowls,whileladlesmashedtheseedstoseparatethejuicefromthehulls.I’veseenpomegranate-filledzip-topbagsandrollingpinsbroughtoutfromthecupboard(nojoke),andmypersonalfavorite:boilingtheseedsinashallowpanofwateruntiltheypoppedfromtheheatandgushedtheirguts,effectivelyturningthewaterapaleshadeofpink.

ItshockedmethatalmostnobodyIspokewithhadtriedtheobvious:cutthewholepomegranateinhalfalongtheequatorandplaceitinamechanicalcitruspress(seepage20),asyouwouldagrapefruit.Presstoyieldatremendousamountoffresh,darkjuicewithaminimumofmessandeffortrequiredbythebartender.

Howmuchjuicewillyouget?Withthemechanicalcitruspressmethod,a12-oz/340-gpomegranateshouldyield8oz/240ml.

KEEPINGTHEFRUITANDJUICEFRESH

Youcankeepwholepomegranatesatroomtemperature(chooseacoolspot)forafewdays,andforupto3monthsinaplasticbagintherefrigerator.Thejuicewilllastinthefridgeupto3daysandinthefreezerfor6months.

GINGERJUICE

Theflavoroffreshjuicefromgingerispotentandexciting,butnoteasytoproduce.Gingeristoughandextremelyfibrous,andthebestwaytogetmorethanafewdropsisbyusingajuiceextractor.Chancesarethatifyouwantgingerjuice,it’s

becauseyouwanttomakegingersyrup.Ihaveaneffectiveandeasymethodforjuicinggingerintendedforsyrup.Seetherecipeonpage103.Therestofthetimeyou’lllikelybeusingthejuicetomakeGingerBeer(page65).

CHOOSINGGINGERFORJUICE

Gingerdriesoutquickly,andmuchofwhatyou’llfindinanordinarygrocerystoreisprettyleathery,andthereforeisn’tgoingtoyieldalotofjuice.Yourbestsourceforyoung,fresh,juicygingerisanAsiangrocerystore.Lookforhands(that’swhattheclumpsarecalled)withfatsectionsandverythin,almostpinkishskin.Ifyoucanscrapeitoffwithafingernail,that’sagoodsign.Iftheskinisthickerandmorelikeabrownpaperbag,justbesureitisn’tshriveled.

HOWTOJUICEGINGERWITHAJUICEEXTRACTOR

Iftheskinisverythickandtough,youshouldpeeloffmostofit,justsoitswoodyflavordoesn’ttaintthejuice.Foryounger,thinner-skinnedginger,youcantossthewholethingintoajuiceextractor,becausethebuilt-instrainerwillremoveanyskinandfiber.

KEEPINGGINGERANDITSJUICEFRESH

There’salotofdebateabouthowtostoregingertokeepitfresh—inaplasticbag,inabowlofsand(yes,really),orsteepedinvodka.Ifindthatmoreconventionalmethods,likeaplasticbag,keepthegingerfreshforjustaslongandarealotlessmessythantheothers.

Forashortperiod,youcanjustleavetheunpeeledhandofgingeronthecounter,butformorethan1or2days,wrapitfirstinapapertowel,andtheninaplasticbagandstoreinthefridge.Ifyouleaveoutthepapertowel,thegingercangetmoldybecauseofthecondensedmoisture.Thejuiceitselfwillstayfreshforupto3days.

FRUITPUREES

Whenthetextureofafruitisverysoft,it’sdifficulttoseparatethejuicefromtherestofthecellmaterial.Insteadofclearjuicerunningfromfibrouspulp,youendupwithahomogenouspuree—whichisdeliciousandtotallyappropriateforcertaincocktails.Aperfectexampleoffruitsthatproduceanectarorpuree,ratherthanaclearliquid,aretheso-calledstonefruitsordrupes(peaches,nectarines,apricots,plums,etc).Thebestwaytousethisfamilyofsummerfruitsisbymakingthemintoperfectlysmoothpureesthatyoucanthenmixintococktails.

HOWTOMAKEAFRUITPUREE

Whenpureeingsmallamountsofsoftfruitsuchasraspberries,kiwi,veryripepear,orgrapes,thefirstoptionisalwaysthehand-poweredone,avoidingtheneedforelectricityorcleanup.Afoodmill,orevenastrainerandladle,isperfect.Seepage34forthehow-to.

Topureefruitsuchasmangoes,melons,orpeaches,ortopureesoftfruitinlargequantities,youneedsomepower,asinafoodprocessor.It’sfast,it’seasy,andtheresultsareperfectlyacceptable.Simplydumpabunchoffruitintoafoodprocessor,pureeuntilsmooth,andstraintheresultsthroughafine-meshstrainerintothecontainerofyourchoice.

HowtoMakeaStoneFruitPuree

Thismethodwillworkforanystonefruit,includingplums,nectarines,peaches(shownhere),andofcoursewhitepeaches,usedintheBellini(page49).

Startbyselectingtheripest,freshestwhitepeachesyoucanfind.Eachpeachshouldbringyouabout2oz/60mlofpuree.Peeleachpeachwithaparingknife(Idothisoverthesink)andremovethepitandstem.

Pureeinafoodmillifyouhaveone;otherwisepureetheminafoodprocessoruntilsmooth.You’llneedtorunthepureethroughasieveormeshstrainerifyou’reusingtheprocessor(seepage34).

Peachestendtolacktherightamountofsugarcontentunlesspickedattheheightoftheseason,sosweetenthepureetoyourparticulartastewithalittle2:1simplesyrup(seepage78).Bottleinasqueezebottleandrefrigerateuntilreadytouse.

STORINGFRUITPUREES

Theluscioustexture,freshflavor,andvibrantcolorofanewlymadefruitpureeisperishable,asyoucanimagine.Soassoonasyoumakeone,storeitinasealedcontainer.Ikeepsmallamountsoffruitpureeinlabeledanddatedplasticsqueezebottlesforeaseofmeasurementlater.

Fortunately,fruitpureesfreezeverywell,soyoucanmakelargebatcheswhenthefruitisatitspeakseason.Packthemintosmallfreezerbags,labelanddate,andfreezeforupto6months,althoughtheywillstarttolosesomequalityafteraround3months.

BELLINI

ThereisnoclassiccocktailthattakesadvantageoffruitpureequiteliketheBellini,aconcoctionofsparkingwineandwhitepeachpuree.ThedrinkreflectsthesamephilosophythatItalianshavetowardfood:useonlythebestingredientsattheirpeakseason,anddon’tmuckthemup—lettheingredientsspeakforthemselves.

Unlikesomanyclassiccocktails,thereisnodisputeoverwhoinventedtheBellini,thoughthedateisstillfuzzy.GiuseppeCipriani,founderandownerofthefabledHarry’sBarinVenice,adoredthedelicatelyfragrantwhitepeachesthatwereplentifulduringtheItaliansummer.He“squeezed”one(musthavebeenmightyripe)andblendedthepureewithsomeprosecco.Theflavorwaslikesummerinaglass,andthedrinkhadagorgeouspalepinkblushtoit,thankstothelittletingeofredfleshthat’sclosesttothepitofawhitepeach.ThedrinkneverleftHarry’smenu,andinfacthesubsequentlynamedaNewYorkrestaurantBellini.

TheriskyourunwiththeBelliniisthedrinkbecomingtoothick,sothatitfeelsasifyou’reslurpingdownpeachpureetouchedwithahintofwine.Aftertoyingaroundwiththeproportionsatmybarforyears,we’vefinallysettledontheratioof1partpureeto3partsprosecco.It’stheperfectbalance.Inan8-oz/240-mlChampagneflute,thisworksoutperfectlyto11/2oz/45mlofpureefinishedwith41/2oz/135mlofprosecco,leavinga2-oz/60-mlheadspaceatthetopoftheglass.

IgottaadmitthatI’mnottheworld’sbiggestfanofprosecco,asittendstobealittlesweeter,simpler,andmoreone-dimensionalthantheFrenchorevenSpanishsparklingwinesItypicallyseekout.Butforthisdrink,thereisabsolutelynothingthatwillworklikeprosecco.Trustmeonthisone,asalotofdry,complexdepthisnotwhatyou’relookingforinthiscocktail.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlwhitepeachpuree41/2oz/135mlchilledproseccoCHILLEDCHAMPAGNEFLUTE

PourthepeachpureeintheChampagneflute.Topupslowlywiththechilledprosecco.Iliketogivethisoneastirwithachopstickratherthanametalbarspoon,astheChampagneflutesIhaveathomeandinmybararetoodelicatetohandlewithsteelimplements.

CHAPTERNO3

SODAS&MIXERS

LENGTHENINGCOCKTAILSWITHCARBONATIONANDVOLUME

Walkingupanddowntheaislesofyourlocalgrocerymegastore,andprettymuchanyrun-of-the-millgrocerystoreinthecountry,you’lleventuallycomeacrossanaislelabeled“Mixers.”Whilealotofthenewer,hipperstoreswithincandescentlightingandthewordorganicplasteredallovertheplacewillchooseamoreelegantlabel,suchas“Sodas”or“Beverages,”fortheirmixersaisle,thebigboxstoresstillhangontothatword:mixers.

Youtakealapthroughthataisleandthinktoyourself,“WhatinthehellamIsupposedtomixwiththis?”Dietcherryvanillacola.Grapeflavoredsoda.Packetsofbrightlycoloredpowderthatyou’resupposedtopourintoyourwaterbottleinordertoturnwaterintoahydratingbeverage.Andsportsdrinks,whichnoonehaseverseenbeingconsumedbypeoplewhoparticipateinsports.

Andthenyougettothatplacewe’veallseenamilliontimes:It’saskimpysectionofshelvingsomewhereneartheendoftheaisle,andit’swherethereal“mixers”live.ThereareafewbottlesofAngosturabittershere,andsomebrightredmaraschinocherries.There’sdefinitelyajarortwoofolives,anddependingonhowfancythesurroundingneighborhoodis,theremightbesomespecialtyolivesstuffedwithroastedgarlicorsomething.Neonredgrenadine,brighterneongreenlimecordial.Andthentherearethesodas.

Theyusedtoalwaysstocksomethinggenericallylabeledas“collinsmix”here,butIthinkthatwasbeforeeveryonefiguredoutitwasthesamethingasSquirt,orrightaboutthetimethatpeoplestoppeddrinkingvodkacollinsesinfavorofvodkasodas,heraldingthemodernquestforfewercaloriesandevenlessflavor.

There’stonicwaterhere,aswellasdiettonicwater,whichisnotonlymadewiththesameartificialquinineasregulartonicwater,butsweetenedwithartificialsweetenertoboot.Sourmixwasprettymuchbornandraisedinthislittlesectionof

grocerystoreshelving,andsometimesit’sstillreferredtobythatname,butmostoftenthesedaysitgoesby“margaritamix.”It’susuallysoldrightnexttoasmallplasticcontainerofkoshersaltfestoonedwithaplasticsombrero,labeled“margaritasalt.”

TheunfortunatethingisthateventhoughI’manexperiencedbartenderwiththeknowledgeandskillstomakeperfectlyexecutedclassiccocktailsfromfreshingredients,I’mstillconditionedtothinkofthissadlittlesectionofthegrocerystoreanytimeIhearanyonesaythewordmixers.AndIthinkmostotherpeopledo,too—whichisterriblenewsforcocktails—becauseunlikeyouandme,somepeopleactuallymakeapointofshoppingherewhenitcomestimetomixtheiralcoholwithotheringredients.Ihopethischapterwillchangethatbehavior.

AHISTORYOFCARBONATIONTheculturalshifttowardintellectualismduringtheAgeofEnlightenmentineighteenth-centuryEuropeencompassedanumberofdisciplines,fromphilosophytoethics,physicstochemistry.Enlightenment-erachemistswereobsessedwith,andmademajoradvancementsin,thesearchforthefundamentalbuildingblocksoftheuniverse,oraswenowknowthem,theelements.

Oneofthemanyscientificdisciplinesthataroseatthistimewasthestudyofdifferentstatesofmatter.Onesuchstatewas(and,um,stillis)gas.Atthetime,scientistsbelievedthattherewerethreeelementaltypesofgases,orastheywereknownatthetime,“airs.”Thefirstwascalled“commonair,”whichwenowthinkofasEarth’satmosphere,ortheairwebreathe—amixtureofnitrogen,oxygen,argon,andothertracegases.Thesecondwasnamed“inflammableair”byHenryCavendish;wenowknowitastheelementhydrogen.Andthethirdbecameknownas“fixedair”andwasobservedblanketingfermentationtanksatbreweriesbyaUnitarianministernamedJosephPriestley.

Priestley,unsuccessfulatsermonizingthanksinparttoadebilitatingstutter,wasquitetheaspiringscientist.In1767hepublishedTheHistoryandPresentStateofElectricity,partlyencouragedbyAmericanstatesmanBenjaminFranklin.Thatsameyear,PriestleymovedtoLeeds,inEngland,intoahousenextdoortoabrewery,wherehecontinuedhisscientificedification,conductingexperimentsinandaroundthosefermentationtanks.

Hediscoveredalayerof“air”abovethefermentationtanksthatheldsomeinterestingproperties.Henoticedthatalitcandle,whenmovedintothislayerofair,wouldquicklyandinexplicablyextinguish.Hisnextexperimentinvolvedmice,oftenplentifulinandaroundthesacksofgrainfoundinbreweries.Hediscoveredthathispoor,unwillingsubjectsdiedwhenexposedtothis“air”forseveralminutes.Butitwashisgreatestexperimentthatchangedthewaywedrinkforever.Priestleynotedthatwhenwaterwaspouredbackandforthbetweentwoglassesheldinthe“air,”itbecamefulloftinybubbles.JosephPriestleyhaddiscoveredcarbondioxide.

In1772,PriestleypublishedabooktitledImpregnatingWaterwithFixedAir.Inthebookhedescribedanintricateprocessinwhich“oilofvitriol”—or,asit’scallednow,sulfuricacid—wasdrippedontolimestonetoproducecarbondioxidegas,whichwasthentobedissolvedinwater.Itwastheworld’sfirstprocesstocarbonatewaterartificially.Butwhygotoallthattroubleforwhatwenowthinkofasarefreshing,yetstillunnecessary,inthegrandschemeofthings,beverage?Quitesimply,Priestleywasconvincedthatthecarbonatedwaterwasmedicine,apossiblecureforscurvy,acommonailmentamongsailorswhooftenspentmonthsatatimeatsea.WenowknowthatscurvyistheresultofavitaminCdeficiency,aconsequenceofhavingnoaccesstofreshfruitsandvegetablesonlongvoyages.Priestleytried,unsuccessfully,tosellthenewprocessforcarbonatingwatertotheRoyalNavy.Instead,heendedupteachingthecrewofJamesCook’ssecondSouthSeasvoyagetheprocessafterbeingturneddownforthepositionofship’sastronomer.Theylikelystillsufferedfromscurvy,butatleasttheyhadsomedelicioussparklingwaterontheirvoyage.

CARBONATEDWATERASHEALTHTONIC

Ataroundthesametime,theGermantownofNiederseltershadsomethingveryspecialonitshands.Thecitypossessedauniquemineralwaterspring,whichwas,oddlyenough,lightlycarbonated.Mypersonaltheoryisthattherewas,deepunderground,amixtureofsulfuricacidandlimestonemixingwiththewatertoinfuseitwithcarbondioxidegas,muchlikeinJosephPriestley’sartificialcarbonationprocess.

Asearlyas1728,thetown’swaterwassoldacrossEuropeasasortoftonicinthenewlypopularhealthspas.Thespringwaterwasbottledinearthenwarejugsandsealedwithtartokeepthecarbonationintact.Spashadbeenenjoyingarecent

resurgenceinEurope,asasortofdestinationcureforallmannerofailments,fromarthritistopneumonia.Thetown’s“Selterswater”soonbecamealltherageinsuchresorts,eventuallygivingrisetothegenerictermseltzerwater.

MECHANICALCARBONATION

JohannJacobSchweppe,aGermanwatchmakerlivinginSwitzerland,learnedofPriestley’smethodofdrippingsulfuricacidontolimestonetoproducecarbondioxidegasand,usinghismachinist’sskills,becamethefirsttodevelopamanufacturingprocesstoartificiallycarbonatemineralwater.TheSchweppesCompanywasfoundedinGenevain1783andisstilloperatingtoday,aspartofalargercompany.

Europe’sthirstforcarbonatedwaterremainedunquenched,andin1813amannamedCharlesPlinthcreatedthefirstportablesodasiphon,whichcouldbemountedontohorse-drawncarts,spreadingthepopularityofthedrinkaroundLondon.Asearlyas1814,awaiterworkingatLimmer’sHotelonConduitStreet,inLondon,hadaverypopularginpunchonhishands.Therecipecalledforgin,lemonjuice,andsugar,andwaslengthenedwithsodawater,quitepossiblyprovidedbyoneofPlinth’sportablesodacarts.

Thewaiter’snamewasJohnCollins,andthepunchwasnamedafterhim.Supposedly,thedrinkwasoriginallymadewithHollandorJenevergin,whichisamaltier,richer,andmoreoilyversionofthedryginsweconsumetoday.AsillegalhomedistillingbecamemorecommonandgaverisetotheOldTomstyleofsweetenedEnglishgin,thedrinktookonaslightnamechange,whichwouldbecomeapermanentone:TomCollins.

HOWCARBONATIONWORKS

Carbonationisthecommontermforthedissolutionofcarbondioxide(CO2)intowater.Carbonationbeingachemicalreaction,therearesomebasicrulestoknow,andknowingthoseruleswillhelpyoumakeyourdrinksbetter.

Thefirstruleisthatcarbondioxideismuchmoresolubleincoldwaterthaninwarmwater.Sowhatdoesthismeanforus?Well,itmeansthatwe’llwanttokeepanycarbonatedbeveragesoringredients,betheybeer,sparklingwater,Champagne,orCoca-Cola,ascoldaspossibletoensurethatasmuchofthatCO2staysinsolutiononcethebottle’sbeenopened.

Carbonationalsoreliesonpressuretomaintainsolution,andsinceCO2wantstobeatequilibriumwithitssystem,alow-pressuresystemsuchasEarth’satmospherewillresultinalossofcarbonation.Inlayman’sterms,thismeansthatoncethatbottlehasbeenopenedandexposedtotheatmospherehereonEarth,thecarbondioxidewantstoescape.Sokeepthosebottlescloseduntilthey’rereadytobeused.

It’simportanttorememberthatacarbonateddrinkservedovericecontainsbillionsandbillionsofplacesforbubblestoform,whicharecallednucleationsites.Asaresult,thedrinkwillloseitscarbonationmorequicklythanoneservedinabottleoraglasswithoutice,whichhasfewernucleationsites.

It’salsoimportanttonotethatwhencarbondioxide(CO2)isdissolvedinwater(H2O),thereisareactionthattakesplacethatproducesasmallamountofcarbonicacid(H2CO3).Thisisapplicabletococktails,becauseitmeansthatcarbonateddrinksareslightlymoreacidic,andthereforetastelesssweetthannoncarbonateddrinks.Adjustyourrecipesasneeded.

Carbonationreachesequilibriumwithitssystem

TOMCOLLINS

Thefirstrecipeforasingle-servingTomCollinsappearedinthe1876editionofJerryThomas’sTheBar-Tender’sGuide.Bythistime,sparklingcocktailssuchascollinsesandfizzeswereamainstayofAmericanbarculture.

Ican’tthinkofmanymorerefreshingdrinksthanaperfectlycarbonatedTomCollins.It’sthesortofthingI’llwhipupatapartywhentheonlythingsonhandarealittlegin,somefreshlemons,sugar,andsodawater.ATomCollinsisjustoneofthosedrinksthatalwaysseemstowowpeoplewhenmadecorrectly.

Ifindthataddingsodatotheglassoncethedrinkhasbeenshakenandstrainedovericemerelyresultsinalayerofcocktailandalayerofsoda.IalwaysaddthesodadirectlytotheshakeronceI’mdoneshakingthedrink,andIneverdouble-strain;thefinestrainerprovidestoomanynucleationsites,whichhelpdissipatethatcarbondioxidetooquickly.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mlgin,preferablyintheOldTomstyle,suchasHayman’s3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlemonjuice(seepage22)1/2oz/15ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)

Icecubes

2oz/60mlchilledsodawater

1lemonpeelforgarnish

CHILLEDCOLLINSGLASS

Combinethegin,lemonjuice,andsimplesyrupinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Shakewithicecubesandaddthesodawatertothecontentsoftheshaker.Strainintothechilledcollinsglassfilledwithfreshice.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktailanddropinthedrinktoserve.

SODAWATERTodaythemodernbartenderhasanumberofoptionsforcarbonatedwaterincocktails.Thesimplest,andcertainlyleastsustainable,methodistopurchasebottledsodawater,alsoknownassparklingwater.Thereareanumberofcompanieswillingtoseparateyoufromyourmoneyinthisdepartment,eachtoutingalong-standingEuropeantraditionofmineral-richwatertexturedwithallmannerofcarbonationandbubblesize.Takeyourpickandchooseyourfavoriteifheadingdownthisroad,butalwaysremembertokeepyourbottleswellchilledinthefridgeinordertomaximizethelifeofthecarbonation.

MAKINGYOUROWNSODA

Carbonatingyourownwatermeanslesswastedplasticandlesstransportationenergy.Italsomeansyoucanmakeexactlyasmuchsodayouwant,whenyouwantit—nottomentiontheadditionalcontrolitgivesyouoveryourcosts.

HowtoUseaSodaSiphon

Agood,thoughsomewhatinvolved,techniqueistouseasodasiphon,suchasthetypemadebyLissoriSi.Beginbyfillingthesiphonaccordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructionswithcoldfilteredtapwater.Thisfirststepisimportanttoremoveanylingeringimpuritiesorflavorsinthemunicipalwatersystem.AthomeIleantowardtheBritasystem,althoughtherearecertainlymanyotheroptionsoutthereforbothcommercialandhomeuse.

Next,attachtheheadtothecanisterandfitaCO2cartridgeintotheunit.You’llhearthehissofgasasitfillstheunit;onceyoucan’thearitanylonger,makesurethegasiscompletelydissolvedinthewaterbyshakingthecanisterhardfor10seconds.Don’tworry,theunitisn’tgoingtoexplodeonyou.

Atthispoint,you’rereadytorock.Simplydepresstheleveronthesideoftheheadgentlytodispensecarbonatedwater,muchlikeacircusclown.Justmakesureyoudon’thitanyoneintheface.Thesesodasiphonsaregreatforquicklycarbonating

waterandkeepingitfresh,butIdofindthatdischargingrequiresagentletouchifyou’retryingtofillajiggertomeasure.

OtherWaystoCarbonate

Pouringfromabottleisamoregentlewaytodispensecarbonatedwater,and,fortunately,thesedaystherearecompaniesthatmakesuchcontraptionsforbottlingwaterathome.Sodastreamisonesuchcompany,andalthoughtheirunitissomewhatbulky(takingupasmuchcounterspaceasasmallcoffeemachine),itfillssealableglasscarafeswiththewater,whichmakesfornicelybottledwaterinabeautifulpackage.

TheFizzGizmakesaprettycoolportableunitthatIliketothrowintomybartoolbag.Thecarbonatorishandheldandfitsintoacustom-designedbottlecap,whichshouldscrewontosomestandardplasticwaterorsodabottles,thoughfindingonewhosethreadsexactlymatchthoseoftheFizzGizcanbeafrustratinggameoftrialanderror.

TONICWATER

Quinine,thebittercompoundthatformsthebasefortonicwater,hasamythicalandturbulentpast.ThebarkofthequinquinatreewasknowntoPeruvianIncastohaveaveryspecialproperty:whengroundandmixedwithhotorcoldwaterandconsumedasasortoftea,itstoppedthebodyfromshiveringinthecold.Wenowknowthatquinineisamildmusclerelaxant.

IwouldarguethatJesuitmissionaries,exploringtheNewWorldandgrabbingeverythingtheycouldgettheirhandson,tooknoticeofthispeculiarphenomenon.Sinceshiveringwasoneofthesymptomsofmalaria,adiseasethathadbeenravagingEuropeforcenturies,theyprobablyfiguredthatwhateverstoppedtheshiveringwouldstopthedisease.Theirguessprovedtobesound,eveniftheirreasoningwasn’t:quininekillsthemicroorganisminthebloodthatcausesmalaria.Theshiversaremerelyasymptom.

Regardless,thebarkquicklybecameawell-knownmalariapreventativeinEurope,worthitsweightingoldasPeruviansuppliesquicklydwindled.By1862,theDutchhadsmuggledseedsoutofPeruandsetupcinchona(asitbecameknown)plantationsinJava,Indonesia.Bythe1930s,Javagrewtobetheworld’sprimarysourceofquininetothetuneofa95percentmarketshare.

QuininewasconsumedbythoseworkingfortheBritishEastIndiaCompanyinIndia.Thetonicwasmademorepalatablebytheaddednoveltyofcarbonatedwater.SincethemostcommonliquorimbibedbytheBritishatthetimewasgin,itbecameanaturaladditiontothemedicinaltonic.Intheearly1800s,theginandtonicwasborn.

MAKINGTONICWATER

Ibeganmyfirstexperimentswithhouse-madetonicwaterin2007.Iwaslookingforatonicwithmoreassertiveflavorsandnaturalingredientsthanthosefoundincommercialtonicwater.Aglanceatthestandard-issuetonicavailableatmostbarsandrestaurantsrevealsthelackofflavorevenbeforeyouopenthebottle.Justlookattheingredients:water,highfructosecornsyrup,citricacid,sodiumbenzoate,andquinine.Ithoughtwecoulddobetter.

Conversely,myissuewithmosthomemadetonicwaterwasthatithadtooassertiveaflavorprofileforthegeneralpublic.Evenmyownfirstrecipe,whichwaslaudedbybartendersandhomemixologistsallovertheInternetandinnewspapers,Ipersonallyfoundtobemuddy,dirty,earthy,and,quitefrankly,abittoughtodrink.

Isetout,yetagain,insearchofatonicrecipethatIcouldbeproudof,andthatIwouldenjoydrinking.ItfinallydawnedonmethatifImadeatinctureofquinine,andthenmadeaquininesyrup,Icouldhavemorecontrolovertheflavorofthewholedrink.ThisistheformulaIlandedon:

Mix1partQuinineSyrup(facingpage)to3partssodawater.Ormix1partQuinineSyrupto3partsstillwaterandcarbonateusingacarbonator.

QUININESYRUP

Youcanbuycinchona,wholegentianroot,andsoft-stickcinnamoninbulkfromretailersofherbalmedicineandotherspecialtyherbshops.Andpleaseuseascaleformeasurement;itmakesadifference.I’mkeepingthequantitiesinmetricweightsbecauseit’simportanttobeprecise.AnyelectronicscalewillhaveasettingformetricsaswellasU.S.weights.

MAKES28OZ/830ML,WITHENOUGHTINCTURELEFTOVERFOR2MOREBATCHES

QuinineTincture

6gpowderedcinchonabark(redwillbemoreassertive,yellowismilderandlessbitter)150mlvodka

Aromatics

20gcitricacid10gwholegentianroot2gCeylonsoft-stickcinnamon,brokenbyhandintosmallpieces30glemonpeel,peeledwithavegetablepeeler30ggrapefruitpeel,peeledwithavegetablepeeler400gsugar

500mlwater

Tomakethetincture:Dissolvethepowderedcinchonabarkinthevodka.Mixwell,andthenstrainthroughapapercoffeefilterfittedintoastrainer(orafiltercone,ifyouhaveone)andsuspendedoveralargeenoughcontainertoaccommodatethefinalvolumeofvodka.Thisprocesscouldtakeupto1hour,sodon’tworryifitseemslikenothingishappening.(Thetincturelastsforever.)Tomakethearomatics:Combinealltheingredientsforthearomaticsina

mediumsaucepan.Heatovermediumheatjustuntilboiling,reducetheheattolow,andsimmer,covered,for20minutes.Strainoutthesolidsandlettheliquidcool.

Stir11/2oz/45mlofthequininetinctureintothecooledaromatics,andthenbottle.Sealtightlyandstoreintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks.

GINANDTONIC

Thereareginandtonics,andthenthereareGinandTonics.Thisisoneyouwon’tbeembarrassedtoserveyourguests.Imakepitcherafterpitchereverysummerforfriendstosipinthebackyard.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mlLondondryorPlymouthgin1/2oz/15mlQuinineSyrup(page59)

11/2oz/45mlchilledsodawaterIcecubes

1limewedgeforgarnish

OLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

Combinethegin,quininesyrup,andsodawaterintheold-fashionedglassandfillwithicecubes.Garnishwiththelimewedgetoserve.

GINGERBEER

Backinthatsupermarketmixerssection,thereareprobablyacoupleofbrandsofgingerale,whichismoreoftenthannotanartificiallyflavoredbeverage,sweetenedwithhighfructosecornsyrupandbestservedtochildrenwithupsettummies.IevenkeepacanortwoofthestuffinthefridgeforwhenI’mnotfeelingwell.

Butgingerbeerisacompletelydifferentanimal.TheearlypredecessortoCanadian-borngingerale,gingerbeerfirstbeganlifeinEnglandasafermented,slightlyalcoholicbeveragemadeoffreshginger,lemon,sugar,water,andayeastandbacteriacompoundcommonlyknownas“gingerbeerplant.”GingerbeerplantisaliveorganismcomposedofSaccharomycesflorentinusyeastandLactobacillushilgardiibacteria,andisinthesamefamilyofbacteriathatareusedtomakekombuchatea,vinegar,andsourdoughbread.

Itwouldprobablybevery“authenticnineteenth-centuryEngland”tofindorculturegingerbeerplantandusethatforfermentation,butI’vegrowntoreallyliketheresultsI’vegottenfromChampagneyeast.It’seasyandinexpensive.IreachfortheRedStarPremierCuvéebrandwhenI’matthehomebrewshop.

OvertheyearsIhavedevelopedaseriesofgingerbeerrecipesforuseathomeandinmybars,oneofwhichIpublishedonmywebsitein2008,andgotagreatresponse.Buttheversionwe’veusedforthepastseveralyearsistheoneI’llpublishhere,alighter,slightlydrierstyleoftheoneonmywebsite.

I’vealwaysadvocatedtheuseof16-oz/480-mlflip-topbottles,availableatanyhomebrewingsupplystore.Butthesedayswebottlein12-oz/360-mlamberbeerbottles,andcapthemwithabottlecapper,alsoavailableathomebrewshops.Ifindthattherubbergasketthatcomeswiththeflip-topbottlestendstowearout,resultinginaflatbottlehereorthere,sothebottlecaprouteshouldbetheprofessional’schoice.

Sincemostbartendersandenthusiastsaren’tgoingtobemakingasinglebottleatatime,I’mprovidingarecipethatmakes1gl/3.8Lofgingerbeer.Doingalittlemathrevealsthatthiswillyieldeight16-oz/480-mlbottles,oreleven12-oz/360-mlbottles.Makesureyou’vegotenoughofwhicheverbottlesizeyouchooseonhandbeforestartingthisproject.

MAKES1GL/3.8L

91/4cups/2.2Lwarmwater

10oz/300mlgingerjuice,juicedfromapproximately1lb/455gfreshginger(seepage45)16oz/480mlfreshlemonjuice,finelystrained(seepage22)

28oz/840ml1:1simplesyrup(seepage78)

1packetChampagneyeast

EIGHT16-OZ/480-MLBOTTLESORELEVEN12-OZ/360-MLBOTTLES

Ifyoudon’treallywanttomeasureoutthe91/4cups/2.2Lofwarmwateryouwillneed,andIknowIdon’t,youcansimplycombinethegingerjuice,lemonjuice,andsimplesyrupina1-gl/3.8-Lcontainerandtopthewholeshebangoffwithenoughwarmwatertobringthevolumeto1gl/3.8L.Oryoucancombinethethegingerjuice,lemonjuice,andsimplesyrupinalargecontainerandaddexactly91/4cups/2.2Lofwater.It’syourchoice.

Next,mixthatupvery,verywell.Wedefinitelydon’twantthismixturetobeanythingbutperfectlyhomogenous.Stiritforacoupleofminutes,orifyou’reusinga1-gl/3.8-Lcontainerwithalid(Ifindthatusedwaterjugswithscrew-onlidsworkwellforthisproject),giveitashakeforaminuteortwo.

Thenexttrickistheyeast.Youdon’tneedmuchtogetthejobdone,soItakeasmallparingknife,diptheknifepointintotheyeastpacketuntilI’vegotabout1/2in/12mmofyeastcoveringthetipofthatblade(asmallparingknifeisaperfecttoolforthis),andthensliptheyeastintotheneckofeachclean,drybottle.

Now,usingafunnel,filleachbottlewithyourgingerbeermixtureandcaporseal.Iliketomakesureeverything’swellmixed,soonceI’vegotthatbottlesealed,Igiveitagood,hardshakeforatleast10

seconds.Findawarm,darkspace(underthekitchensinkworkswell)andletthebottlessitforexactly48hours.

Duringthistimeyourgingerbeerisgoingtoundergoalittletransformation.Theyeastwillsoonspringtolifeandbegindevouringthosesugarmolecules,convertingthemintothethreeby-productsofthefermentationprocess:alittlebitofheat,atraceamountofalcohol,andawholelotofcarbondioxidegas.After48hoursyoushouldhaveenoughgasinthebottlestowarrantstoppingthefermentationprocess,soyourbottlesdon’texplode.

Poppingyourgingerbeerintoacoldfridgewillstopthisprocess.Oncecold,yourgingerbeerisreadytoenjoy.Besuretokeepyourgingerbeerrefrigeratedatalltimes;itwilllastupto1week.

ImightsuggestusingyourChineseFive-SpicedDarkRum(page128)andmixingupaspicedDarkandStormy(page68).

DARKANDSTORMY

ADarkandStormyisoneofmyfavoritedrinksinspring,whentheweatherhereinthePacificNorthwestiswarm,butthecloudsareheavyandfullofrain.Sittingoutonacoveredporchwatchingtheraincloudsrollinisalwaysbetterwithoneofthesesunnyrefreshersinhand.

Butsometimes,duringourlong,dark,coldwinters,weneedalittlerefreshment,too.Sowecameupwiththisversion,“winterized”slightlywiththeChristmas-yscentofChinesefive-spicepowder.

MAKES1DRINK

Crackedice

2oz/60mlChineseFive-SpicedDarkRum(page128)4oz/120mlGingerBeer(page65)

1limewedgeforgarnish

CHILLEDCOLLINSGLASS

Filltheglasswithcrackediceandaddthespicedrumandgingerbeer.Stirwithachopstickorbarspoon,andgarnishwiththelimetoserve.

SPARKLINGWINEButwhataboutthatothersparklingbeveragesowonderfulincocktails:sparklingwine?There’sawholecategoryofcocktailsbuiltaroundsparklingwines,whetheractualChampagne,prosecco,cava,oroneofthemanycrémantsfromFrance,oralesstraditionalsparklingwine,suchasthosefromCalifornia.

Whenyouusesparklingwineasamixer,asopposedtoservingitasastand-alonebeverage,you’remorelikelytohavesomeleftoverinthebottle.Dumpingoutaplastic2-literbottleofgenericsodawaterhurtsahellofalotlessthanabottleofFrenchsparklingwine,butasitturnsout,thereareacoupleofoptionstohelpkeepthecarbondioxideintheliquid,whereitbelongs.

Yourfirstoptionisthecheapestandthesimplest.FornexttonothingyoucanpickupagoodChampagnestopper.Lookforthestainless-steeltypewithtwowings,whichfolddownandclampontotheneckofthebottle.Iusuallypickupafewdifferenttypestoaccommodatebottlevariations,andgowiththeonethatfeelslikeitlocksdownthetightesttopreventanygasfromescaping.Usingthismethodshouldkeepyourbubbly,uh,bubblyforadayorso.

Abetter,albeitmoreexpensive,optionismadebyPerlageSystem.Theunitisbasicallyathree-pieceLexanshellthatscrewstogetheratthebaseandcompletelyencapsulatestheopenbottleofsparklingwine.Avalveallowscarbondioxidetobepumpedintothebottle,whichkeepsthewineatthesamepressurizedstateasbeforeitwasopened.Thecompanyclaimsthatfreshnessandcarbonationwilllastweeksorevenmonths.

FRENCH75

MAKES1DRINK

The1919editionofHarryMacElhone’sHarry’sABCofMixingCocktailscontainsthefirstprintedrecipeforadrinksurprisinglysimilartoaTomCollins,butcallingforsparklingwineinplaceofthesparklingwater.MadewithLondondrygin,whichwasprevalentatthetime,thedrinkisnamedtheFrench75andcreditedtoabartenderbythenameofMalachyMcGarry,ofBuck’sClubinLondon.

Forme,nothingepitomizestheuseofsparklingwineinaclassiccocktailliketheFrench75.Butforthelongesttime,Ididn’treallyseethedrink’sappeal;it’salittlegin,alittlelemon,andalittlesugarthrownintoaChampagneflute,withsomesparkingwineontopandmaybeasadlittlelemonpeelfloatingaround.ButthenIrealizedsomethingwhileperusingoldbarbooks:theFrench75isbasicallyadressed-upTomCollins!AndonceItookthecollinsapproachandserveditontherocksastheoriginalrecipestates,Ibegantoseewhatatrulyrefreshingandinspiredcocktailthisis.

1oz/30mlLondondrygin1oz/30mlfreshlemonjuice(seepage22)1/2oz/15ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)

Crackedice2oz/60mlChampagneorsparklingwine

1lemonpeelforgarnish

CHILLEDCOLLINSGLASS

Combinethegin,lemonjuice,andsimplesyrupinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Fillwithcrackediceandshake.AddtheChampagnetotheshaker.Strainintothecollinsglass.Twistthepeeloverthe

surfaceofthecocktailanddropinthedrinktoserve.

CHAPTERNO4

SIMPLESYRUPS

THEPARADOXOFSIMPLICITY

Asimplesyrupistheoriginal,themostbasic,andgenerallyoneofthemostcommonwaystoaddsweetnesstoacocktail.Andonthesurface,simplesyruplivesuptoitsname:measurewater,measuresugar,mixtogether.Simple,right?

Notexactly.Ican’tevenbegintotellyouhowmanybartendersI’vemetwhodon’tmakesimplesyrupcorrectly.Sometimesit’sbecausethey’renotpayingattentiontodetail,butusuallyit’sbecausetheydon’tunderstandthebasicprinciplesbehindit,theonesyou’reabouttolearnhere.Moreoftenthannot,it’ssomerockstarmixologistwhocreatesworksofartbehindhisownbarbuthasahellofatimefiguringoutwhyhisdrinkstastesodifferentwhensomeoneelseismakingthem.Notusingtherighttechniqueathome,whenyou’remakingadrinkforyourselfandadjustingtotaste,probablywillnothaveanyfar-reachingconsequences,butinaprofessionalbar,whereconsistencyisofparamountimportance,itmostcertainlywill.

Sowhygotoallthetroubleofmakingasyrupwhenyoushouldjustbeabletotossinaspoonfulofsugar?Asanyonewho’severtriedstirringapacketofsugarintoatallglassoficedteaonawarmsummerdayknows,thebestonecanhopeforisaslightlysweeterbeverageandasadlittlelayerofundissolvedcrystalsatthebottomoftheglass.Sugardoesn’tdissolvewellincoldliquid,anditdefinitelydoesn’tdissolveinalcohol,sowhenwe’resweeteningcocktails,weusesimplesyrupinstead.Inthisform,thesugarisalreadydissolved,sothesweetenerwillbeincorporatedquicklyandcompletelyintothedrinkandproduceasmooth,uniformcocktail.

SELECTINGTHERIGHTSUGAR

Youcanchoosefromarangeofsugarswhenmakingyoursimplesyrup.Wekeepavarietyofsyrupsmadefrommostofthesesugarsonhandatmybar,asdomanycocktailbarsaroundtheworld.Theirprimarypurposeistosweeten,ofcourse,butwefindthateachonebringssomesubtleflavornuancesofthesourcesweetenertothecocktail.

WHITESUGAR

Themostcommonbarsimplesyrupismadefromrefined,granulatedsucrose;it’sthewhitestuffyoufindinbagsandboxes,andpacketsandshakers,allovertheworld.Whitesugarismadefromeithersugarbeetsorsugarcaneandischeap,sweet,andalmostflavorless—theeconomycarofsweeteners.Itdoesn’tinterferewithotheringredientsinacocktailbybringinganyofitsownflavorstotheparty,soIuseitwhenmakingsimpletwo-orthree-ingredientcocktailsandwanttohighlightthosebasicflavorswithoutaddinganotherdimensiontothedrink.

Therearetwotypesofwhitesugar:granulatedsugar,whichisthestuffyou’reprobablymostfamiliarwith,andsuperfinesugar,whichisgranulatedsugarthat’sbeengroundintofinercrystals.Alsoknownas“castersugar”or“baker’ssugar,”superfinehasthesamevolume-to-weightratioasgranulated.Forexample,1cupequals7oz/200gforbothgranulatedandsuperfine.

Wetypicallydon’tusepowderedorconfectioners’sugarinsimplesyrups,becauseitcontainsabout3percentcornstarch,whichisaddedtopreventclumping.Usingpowderedsugarisgoinggiveyouaslightlythickened,scummysyrup—definitelynotwhatyou’relookingfor.

BROWNSUGAR

Despiteasomewhatrusticlookandflavor,brownsugarisevenmoreprocessedthanwhitesugar,becauseit’sactuallyhighlyrefinedwhitesugarwithmolassesaddedattheendoftheprocessforflavoringandmoisture.

Lightbrownsugaris3.5percentmolasses,anddarkbrownsugaris6.5percent.Botharesuitableforcocktails;makeyourchoiceaccordingtohowmuchmolassesflavoryou’dlike.Ipreferadarkbrownsugarsyrup,andIuseitalmostexclusively

whenmakinganIrishCoffee(page150).

RAWSUGAR

TurbinadosugarandDemerarasugararethetwocommonnamesforwhatisessentiallyunprocessedsugar.Theyarebothlightambersugarswithfairlylargecrystalsmadefrompressingsugarcanetoextractthejuice,lettingthecanejuicedrytobecomesyrupy,andthencrystallizingit.ThenameDemeraracomesfromtheformerDutchcolonyinwhatisnowGuyana,butthesedaysDemerarasugarismostlyproducedinMauritius,anislandintheIndianOcean.

Turbinadosugar,namedforthecentrifugeusedtoextractthecanejuice,ismadeprimarilyinHawaii.You’llfindthisstyleofsugarsoldunderthebrandnameSugarintheRaw,whichishowmanypeoplenowrefertoit.Bothofthesesugarshavemoreflavorthanwhitesugar,withjustahintofcaramelandmolasses.Rawsugarsaregreatinspirit-drivenrumdrinks.

MUSCOVADOSUGAR

Thisbrownsugarhasthemostcharacter.It’snotalwayseasytofind,butit’sworthseekingoutatspecialtygrocerystoresforitsmorecomplex,deepmolassesflavorandaroma.

Muscovadoisproducedbypressingfreshcanejuiceandthencookingitabitbeforedryingandcrystallizingit,givingitadeepercaramelflavorthanregularrawsugars.Thetextureisbothfineandverymoist,andthecoloristhedarkestbrownofallthesugars.Muscovadoisusedintheproductionofsomerumsandbringswithitanexoticaura.Itshinesbeautifullyintiki-styledrinks.

HONEY

Eventhoughhoneytechnicallycomesfromthehivealreadyinsyrupform,it’ssothickthatitwon’tdissolveinacocktailwithoutfurtherdilution.SoIliketoprepareitasasimplesyrup.

Beawarethattheflavorofhoneycanvaryradically,dependingonitssource.Agenerichoneyinalittleplasticbearfromthegrocerystorewilloffermostlysweetnesswithatouchofcharacteristichoneyflavor.Butsingle-sourcehoneysrangefromthecitrus-ynotesofanacaciahoneytothedownrighthuskyandgrainyflavorofabuckwheathoney—deliciousandfuntopairwithotherflavors.Justbesuretotasteyourfarmers’markethoneybeforemakingyoursyrup,sothatyouknowwhatflavorsyou’rebringingtoyourcocktails.

AGAVESYRUP

Agavesyrup,alsocalledagavenectar,ismadefromtwovarietiesofagaveplant,whichisalsothesourceoftequilaandmezcal.Agavesyrupisaboutoneandahalftimessweeterthanwhitesugar,andit’salsosweeterthanhoney,thoughthinnerandlessviscous.

Inrecentyears,agavehasdevelopedareputationamonghealth-consciousconsumersforbeingmorehealthfulthancaneorbeetsugars.Thiscomesfromthemisconceptionthatagavesyrupislessprocessedthansugar.Actually,althoughitdoeshavealowerglycemicindexthansucroseproducts,mostagavesyrupisahighlyprocessed,industriallyproducedsweetenerthatisnobetterthanhighfructosecornsyrup.Ifyou’reokaywiththat,goaheadandusewhateveryoucanfind.Butyoucanalsoseekoutsmallerproducerswhoworkwithlocalfarmerstoprovideanorganic,lessprocessed,lowerfructoseproduct.Yourtastebudswillthankyou.Lightagavesyrupsarefairlyneutralinflavor,butsomeofthedarker,moreartisanalversionstastesomethinglikeablendofhoney,caramel,andstewedpineapple.Thesyrupisshowingupincocktailsaroundtheworld;itaddsanotherlayerofagaveflavortotequilaandmezcalcocktails.

MAPLESYRUP

Perhapslesscommonincocktailsthananyoftheprevioussweeteners,maplesyrupcanbringafantasticcharactertoadrink,providedyouknowhowtousesomerestraint.Aswithhoneyandagavesyrups,weneedtodilutemaplesyruptocreateacomponentthat’seasilyincorporatedintoacocktailanddeliversaconsistentdoseofsweetness.

Maplesyrupissoldintwogrades—AandB—andparadoxically,gradeBisthefavoriteamongthoseofuswhocareaboutflavor.Deeper,andslightlysmokierthanthepremiumgradeA,gradeBisjustmoreinterestingandcomplex.Unfortunately,it’snotalwayseasytofindingrocerystores,soyoumayneedtoseekoutaspecialtygrocerorshoponline.

CALORIECOUNTSFORSUGARS

TYPEOFSUGAR CALORIESPERTEASPOON

Whitesugar 16

Rawsugar 15

Brownsugar 15

Muscovadosugar 15

Honey 20

Agavesyrup 20

Maplesyrup 17

ASUGARISASUGARISASUGAR

Despiteverydifferentappearancesandflavors,allsugarsarequitesimilarchemically.Whethergoldenhoney,moistbrownsugar,orsparklingwhitesuperfinegranulated,thesweetenersaresomecombinationoftwosimplesugarmolecules:glucoseandfructose.Whiteandbrownsugarsareacombinationofboth,whilemore“natural”sugarssuchashoney,maplesyrup,andagavesyruparemostlyfructose(asiscornsyrup,whichwedon’tgenerallyuseincocktailmaking).

Somepeoplefeelthattheless-refinedsugarsandsyrupsaremorehealthful—forexample,thathoneyisbetterthangranulatedsugar.It’struethatourbodiesprocesseachtypeofsugarslightlydifferently—glucosegoesdirectlyintothebloodstream,whilefructoseismetabolizedfirstinthelivertobecomeglucose.Butmostofthescienceindicatesthatsugarissugarissugarasfarasnutritionisconcerned.Youdogetaddedmineralsorotherbeneficialingredientsfromminimallyprocessedsugars,butnotenoughtobesignificant,otherthanfromaphilosophicalpointofview.

MEASURINGYOURINGREDIENTSFORSIMPLESYRUPSimplesyrupisgenerallyfoundintwostrengths:Equalpartssugarandwater,themostcommonstrengthinU.S.bars,isreferredtoas“one-to-one”(1:1).Twopartssugartoonepartwateris,asyoumightguess,referredtoas2:1,whichisthestandardsyrupinU.K.bars;intheStates,you’lloftenhear2:1syrupbeingreferredtoas“richsimplesyrup.”

Youcanmeasureyoursyrupingredientsbyvolume(withameasuringcup)orbyweight(usingascale).VolumeiscertainlythemostcommonmethodintheStates,andbyfartheeasiesttodescribe:Usethesame1-cup/240-mlmeasureforthesugarandhotwater,andstirthemtogetheruntilthesugarisdissolvedintothewater.Butthevolumemethoddoesn’treallyallowforenoughprecisionformyobsessive-compulsivetastes.Firstoff,8floz/240ml(thevolumemeasure)ofsugarweighscloserto7oz/200g,soour1:1ratioisactually7/8:1.

WHYCRYSTALSTRUCTUREMATTERS

Mathematicsaside,let’sthinkaboutwhatthosesugarcrystalslooklikecloseup.Pictureameasuringcupfulloflittleblocks,andinbetweeneachlittleblockisagapofair.Youcanimaginethatsomeofthoselittleblocksaregoingtolineupbetterthanothers,andthatthenumberofblocksinthemeasuringcupisgoingtodependonhowwellalignedallthoseblocksare.

Forgranulatedorsuperfinesugar,alignmentisn’tabigissue,becausethecrystalsaresmallandtheyfillthevolumemeasureprettymuchthesamewayeachtime.However,chunkiersugarsandthemoistbrownsugarscanbehugelyvariable.Averyfluffybrownsugarwilltakeupmorespaceinthemeasuringcupthanonethathasbeencompactedthroughsittingontheshelfforsometime.The1-cup/240-mlmeasureoffluffysugarwouldyieldlessactualsugar—andmoreair—thanthesamemeasureofpackedsugar.

DifferentDensitiesoftheSameVolumeofSugar

Amoreaccuratemethodistomeasureyoursugarsandwaterbyweight.Stickacuporbowlonascale,tareitoutto0,andthenweighout8oz/225gofsugarand8oz/225gofwater.

DISSOLVINGTHESUGARINTHEWATER

Onceyou’veweighedingredients,thenextstepistodissolvethesugarinthewater.Aswithsomanythingsinbartending,therearetwoschoolsofthought:

HotProcess

ThisisthemethodIprefer,asdomostbartendersIknow.Allyoudoisgentlyheatthesugarandwaterwhilestirringtodissolvethesugar,andpromptlyremovefromtheheatonceallthesugarisdissolved.(Rememberfromouricedteaexample,sugarismoresolubleinhotliquidthanincold.)Takecarenottoletthesyrupactuallyboil,asthiswillevaporatethewaterandchangetheratioofwatertosugar.

Sterilizeyourbottleorjarbyfillingitwithboilingwater;poursomeoverthelid,too.Dumpthewateroutrightbeforeyoufillwiththehotsyrup.

ColdProcess

Withthismethodyoumakethesimplesyrupwithroom-temperaturewater,usuallythroughagitationsuchasstirringorshaking.You’llhearbartendersadvocatingforcold-processsimplesyrupbecauseitpreventsthesucrosefromseparatingintoglucoseandfructosemolecules.Ievenreadaninterviewwithoneguywhostatedfirmlythatheusesonlycold-processedsimplesyruptoretainthat“fresh,uncookedcaneflavor”asifthatweren’tabsoluteb.s.Sure,sucrosebreakingdownintoglucoseandfructoseiswhathappenstosomeextentduringcooking,butittakesahellofalotoftimeandheattodoit.I’veyettohearanyrealconvincingargumentsinfavorofcold-methodmixing,andinblindtastetestsI’vealwayschosenthehot-processedsimplesyrup.It’slessworkandhasalongershelflifebecauseithasbeensterilizedbythehighertemperature.Skipthecoldprocessandusealittleheat.

STORINGTHESYRUP

Sugarisusedincookingasapreservative—thinkjamsandjellies,whicharealsocalledpreserves.Sosimplesyrupshaveadecentshelflife,whenpreparedandstoredproperly:madewithveryhotwaterandstoredinasterilecontainerintherefrigerator.

Butdecentdoesn’tmeaninterminable—lefttoolong,yoursyrupcangetmoldy,somakeonlyquantitiesthatyou’relikelytousewithinareasonabletimeframe.Storedintherefrigerator,1:1hot-processsimplesyrupshouldlast1month,while2:1simplesyrupshouldlast6months.Cold-processsyrupscanbecomemoldyinaslittleashalfthattime.

SUGARSYRUPSINCOCKTAILSBackintheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies,therewere,astherearetoday,manydifferenttypesofdrinks.Therewerepunches.Therewerejuleps.Therewerecobblersandsmashes,crustasandsangarees,flipsandnoggs.Andtherewerecocktails.Alegacyoftheseearlycocktailsisourfrequentuseofsugarsyrupstoday.

ThefirstprinteddefinitionofthewordcocktailcamefromtheHudson,NewYork,newspaperTheBalanceandColumbianRepositoryin1806.Whenaskedbyasubscriberwhatthis(relatively)newwordcocktailmeant,theeditorreplied:

Cocktailisastimulatingliquor,composedofspiritsofanykind,sugar,water,andbitters—itisvulgarlycalledbitteredsling,andissupposedtobeanexcellentelectioneeringpotion,inasmuchasitrenderstheheartstoutandbold,atthesametimethatitfuddlesthehead.Itissaid,alsotobeofgreatusetoademocraticcandidate:becauseaperson,havingswallowedaglassofit,isreadytoswallowanythingelse.

Hilariouspoliticalcommentaryaside,thiscrudeformula—anytypeofspirit,sugar,water,andbitters—isnotabadformulaforafamilyofdrinks.JerryThomas’sTheBarTender’sGuide(1862)wasthefirstbookofdrinkrecipeseverpublishedintheUnitedStates.Hedescribeshowtomakeawhiskeycocktailwithin:

3or4dashesofgumsyrup[seepage93]

2dashesofbitters(Bogart’s)

1wineglassofwhiskey,andapieceoflemonpeel.

Fillone-thirdfulloffineice;shakeandstraininafancyredwineglass.

Ifthedrinkisbeginningtosoundatallfamiliar,itisbecauseitisthesamedrinkwetypicallythinkofasanold-fashionedtoday.Itisbelievedthatoncethewordcocktailtookhold,alldrinksbecameknownascocktails(astheystillare),andold-timerslookingforthatoriginalformulamightaskthebartenderforacocktail“intheoldfashion.”

Onetrickthatmanycocktail-mindedbartendersliketokeepuptheirsleevesthesedaysistheold-fashionedvariation.Putsimply,we’llmakeanold-fashionedcocktailwithabasespirit,andthenmatchthesweetenertothebase.

HOUSEOLD-FASHIONED

Thisisthestandardold-fashionedwemakeatmybar.Theformulahasneverdisappointedeventhemostdiscerningclassiccocktaildrinker,butthenagainit’sprettymuchcribbedwordforwordfromJerryThomas(savefortheBogart’sbitters,whicharesadlystillextinctatthetimeofthiswriting).

MAKES1DRINK

1tsp/5ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)

2dashesAngosturabitters

2oz/60mlbourbonwhiskeyLargeicecubes

1orangepeelforgarnish

CHILLEDOLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

Combinethesimplesyrup,bitters,andbourboninamixingglassandstirwithicecubes.Strainoverfreshiceintoanold-fashionedglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktail,rubtherimoftheglasswiththepeel,anddropinthedrinktoserve.

RUMOLD-FASHIONED

Occasionallywe’llencounterrumdrinkerswhomayhavebeenexposedtothespiritonlythroughtropicalfruit-basedconcoctions.Sowhenwe’reaskedtowhipupsomethingdifferentwithrum,thisisoftenthefirstdrinkwe’llturnto.

MAKES1DRINK

1tsp/5ml1:1Demerarasyrup(seepage78)2dashesHouseOrangeBitters(page138)

2oz/60ml12-yearrumLargeicecubes

1limepeelforgarnish

CHILLEDOLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

CombinetheDemerarasyrup,bitters,andruminamixingglassandstirwithicecubes.Strainoverfreshiceintoanold-fashionedglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktail,rubtherimoftheglasswiththepeel,anddropinthedrinktoserve.

OAXACAOLD-FASHIONED

TherearefewpeopleintheworldaspassionateaboutMexico’snativespiritsasPhilWard.ProprietorofMayahuel,inNewYork,Phillives,eats,andbreathesagave.Hecreatedthisdrinkin2007,attheNewYorkbarDeath+Company,toravereviews.ItwascertainlyoneofthemostingenioususesoftequilaandmezcalI’deverheardof,andit’stuckedintomanybartenders’backpocketsasago-toagavecocktailthesedays.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlreposadotequila1/2oz/15mlmezcal1tsp/5ml2:1agavesimplesyrup(seepage78,madewithagavesyrup)

2dashesBittermensXocolatlMolebitters

Largeicecubes

WideswathofgrapefruitpeelforgarnishCHILLEDOLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

Combinethetequila,mezcal,simplesyrup,andbittersinamixingglassandstirwithicecubes.Strainoverfreshiceintoanold-fashionedglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktail,rubtherimoftheglasswiththepeel,anddropinthedrinktoserve.

MAPLEOLD-FASHIONED

Sometimespairingthesweetenerwiththebasespiritisaboutusingthesamerawingredient,asisthecasewiththeRumandOaxacaOld-Fashioned(atleft).Butatothertimesit’saboutinvokingarangeofflavorsthatarefamiliartotheregion,asisthecasewiththisdrink.Maplesyrupandwhiskyworkwonderfullytogether,andthehighcinnamoncontentofthebitterstiesupthewholepackage.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mlCanadianwhisky1tsp/5ml2:1maplesimplesyrup(seepage78,madewithmaplesyrup)

2dashesFeeBrothersOldFashionAromaticBitters

Largeicecubes

WideswathoflemonpeelforgarnishCHILLEDOLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

Combinethewhisky,simplesyrup,andbittersinamixingglassandstirwithicecubes.Strainoverfreshiceintoanold-fashionedglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktail,rubtherimoftheglasswiththepeel,anddropinthedrinktoserve.

CHAPTERNO5

COMPOUNDSYRUPS

BLENDINGSWEETNESS,FLAVOR,ANDTEXTURE

Lockedawayinacommissarykitchen,deepintheheartofEmeryville,California,surroundedbytherichagriculturalbountyofNorthernCalifornia,standsmyfriendJenniferColliau.It’shotandhumidinthekitchen,andtodayit’sprettycrampedbecauseofallofthecratesoffreshproducestackedhigh.AndJen’srightthereinthemiddleofitall,workinghard.

Todayshe’stakingapricotkernelsshefoundinaChineseapothecary,soakingtheminwater,andpressingthemwithalargescrewpress.Atonofworkforverylittlepayoff,butJen’smakingorgeatsyrup—oneoftheclassiccocktailingredientsshe’sknownforamongbartenders—andit’sgottoberight.

JenniferColliaufollowedthesamehaphazardpaththatmanyofusinthebusinesswandered.ShepickedupherfirstgigatanIrishbarinLosAngelesinthemid-’90sprettymuchbyjusthangingaround.Shepouredsomebeers,sawsomeFloggingMollyshows,andputafewbucksinherpocket.And,youknow,shelikedit.SoshemoveduptoasolidSouthwesternjointwithakillertequilaprogramandspentsometimedelvingintoagavespirits.BlindtastingtolearnthedifferencebetweenLowlandandHighlandtequilas.Gettingtoknowartisanmezcalproductionmethods.Confrontingsalesrepsabouttheuseofdiffusersinmass-marketjoventequilas.Thatsortofstuff.Becausethat’sthesortofobsessivefreakmyfriendJenis:whenshe’sinterestedinsomething,shemakescertainthatshe’stheworld’sforemostexpertonit.Butregardless,ifyouaskedherwhatshedidforalivingbackthen,sheprobablywouldhavetoldyoushewasastudent,notabartender.

LosAngeleswaseventuallytradedfortheBayArea,andherattentionsslowlymorphedintocabinetryandfurnituredesign.Tendingbarsupportedherwhileshepickeduptheoddwoodworkingcommissions,butbeingtheultimatesortofcraft-orientedworker,shewasquicklyexcellingatboth.

JenandIfollowedsimilarcareerpaths,andweoftentalkaboutthatmomentthathappenstosomeofus,ifwe’reextremelylucky:It’swhentheworkyouwenttoschoolfor,studiedfor,andpaidforisnolongeryourmainfocusandsomeone’spayingyoutodoyourhobby.

ShebeganworkingattheSlantedDoor,onthewaterfrontinSanFrancisco’sFerryBuilding,in2005.Thebarisworldrenownedforacocktailprogrameverybitassophisticatedandingredientdrivenasthefoodfromthemuch-vauntedkitchen.AnditwasherethatJenniferdevelopedherdeep-seatedfrustrationwiththelackofavailabilityofhigh-qualityclassiccocktailingredients.

Itallstartedwiththemaitai.Afterlearningofthedrink’searlyoriginsinneighboringEmeryville,JenandbarmanagerErikAdkinsdecidedtheyneededtoputoneonthemenu.Butapropermaitaicallsfororgeat,asyrupmadewithbitteralmondsorwithfruitpits(seepage112).It’scalledforinsomeoftheearliestclassiccocktails,andthecommercialversionsjustweren’tworkingforJen.

“Haveyouhadtheonetheyuseforcoffee,thatalmond-flavoredcoffeesyrup?Ittasteslikehandsoap,”saysJenwhilewe’reonthephoneoneday.“They’realljustmadewithhighfructosecornsyrupandalmondflavoring.It’sdisgusting.”SoJenbeingJen,shesetouttomakeherown.

Shemadeherownorgeat,andafewothersyrupsforthebar,withherusualall-consumingpursuitofquality.Beforelong,theBayAreacocktailcommunitycameknockingatherdoor,andforayearshesuppliedherfellowbartenderswithherbeautifulhouse-madesyrups.Thenin2008,shestartedSmallHandFoods,makinggumsyrup,raspberrygumsyrup,pineapplegumsyrup,grenadine,and,inextremelylimitedquantities,orgeat.

Sowhenitcametimeformetowritethisbook,Icalleduptheonepersononmyspeeddialwhoknowsmoreaboutcompoundsyrupsthananyoneelseinthebusiness.AndwithouthesitationsheflewuptoPortland,satatmykitchencounter,andsmiledasIbeggedhertoteachme1percentofwhatsheknows.

SWEETSYRUPSWITHADDEDFLAVOR

Acompoundsyrupisjustanotherwaytobringsweetnesstoacocktail.Butunlikesimplesyrups,whichdeliversweetnesswithlittletonoflavor,acompoundsyrupaddsanotherlayerofflavor—orsometimestexture—toyourdrinks.So,insteadofstoringquantitiesoffreshesotericingredients,youcanstockaselectionofcompoundsyrupswiththesameflavors.

Yousee,asyrupalsohastheadvantageofpreservingflavors.Araspberrysyrupwillmaintainitsvibrantflavorandperfumelongerthanfreshraspberryjuiceorpureealone,becausethesugaractsasapreservative.Andthatsortofthingisimportanttobartenderswhowanttoprovideanever-growingarrayofflavorsfortheirguests.

SWEET-AND-SOURSYRUPS

Twootherformsofcompoundsyruphavegainedprominencerecently—shrubsandgastriques.Botharevinegar-based,andbothhavelonghistoriesthatbeganinthekitchenbeforetheymigratedtothebar.

FLAVORLESSBUTFAMILIAR:GUMSYRUP

Thereisonecompoundsyrup,themostbasic,thatdoesn’thaveanyflavoratall.It’scalledgumsyrup,andotherthanthesweetnessandnuancesofflavorfromwhateversugaryouuse,it’sflavorless.Gumsyrupisn’tabouthowittastes,it’sabouthowitfeels.

Gumsyrupwouldhavebeenfamiliartoanybartenderworkingbefore1920.Astandardingredientincocktailsbackthen,gumsyrup(alsospelledtheFrenchway,gommesyrup)consistsofa2:1(rich)simplesyrupmixedwithgumarabic.Alsocalledgumacacia,thisnaturalsubstancewasoriginallyintendedtopreventthesugarsyrupfromcrystallizing,butitalsogavethesyrupasilkymouthfeel.Gumsyrupsfelloutoffavorbecausethegumarabicpowderistrickytouse,butinrecentyearswe’veseenarevivalasbartendersmakeanefforttoseekoutauthenticpre-Prohibitioncocktailingredientsormakethemthemselves.

Gumsyrupismainlyusedinspirit-drivencocktailswhosenaturalconsistencycanbeonthethinside.It’stypicallynotusedincitrus-baseddrinks,suchasdaiquiris,wheremanyofthetexturalnuancesofgumsyrupwouldbelost.Butitcertainly

doesn’thurtinthoseapplications,either.Theamountofsyrupyouuseisoftenquitesmall,butithasjustenoughthickeningpowerthatyourcocktailstakeonasubtlesilkinessnotpresentindrinksmadewitharegularsimplesyrup.

Gumsyruplikelyfelloutoffavorwithbartendersbecauseitcanbe,quitefrankly,ahugepaintomake.TheGentleman’sTableGuide,byE.RicketandC.Thomas,publishedin1871,givesthefollowinginstructions:“Dissolve1lb.ofthebestwhitegumarabicin11/2pintsofwater,nearlyboiling;3lb.ofwhitesugarorcandy;meltandclarifyitwithhalfpintcoldwater,addthegumsolution,andboilalltogetherfortwominutes.”Soundslikeapieceofcake,untilyouactuallytrytomakeitandendupwithahot,stickymessthatisroughlytheconsistencyofpeanutbutter.

Themainissueisthatgumarabicclumpsbadlyinhotorwarmwater.I’veeventriedrunningabatchthroughmycommercialblender,whichcanmakeanythinghomogeneousinseconds,butIstillcameupwithclumps.WhatIneededwasagumsyruprecipethatcouldbemadeeasily,wouldn’tclump,anddidn’tinvolveahotcobraslitheringoutofapotonmystovetop.

Mysolutiontakesabitofadvanceplanning,butit’stheeasiestandmostfoolproofwayyou’llfindformakinggumsyrup.Allowinggumarabictositfor48hoursinroom-temperaturewaterensuresthatallthelumpsdissolvebeautifully.Itisthenblendedwithsimplesyrup.

GUMWHAT?

Ifyou’veheardofgumarabicalready,it’smorelikelyinconnectionwithyourartsupplies,ratherthanasacocktailstaple.Gumarabicisapowderderivedfromthesapoftwotypesofacaciatree,andithasanenormouslybroadrangeofuses.Thesalientqualityofthestuffisitsabilitytocontroltheconsistencyofingredients,soinfoodmanufacturingit’susedasastabilizer,andintheprintingworldit’susedtocontrolinkviscosity.

Butgumarabicisindeedusedmostinthebeverageworld,sinceit’sakeyingredientinCoca-Colaandothersodas,whereitcreatestherightamountofsurfacetensionforthebesttextureandlong-lastingfizz.

ThetwotreesfromwhichgumarabiccomesaretheAcaciasenegalandtheAcaciaseyal,whicharerelated.MostofthesetreesaregrownintheareaofAfricajustbelowtheSahara.Ifyoulookonamap,you’llseethatthisareaincludespartofSudan,themajorproducerofgumarabic.

Shortlyafterthe9/11terroristattacks,astorybegancirculatingontheInternetthatOsamabinLadenownedmostofthegumarabicproductioninSudan,andtherewerecallsforaboycottofallproductsusingit.BinLaden’sholdingshadalreadybeendivestedbytheSudanesegovernmentsixyearsearlier,andfortunatelythestorydiedquickly—butnotbeforemanycommercialfoodproducerschangedtheiringredientliststoread“gumacacia”ratherthan“gumarabic”inanattempttodistancethemselvesfromthismyth.

GUMSYRUP

Gumarabic(orgumacacia,asitisoftenreferredtothesedays)iseasilypurchasedonlinefromretailersofherbsandspices.It’simportanttobeprecise,someasurecarefully.

MAKESABOUT13OZ/385ML

2oz/55ggumarabic(gumacacia)6oz/180mlwater12oz/340gsuperfinesugarInasmallplasticcontainer,combinethegumarabicand2oz/60mlofthewater.Stirwithachopsticktoblend,andcover.Letsitfor48hours,oruntilthegumarabiciscompletelydissolvedinthewater.

Inasmallsaucepan,combinethesugarandremaining4oz/120mlwater.Heatgentlyuntilthesugarbeginstodissolve,andthenfoldinthegumarabicmixture.Removefromtheheatimmediately,letcool,andbottleinaplasticsqueezebottle.Storeintherefrigeratorindefinitely.

HERBSYRUPIdesperatelywantedtoputaMojitoonthecocktailmenuatmyfirstrestaurantjobbackin2001.Itwasabig,busyplaceandafteracoupleofhecticweekends,Irealizedweneededafasterwaytopreparethislabor-intensivedrink.Andthusthemintsimplesyrupwasborn.Theproblemwasthatsteepingfreshmintleavesinhotsimplesyrup,aswedid,resultedinasyrupthatturnedbrownafteronlyafewhoursandleftuswitharatherunappetizing-lookingcocktail.

Hilariously,oursolutionbackinthosedayswastoaddMidoriforalittlegreencoloringandnamethedrinkan“AsianMojito.”HadIknownbetter,wecouldhavesavedmorethanafewpalatesfromthatsicklysweetconcoctionwewereserving.

Thereasonherbsyrupspreparedinthisfashionturndarkisbecauseofaprocesscalledenzymaticbrowning:substancesinplantscalledpolyphenolsallowenzymestocausebrowningwhentheycomeincontactwithoxygen.Yourherbsyrupmaylookclearoralovelyshadeoflightgreenwhenyoufirstmakeit,butonceyou’veexposedittooxygen,itcandarkentoanunappealingshade.

Thewaytostopthoseenzymesfromdoingtheirthingisbysubjectingthemtoalittleheat.Forthat,weuseacookingtechniquecalledblanching.Blanchingissimplyboilingsomethingforafewseconds(oruptoafewminutesforvegetables)todeactivatetheenzymes,andthenstoppingthecookingprocessbyplungingtheingredientsintoicewatertomaintaintheirfreshflavor.

HOWTOBLANCHHERBSFORSYRUPS

Bringalargepotofwatertoaboil(coverthepottospeedthingsup).Inthemeantime,putsomecoldwaterandiceintoamediumbowl,andarrangeadoublelayerofpapertowelsonthecounter.

Oncethewaterisboiling,gatheryourherbs.Don’tpicktheleaves;simplyleavethemonthestalkfornow.Holdingthembytheends,plungethestalksintotheboilingwater.Iblanchsofter,moredelicateherbs,suchasmint,tarragon,andbasil,for15seconds,andhardierherbs,suchasthymeandrosemary,for30seconds.

Oncethetimeisup,removetheherbsfromtheboilingwaterandplungethemimmediatelyintotheicebath.Letthemstaythereforafull1minute,removethemfromthewater,andpatthemdrywiththepapertowels.

Thenextstepiseasy:Removetheleaves,throwtheminablenderwithpremadesimplesyrup,andblendonhighspeedforabout1minute.Allthat’slefttodoisstrainoutthesolidsusingafine-meshsieve,andbottle.

MINTSYRUP

WhileIalwayspreferthesingle-servingmethodformakingaMojito(page233),thislittletrickisagreatwaytomakeabiggrouphappy(say,whilehostingasummertimeCubancookout)andavoidspendingtheentireeveninginthekitchenmakingdrinks.SimplyprepareyourMojitosthenormalway,omittingthemuddledmintandsubstitutingthismintsyrupfortheplainsimplesyrup.Thisamountofsyrupplusafullfifth(750ml)ofrumwillmakeexactly12drinks.Planaccordingly.

MAKESABOUT12OZ/360ML

12oz/360ml1:1simplesyrup(seepage78)5largesprigsor7mediumsprigsfreshmint

Bringalargepotofwatertoaboil.Meanwhileputsomeicecubesinamediumbowlandfillwithwaterforanicebath.

Graspingthestemendsofthemintsprigs,immersetheleafyendscompletelyintheboilingwaterfor15seconds.Removefromthewaterandimmediatelysubmergeintheicebathfor1minute.

Removefromtheicebath,patdrywithpapertowels,andpicktheleavesfromthestems.

Blendtheblanchedmintleavesandsimplesyruponhighspeedinablenderfor1minute.Strainthroughafine-meshstrainerorcheesecloth,pourintoaplasticsqueezebottle,andrefrigerate;itwillkeepforabout1month.

FRUITSYRUPSFruitisamorecommonflavoringingredientforacompoundsyrupthanherbs—manydrinkswanttheflavoroffreshfruit,andsyrupcapturestheessenceofthefruitwithoutaddinganyextravolumetoyourdrink.

Iusethreedifferentmethodstomakemyfruitsyrups,dependingonthecharacterofthefruititself.Highlyjuicyfruitssuchaspomegranatedon’tneedanyaddedwaterinordertomakeasyrup.Mostotherfruitsneedalittleadditionalwater,andsuperfibrousingredientssuchasfreshgingerneedawholelotofaddedwaterinordertotempertheirsmallquantityofpowerfullyflavoredjuice.

SOFTFRUITSYRUPS

Theideabehindafruitsyrupistoextractasmuchflavorandcoloraspossible,whileleavingthephysicalfruitandanycellulosefiberbehind;yourfinalproductshouldbecrystalclear.Mostfruitneedstobecombinedwithwaterinordertogetthedesiredresult.(Pomegranatesareanexception.)

Withraspberriesandothersoftfruit,Ifindthebestwaytoeffectextractionisbysimmeringthefruitinwater,strainingoutthesolids,andthenmixinginsugartocreatethesyrup.Manyrecipesouttherewilldirectyoutosimmerthefruitinsugarsyrup,butIfinditdifficulttocontrolthejuice-to-sugarratiousingthatmethod.Inevitably,someofthesugargetsabsorbedbythefruitandstaysthere,throwingoffyourbalance.

Anotherreasonfornotsimmeringfruitwithsugaristhatwe’regoingtobefilteringthewholeproductthroughacoffeestrainer,andbelieveme,waterandberryjuiceisahellofaloteasiertofilterthanasyrup.Whattakesafewminuteswithoutsugarwillenduptakingyouhourswithsugar,sofilteryourresultsbeforemixingthestill-hotliquidwithsugar.

Whenstrainingsoftfruit,suchasraspberriesorpeaches,pressonthesolidsinyourstrainer,andthenfiltertoobtaintheproperclearconsistency.Forfruitthat’sslightlymorefibrous,suchaspineapple,Iliketopressitgentlywithapotato

masherbeforesimmeringinordertocoaxoutmorejuiceandevenmoreflavor.

SYRUPFROMFIBROUSINGREDIENTS

Iuseamoreaggressivetechniqueforingredientsthatareextremelytoughorfibrous,suchasfreshgingerorrhubarb.Herewe’renotjustchoppingtheingredientbeforeusingit;we’reactuallyprocessingitinablenderwithhotwaterandsugar—essentiallysimmeringwithpulverizationaswellasheat.Notethat,unliketherecipesforRaspberrySyrup(page102)andPineappleSyrup(page103),inwhichIstrainedoutthesolidsandthenfilteredthefruitliquidbeforeIaddedsugar,intheGingerSyruprecipe(seepage103),Isimplypassthesyrupthroughafine-meshstrainerandforgetthefilter.Giventhefactthatgingersyrupwillneverbecrystalclearbecauseofthenatureofgingerjuice,Idecidedtoforegothecoffee-filteringmethodandlivewithatouchofcloudiness.

GRENADINE

We’reallfamiliarwiththebottled,neonredgrenadinethatyoucanfindatthegrocerystore:highfructosecornsyrupwith“naturalandartificialflavors,”preservatives,andartificialredcoloring.Whichissad,becauseclassicgrenadineis,orusedtobe,anyway,nothingmorethanpomegranatesyrupwiththeadditionofafewotheringredients.

I’vefoundthateventhehigher-endcommercialgrenadines,packagedinsexyapothecary-stylebottlesandsoldforoutrageoussumsatspecialtyshopsandgourmetgrocerystores,arestillcrap—nothingmorethanthatawfulneonsyrupmadewithsomefresheringredientsbutstillprocessedtothepointofbeingunrecognizableasafresh-fruitsyrup.

Bartenders,thesedays,prefertomaketheirown,butthereseemstobesomeconfusionabouthowthesyrupshouldlookandtaste.Someoneshouldinformthesefolksthatgrenadineisn’tpalepink,anditcertainlyisn’tbrown.Grenadineisabeautifuldeepredcolor,becauseit’smadefromfreshjuice.

Pomegranatescanseemslightlyinaccessiblebecausegettingthejuiceoutofthosehundredsoftinyseedscanfeeldaunting,butwiththepropermethod(seepage44),it’seasytoextractloadsofjuicefromapomegranate.Ifyou’renotluckyenoughtocurrentlybeenjoyingthethreemonthsoutoftheyearwhenfreshpomegranatesareavailable,Istronglyrecommendthe100percentpomegranatejuicemadebyPOMWonderful.It’stheclosestcommercialproductyou’regoingtofindtofreshpomegranatejuice.Don’tbetemptedbytheglassbottleswithlabelstoutingorganicorall-naturalinthejuiceaisle;I’vetriedthemall,andtheyallsuck.

Sonowthatyou’vegotabunchoffreshpomegranatejuice,eitherfromafruitorabottle,it’stimetoturnitintogrenadine.Manyrecipesyou’llcomeacrosswilltellyoutoconcentratethoserich,freshflavorsbyboilingdownthejuice,butIfindthatthisresultsinanendproductthat’saboutasdeliciousas,well,boiledjuice.Skipit,andgentlyheatthejuiceuntilit’sjustwarmenoughtodissolvethesugar,whichiswellbelowthepointofboiling.You’llstillretainthefreshflavorofthepomegranate.

Youcandothisinasmallsaucepan,oryoucanjustthrowitinthemicrowavefor1to2minutes.Next,we’lladdsugartodissolve,alittlepomegranatemolassesforsomericher,deeperflavors,andatouchoforangeblossomwaterforsomelighterfloralnotes.

Theonlystepleftistoadd1oz/30mlofvodka,ifyoulike;thisisanoptionalpreservative.Ifyou’renotplanningonusingupyourgrenadineoverthecourseofamonth,thenaddit.Butifyou’reservingitinabarandplanongoingthroughitprettyquickly,asIdo,thenyoucanjustskipit.

Ifyoudecidetomakeabigbatchofthestuffinthewinter,whenpomegranatesareinseason,itshouldlastabout1month.Youcanalsojuicemorepomegranates,freezethejuice,andthenmakegrenadinelaterintheyear.Thefrozenjuicewillretainmuchofitsoriginalfreshcharacter,soyoursyrupwillbegoodevenoutofseason.

MAKES16OZ/480ML

16oz/480mlfreshpomegranatejuice(approximately2largepomegranates)orPOMWonderful100%pomegranatejuice

16oz/455grawsugar2oz/60mlpomegranatemolasses

1tsp/5mlorangeblossomwater

Heatthepomegranatejuiceslightly,eitherinamicrowave-safebowlorinasmallsaucepan,soit’sjustwarmenoughtoallowthesugartodissolveeasily.Addthesugar,molasses,andorangeblossomwater,stirringuntilthesugarisdissolved.Allowtocool,andthenbottle.Sealthebottleandrefrigerate;thegrenadinewilllastforupto1month.

JACKROSE

Yourgrenadinewillbegreatinallmannerofclassiccocktails,and,hell,eveninaShirleyTempleifthat’syourthing(IknowItreatmyselftooneatleastonceayear).ButtheonedrinkinwhichIthinkgrenadinereallyshinesistheJackRose.

ThereareanumberofstoriescirculatingabouttheoriginofthenameJackRose,mostofwhichI’msurearealoadofb.s.ThebestoneI’veheardyetisthatJackwasinspiredbytheapplejack,andRosebytherosecolorofthedrink,fromthegrenadine.Regardless,it’sadeliciousclassic.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlapplejack,preferablyLaird’sbonded,ifyoucanfindit3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlemonjuice(seepage22)1/2oz/15mlGrenadine(page98)

Icecubes

1lemonpeelforgarnish(optional)

CHILLEDCOCKTAILGLASS

Combinetheapplejack,lemonjuice,andGrenadineinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Fillwithicecubesandshake.

Strainintothechilledcocktailglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktailanddropinthedrink,ifdesired,toserve.

RASPBERRYSYRUP

Intheworldofcocktails,therearefewerthingsmoreevocativeofsummerthanasyrupmadefromfreshraspberries.Thisoneaddsanotherlayeroffarmers’marketfreshnesstoyourdrinks.

MAKES21/4CUPS/540ML

2cups/335gfreshorgood-qualityfrozenraspberries8oz/240mlwater1cup/250ggranulatedsugarInamediumsaucepan,simmertheraspberriesinthewateruntilthejuicehasleachedfromthefruitandthewaterandberriesareapproximatelythesamecolor,5to10minutes.Strainthroughastrainer,pressingontheberriesandthendiscardingthem.Filterthejuicethroughacoffeefiltertoclarify.Whilestillhot,addthesugar,stirringuntildissolved.Letcool,thenbottleandrefrigerate.Thesyrupwilllastabout3weeks.

CLOVERCLUB

There’sprobablyadeephistoricalstorytothisdrink...butIdon’tknowit.WhatIdoknowisthatwhenyoumakethisvariationofaginsourwithraspberrysyrup,it’soneofthemostbeautifulthingsyoucanputinyourmouth.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlgin3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlemonjuice(seepage22)3/4oz/22.5mlRaspberrySyrup(atleft)1/2oz/15mleggwhite(seepage154)

Icecubes

CHILLEDCOCKTAILGLASS

Combinethegin,lemonjuice,raspberrysyrup,andeggwhiteinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Shakeuntiltheeggwhiteisfrothyandtheingredientsarecombined.Addicecubesandshakeagain.Strainintothechilledcocktailglass,andserve.

GINGERSYRUP

Thismethodofmakinggingersyrupisprobablyoneofthebestbartender’stricksI’vepickedupovertheyears.It’sfast,it’seasy,andit’sactuallyreallydelicious,especiallygiventhefactthatrawgingerjuiceissomuchmorepotentthangingerthat’sbeencooked.Iknowalotofbartenderswhousethislittletrick,andit’ssomethingofasecrethandshakewhenIseesomeoneelseusingit.Youcanreplacethesugarwithanequalquantityofhoneytomakeginger-honeysyrup,whichisalsobeautifulincocktails.

Notethatthismethodalsoworksbeautifullyforanothertough,fibrousplant:rhubarb.Ialwaysmakealotofrhubarbsyrupinthespring,whenit’sfirstcomingintoseason.

MAKESABOUT11/2CUPS/360ML

1/2lb/250gfreshginger,washedandcutinto1/2-in/12-mmchunks1cup/240mlboilingwater1/2lb/250gsugar

Putthegingerinablenderandaddtheboilingwaterandsugar.Blendthoroughly,andthenstrainthroughafine-meshsieve.Yoursyrupwon’tbeperfectlyclear;that’sokay.Bottle,label,andstoreintherefrigeratorforupto1week.

PINEAPPLESYRUP

Pineapplesyrupsareimportantinthecocktailrepertoire,especiallyintheworldoftikidrinks.Pineapplesneedabitmoreworktoliberatethejuicefromtheirfibrousflesh.

MAKES12OZ/360ML

One1-lb/480-gpineapple,bothendstrimmed12oz/360ml1:1simplesyrup(seepage78)

Cutthepineapplecrosswiseinto3/4-in/2-cmslices,andthencuteachsliceintosixwedges.Cutoffthepeel.

Combinethepineappleandsimplesyrupinalargebowlandleavetomacerateforatleast4hours,orupto24hours,intherefrigerator.Stirormashthefruitlightlyfromtimetotime.Strainthesyrupintoacleanbowlthroughafine-meshstrainerandpressonthepineapplewithaladletoextractasmuchliquidaspossible.Letcool,bottle,andrefrigerateforupto1week.

HOTELNACIONALSPECIAL

ByCharlesH.Baker.AdaptedbyErikAdkins.

CharlesH.Baker’sincredible1939accountofhisencountersasagadabout,TheGentleman’sCompanion:BeinganExoticCookeryandDrinkingBook,isfullofbreathtakingcocktailrecipesfromaroundtheworld.HisofferingfromtheHotelNacionalinHavana,Cuba,callsforfreshpineapplejuice,butmyfriendErikAdkins,thebarmanagerattheSlantedDoor,inSanFrancisco,putaspinonthedrinkthathasalwaysseemedsoright:usingpineapplesyrupinplaceofthejuice.

I’vegoneonrecordinthepressassayingthatIkindahateErikAdkins.Istrugglewithrecipes,andIsortafeellikeeverysecondspentbehindthebarformeisatensemoment,asIdesperatelytrynottoscrewuppeople’sdrinks.ButErikisn’tlikethatatall;hisdrinksarealways,always,alwaysperfect.Asonemutualfriendsoeloquentlyputit,“Eriksprinklesmagicpixiedustontopofhisdrinks.Nomatterhowhardyoutry,youcannevermakethesamedrinkaswellashecan.”Andit’strue.I’vefollowedhisversionofthisrecipetotheletter,butIstillenjoyitmorewhenhemakesitforme.GoodforyouifyoucanmakeitthewayErikdoes;otherwise,you’llhavetobecontenttobeameremortal,liketherestofus.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlagedrum3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlimejuice3/4oz/22.5mlPineappleSyrup(page103)1/2oz/15mlapricotbrandy

1dropAngosturabitters

Icecubes

1limewheelforgarnish

CHILLEDCOUPEGLASS

Combinetherum,limejuice,pineapplesyrup,apricotbrandy,andbittersinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Fillwithicecubesandshake.

Strainintothechilledcoupeglass.Garnishtherimwiththelimewheelandserve.

OLEOSACCHARUM

Oneofthekeyelementsinaclassicpunchrecipeisaproperoleosaccharum.Makingoleosaccharumthetraditionalwayinvolvespeelingcitrus,gentlymuddlingitintosuperfinesugar,andlettingitrestforanhourormoreuntilthesugaressentiallydissolvesinthecitrusoilasitleachesfromthepeels,creatingwhatisbasicallyacitrusoilcompoundsyrup.Theoleosaccharumneedsoccasionaltendingduringthathour,butwhatyou’reeventuallyleftwithisasweet,aromaticbaseforatastybowlofpunch.

Thebiggestdrawbackforpeoplewho,likeme,makealotofpunch,isthatthisamountoftimeandeffortisjusttoomuch.Ineededamethodthatwouldcutoutallofthestepsinthisprocess,leavingmefreetoperformthemanyotherprepchoresthatmybarrequires.Andthat’swhenwecameupwiththevacuumsealtechniqueformakingoleosaccharum.

Inanutshell,alloftheingredientsareplacedintoavacuumsealbagandsealedundervacuum.Sincethepeelsandsugarareplacedinsuchclosecontact,theoilsbegindissolvingthesugaralmostimmediately.Withinhours,thesugarhasbeenconvertedintooleosaccharumwithnoadditionaltendingorstirringneeded.

MAKESENOUGHFOR1BATCHOFPUNCH

One1-lb/455-gboxsuperfinesugarZestof12lemons(paredwithavegetablepeeler)

Placethesugarandlemonzestintoavacuumsealbagandsealaccordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructions.(WeusetheinexpensiveFoodSavervacuumsealer,and1-qt/960-mlsizebagsatourbar.)

Letthebagrestatroomtemperatureforatleast4hours(oruptoovernight),untilthesugarissoakedinlemonoil.Datethebagsandrefrigerate.Theoleosaccharumwilllastfor1month,unopenedand

storedinthefridge.Alternatively,ifyoudon’thaveavacuumsealer,gentlymuddlethelemonpeelwiththesugarandletrestfor1hour.Storeinaresealableplasticbagortightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks.

PHILADELPHIAFISHHOUSEPUNCH

LikelythemoststoriedofallAmericanpunchesisthePhiladelphiaFishHousePunch.Createdsometimearound1732attheSchuylkillFishingClub,inPhiladelphia,thispotentpunchisrumoredtohavekickedoffeverymeeting.Giventheunavailabilityofunsweetenedpeachbrandyatthattime,wepresentourversion,usingDavidWondrich’ssolution,a3:1ratioofAmericanapplebrandytoFrenchsweetenedpeachliqueur.

MAKESABOUT51/2QT/5.2L

1batchOleoSaccharum(page108)

16oz/480mlAppletonEstaterum8oz/240mlSmith&Crossrum12oz/360mlcognac3oz/90mlcrèmedepêche

9oz/265mlapplejack16oz/480mlfreshlemonjuice(seepage22),finelystrained3qt/2.8Lcoldwater

Iceringmold(seepage178)

PUNCHBOWLANDSMALLPUNCHGLASSES

CombinetheOleoSaccharum,bothrums,thecognac,crémedepêche,applejack,lemonjuice,andcoldwaterinapunchbowlandchill.Addtheiceringmoldwhenreadytoserve.

ORGEATIfthere’soneimportantsyrupthat’sbetterlefttothepros,it’sorgeat.Orgeat(OR-zhah)belongstoafamilyofsyrupsthatoriginallywerebarleybased—theLatinwordforbarleyishordeum.Thesweetnesscamefromthebarleysugarsandtheflavoringcamefromalmonds.Eventuallythebarleydroppedoutbutthealmondflavorremained.

Orgeatseemstohavebeenthefirstcompoundsyrupusedincocktails.ItfirstshowedupinJerryThomas’sTheBar-Tender’sGuide(1862)inadrinkcalledtheJapanesecocktail,whichfollowstheoriginalnineteenth-centurydefinitionofacocktail:spirit,sugar,andbitters.Heusesthealmond-flavoredsweetsyrupinsteadofplainsugarsyrup.

Themainflavoringinorgeatisalmonds,bothsweet(thekindofalmondsweeatanduseincooking)andbitteralmonds.Thelatterareslightlycontroversialbecausetheyincludeasubstancecalledamygdalin,whichbreaksdownintocyanideorhydrocyanicacid,whichistoxicinlargequantitiesandusefulinassassinations.Cyanideshouldn’tbetotallyscary,however,becauseit’spresentinalotofnaturalfoodsweeat,butinverysmallandmanageablequantities.Bitteralmondswerealsothoughttocurecancer,however,sopickyourpoison.

Theintensealmondflavororiginallyderivedfrombitteralmondsisalsofoundinthepitsofstonefruits,suchasapricots,peaches,andplums,andsomeorgeatsaremadewiththosefruitpitsinsteadofthebitteralmonds.

Now,mebeingme,wheneverI’matacocktailconventionorontheroad,Ialwaysmeetpeoplewhowanttofoisttheir(mostly)oddhouse-madeingredientsonme.Idon’tknowhowIbecametheDIYposterboy,butifInevertasteanotherawfulbottleofhomemadeorgeatagain,it’llbetoosoon.Makingorgeat—goodorgeat—isaroyalpain,andthisisoneoccasionwhereIdosuggestusingcommerciallyavailablebrands.MyfriendJenniferColliau,atSmallHandFoods,makesthebestoneontheplanet,ifyoucanfindit(seepage88).AnothergoodorgeatismadebyafriendofminehereinPortland,BlairReynolds,theproprietorofB.G.Reynolds’

Hand-CraftedSyrups.Blair’sorgeatdoesn’tgothroughaprocessquiteaspainstakingasJennifer’s,sotheflavorislessintense.Imainlyusehisinrecipesthatcallforalargerquantityoforgeat,morethan1/2oz/15ml.

JAPANESECOCKTAIL

I’mnotreallyahistoryguy,butfromwhatI’veread,JerryThomascameupwiththisdrinktocommemoratethevisitofaJapanesedignitarytoNewYork.Orsomething.AskDavidWondrichifyourunintohim,andtellhimItoldyoutobughim.WhatIdoknowisthatit’sacocktailintheclassicalsense—spirit,bitters,andsweetener,inthiscaseorgeat.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mlcognac1/2oz/15mlorgeat

2dashesAngosturabitters

Icecubes

1lemonpeelforgarnish

CHILLEDCOUPEGLASS

Combinethecognac,orgeat,andbittersinacocktailshakerormixingglass.Fillwithicecubesandshake.

Strainintothechilledcoupeglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktailanddropinthedrinktoserve.

SHRUBSLikemanythingsthatweobsessovertoday,shrubsbeganasasimpleexpediency.Intheolddays,freshfruitwaspreciousincolderclimates,suchasincolonialAmerica.Therewerenorefrigerators,sotopreservefruit,afrugalhousewifewouldpileitintoacrockandaddsomevinegar.Thatwouldessentiallypicklethefruit,butitwasstilledibleanddeliciousinitsownway.

Thesoakingliquid,ofcourse,wastherealprize.Asthefruitmacerated,theprocessofosmosisdrewmostoftheflavorandsweetnessoutofthefruitandintothevinegar.Oncethefruithadbeenconsumed,theliquidwasserved,lengthenedbyaddingsomecoolwater.Eventually,someonehadthebrightideatoaddalcohol,andthefruitydrinkwasborn.Asiandrinkingvinegarsareessentiallythesameasshrubs,thoughthey’recomingoutoftheAsiantraditionratherthantheAmericancolonialone.

Wenowuseamethodforthissweet-tartsyrupthatspeedsthingsupandmakesamoredeeplyflavoredproduct.Insteadofmaceratingfruitinvinegarandthenaddingsugar,Isimmerfruitinvinegarforjustafewminutes,andthenstrain,filter,andaddsugar.

Thebeautyofashrubliesinitstensionbetweensweetandsour;it’ssweetenoughtobringbalancetococktails,butitcomeswithahighacidity,whichprovidesastrongstructuretoyourdrinks.

STRAWBERRY-MINTSHRUB

ByNeyahWhite.

Ifthere’sanyonewhocouldwinaninternationalsherrycompetitionbyusingfresh,homemadeingredients,it’saSanFranciscobartender.AndtheSanFranciscobartenderwhoactuallydidsoisNeyahWhite.Godblesshim.

MAKES48OZ/1.4L

1qt/680gveryripestrawberries,hulledandhalvedLeavesfrom10sprigsfreshmint4cups/800gsugar

1tbspkoshersalt

4cups/960mlciderorwhitewinevinegar,oracombinationofthetwoPutthestrawberryhalvesinthebottomofalargebowl,layerthemintleavesontop,coverwiththesugar,andsprinklewiththesalt.Letthismaceratecoveredatroomtemperatureforafewhours,stirringoccasionally,andthenrefrigerateforabout8hours,stirringafewmoretimestobesurethesugarismakingcontactwiththefruit.

Afterasyruphasformed,addthevinegarandstirtodissolveanyundissolvedsugar.(Tospeedtheprocess,transfertoapanandsimmerforafewminutes.)Useimmediatelyorletsitforafewdaystoallowtheflavortodeepen.Ifindmysweetspotisjust1day.Onceyouaresatisfiedwiththeflavor,filterthemixthroughadoublelayerofcheesecloth,pourintocleanbottles,andcovertightly.Theshrubisessentiallypicklednowandcanbestoredintherefrigeratorforupto4months.

CHAPTERNO6

INFUSIONS,TINCTURES&BITTERS

EXTRACTINGANDINTENSIFYINGFLAVORS

In2001,afterhavingtendedbarforfiveyearsinvariousdives(poolhallsandnightclubs),someonefinallytookachanceonmeandputmeinchargeofarealrestaurantcocktailprogram:chef-ownerStephaniePearl-Kimmel’snewpan-Asianconcept,Bamboo,inEugene,Oregon.

Bamboowasawesome.Ourintense,wiryMalaysianchefranthevolatilekitchen,whileawhiteboyfromSantaCruzhelddownthesushibaroutfront.Andofftothesideoftherestaurantwasmytinybar.Thisbeing2001,mybartendersandIputouthuge,colorfulcocktailswithflavored-sugarrimsandallmanneroffruitpureeandnectarintheglass.Andlikeatsomanyotherplacesatthattime,fourlargeinfusionjarssatproudlyonthebackbar.

Therewasablueberrygininfusionfortheblueberrygimlet.Thevodkainfusedwithwholevanillabeanwentintoaboutahundredvanillalemondropseverynight.TheThaichilepeppervodkaspicedupourtakeontheBloodyMary,andthepineapple-habanerotequilamadethemostfamousmargaritaintown.

Today’smustachioed,arm-garteredmixologistswilllaughinderisionatthoseolddaysofinfusedalcohol,perhapsinsteadpreferringtoteaseyourdrinkwithadashoftheirhouse-madeceleryrootbitters,ormaybefinishingitoffwithacocoanibtincture.

Butattheircore,pineapple-and-habanero-infusedtequila,celeryrootbitters,andcocoanibtinctureareallessentiallythesamething:flavorfulcompoundssuspendedinanalcoholsolutionforuseincocktails.Andwhendoneproperly,anyofthesethreecanbeveryeffectiveataddinglayersofflavortoyourdrinks.

INFUSIONS

HOWINFUSIONSWORK

Theinfusionofalcoholwithfoodflavorsoccursviatwophysicalprocesses:osmosisanddissolution.Osmosisiswhathappenswhentheuniversestrivesforbalance.Whentwoliquidscontainingwaterareplacednexttoeachotherandseparatedbyacellwall,there’sadriveforequilibrium.Waterwantstomovefromthesidethathasmorewatertothesidethathaslesswater,inanefforttoeventhingsout.Freshfruitandvegetablescontainalotofwater,whilevodka,forexample,containsalotless.

WaterandAlcoholReachEquilibriumthroughOsmosis

Fratboyswilltellyouthatthepiecesoffruitintheirtubofjunglejuicecontainahigherlevelofalcoholthanthedrinkitself,butthankstoosmosisweknowthattheconcentrationsofalcoholandwaterinsideandoutsideofthefruitareexactlythesame.Alcoholflowsintothecellwalls,waterflowsout,untilequilibriumisreached.Thesugarandotherflavorcompoundsthatareinsidethecellcomealongwiththewater,whichisultimatelywhyourliquorbecomesflavorfulandourfruitbecomesalcoholic.

Thesecondprocess,dissolution,istheactionofthesolvent(inourcase,alcohol)bywhichitunlocksandreleasesthecompoundsfoundinaflavoringingredient(thesolute).Thereisnowatertobeexchanged;theprocessissimplyallaboutdissolvingthosecompoundsintothealcohol.

Foralcoholtoworkeffectivelyasasolvent,itneedstobeinhighconcentrations,atleast40percentalcohol.Atthatlevel,thereareenoughalcoholmoleculestoconnectwiththesoluteanddothejob;atlowerconcentrations,thereismorewater,andthewaterbondswiththealcoholandinterfereswithitsabilitytoengagewiththoseflavorcompounds.

Here’saneasywaytothinkofthesetwoprocessesinaction:Forinfusionsinvolvingfreshingredients—fruit,vegetables,herbs,flowers—osmosisistheprimaryactiontakingplace.Forinfusionsinvolvingdriedflavorings—spices,driedcitruspeel,roots—dissolutionisthemaindriveroftheflavorexchange,asthere’snowaterleftinthosecellwallsforosmosistotakeplace.

THECOMPLEXITIESOFFLAVORANDINFUSIONS

Flavorisacomplicatedthing.Someofwhatwetastewhenweeatordrinkisourmouth’sresponsetothefivebasicflavors:sweet,sour,salty,bitter,andumami.ButontopofthosefundamentalfiveareallthesubtletiesthatmakeapeartastelikeapearandIslayScotchtastelikeIslayScotch.Mostofthoseflavorcompoundsareactually“tasted”byusthroughreceptorsinournasalpassages.

Whenwe’recooking,wewanttoreleasethosemanyflavorcompoundssothattheycanblendwithothersandwecantastethemmorefully.Someflavorcompoundsaresolubleinwater,somearesolubleinfat,andsomearesolubleinalcohol.

Thebestexampleofhowthisworksismakingavegetablesoup.Youcouldputallyourvegetablesinapot,addwater,andsimmer,andthesoupwouldbe,youknow,fine.Butifyoufirstsautéedthoseingredientsinsomefatbeforesimmeringthem,yoursoupwouldbericherandmorecomplex,havingbothwater-solubleandfat-solubleflavorsinthepot.

Relativelyrecently,chefsandbartendershavebeenexperimentingwithaformofinfusioncalledfatwashing.Afattyingredientinitsliquidstate,suchaswarmbacongreaseormeltedbutter,isblendedwithaspirit(baconandbourbonisapopularcombination)andlefttoinfuse.Thefatreleasessomeflavorcompoundsandthealcoholdissolvesothers,sothatyou’releftwiththesmoky,porky,saltyflavorsofthebacon.About24hoursatroomtemperaturewithfrequentagitationshoulddothetrick.

Nowtheonlythinglefttodoisremovethefatfromthealcoholtoreclaimtheconsistencyoftheoriginalspirit.Forthat,weusethemethodanycookwhohasmadegravyorchickenstockknows:wepopitinthefreezerorrefrigerator.Thefatwillrisetothesurfaceandcongealandcanbeliftedoffinbigpiecesanddiscarded.Thealcoholwillstillneedtobestrainedthroughacoffeefiltertoremoveallthegrease,buttheflavorsthatcamealongwiththefatwillindeedstaybehind.

Oftheinfusions,tinctures,andbittersthatweusebehindthebar,infusionsaretheleastintenselyflavored.Yourgoalwhenmakinganinfusionistoaddflavorfromthefruit,spice,orherbyou’vechosen,whilepreservingtheflavoroftheoriginalalcohol,sinceyou’lllikelybeusingthisasabasespiritinyourcocktails,andnotsimplyasanaccent.

Forthisreason,wewanttostartwithashighqualityaliquoraspossible.Eventhougheventuallysomeofthenuancesoftheliquorwillbemaskedbytheinfusedflavors,Ialwaysfollowonesimplerule:Garbagein,garbageout.Thisisnotimetoskimponingredients.

CHOOSINGYOURINGREDIENTS

Forthemostflexibilityintermsofcreatingasuccessfulcombination,chooseanunagedspiritsuchasgin,vodka,whiterum,orblancotequila.Theflavorsofthesemoreneutralliquorswillpairwithjustaboutanythingyoudreamof.

Aspiritwithabiggerflavorprofilesuchasbourbon,Scotch,ordarkrumwillneedamoreconsideredpairing,becauseacollisionofflavorsisagreaterpossibility.Butwhenthespiritandtheinfusioningredienthaveanaturalaffinity,suchasbourbonandpeaches,theresultsjustfeelright.

Asyou’redecidingwhatingredientstoinfuseintoyourliquor,practicesomerestraint;itcanbetemptingtocreatemultiflavoredcombinations,buttoomanyflavorswilljusttastemuddy,especiallyifthey’resimilar.IfI’mgoingtousemorethanoneflavor,Iwantthemtobecontrastingflavors,suchasafruitandachile,ratherthansimilarones,suchasblackberryandplum.

Softfruitsandvegetablessuchascherries,peaches,pineapple,plums,raspberries,strawberries,andtomatoeshaverelativelymildflavorsandsoneedtobeusedinlargequantitiesinordertodeliverenoughflavortothealcohol.Lookforspiritsthatweighinataround100proofwheninfusing,asthewatercontainedinsidethecellwallofthefruitisgoingtolowerthealcoholcontentofyourspirit.

HowtoInfuseLiquor

Iusearatioof2partsfruitorvegetableto1partalcohol,byweight.TheimportantexceptioniswhenI’musinghotchiles;seepage124foradviceonthose.

1.Rinseyourfruitandremoveanystemsorleaves(they’lladdbitterorvegetalnotes,whichyoutypicallydon’twant).Whetheryoupeelornotisuptoyou;skinsaddalotoftheirownflavor,soit’sfinetoleavethemon.

2.Cutthefruitintothumb-sizepiecestomaximizethesurfacearea,orcutsmallthingslikeplumsinquartersandstrawberriesinhalf(there’snoneedtocutreallysmallfruit,suchasblueberries).

3.Pilethefruitintoyourcleancontainer—IusuallyuselargeMasonjars—andthencoverwiththealcoholandseal.(Don’tuseplasticbecausethealcoholcanencouragesubstancesinittoleachintoyourliquor.Nothealthy.)Leavetoinfuseawayfromdirectsunlight;unrefrigeratedisfine.

4.Manymethodscallforhighlydisciplinedagitation,onaprecisedailyschedule.Itendtoagitatemyinfusingalcoholssimplybyoccasionallypickingupthejarsandturningthemover,outofcuriositymorethananything.Itprobablydoesaverageouttoonceaday,butifyoudon’tgetaroundtoit,don’tstressyourselfoutoverit.Militarilyscheduledagitationisn’tneeded.Threeweeksisatypicalamountoftimefortheflavorexchangetotakeplace,butsomeingredientsmaytakeabitlonger,sotastebeforeproceedingtothenextsteptobesureyou’veachievedtheconcentrationofflavorthatyouwant.

5.Whentheflavorisasyoulike,strainthemixturethroughacolanderormeshstrainer,gentlypressingonthefruitsoitgivesupasmuchofthejuiceandalcoholtrappedinsidethecellwallsaspossible,withoutpulverizingtheremainsinthestrainer.

6.Youneedtofiltertheinfusion,inordertomakeitcrystalclearandfreeofanyfruitsludge.Mostexpertsrecommendwhat’scalledsubsidence—basicallylettingthemixturesettle,skimmingtheclearstuffoffthetop,andleavingthesolidstuffatthebottom.Ipreferthecoffee-filtermethod.

HOWTOSTRAININFUSEDLIQUOR

Suspendalargestraineroverabowlandlineitwithalarge,flat-bottomcoffeefilter,(thetypeyou’duseforadripcoffeemachineatanoffice,suchastheonesmadebyBunn).Youmayhavethemalreadyatyourbar,butyoucanbuytheminmostgrocerystoresanddefinitelyatarestaurantsupplystore.Pourtheliquorthroughthefilter.Oncefiltered,theinfusedspiritisreadytobebottledandused.

STORINGINFUSEDLIQUORS

Infusedliquorslastindefinitely,intermsofflavorquality,buttheircolors—whichcanbespectacular—willfadeovertime(probablywithin6months),especiallyifexposedtodirectsunlight.Aswithallspirits,storingtheminadarkplaceawayfromdirectsunlightisbest.

TEQUILAPORMIAMANTE

ByCharlesH.Baker

MAKESABOUT16OZ/480MLInfusedalcoholmightseemlikearelativenewcomerintheworldofcocktails,butinhisrevolutionary1939chronicleofhisgustatoryworldtravels,TheGentleman’sCompanion:BeinganExoticCookeryandDrinkingBook,CharlesH.Bakerdescribesastrawberry-infusedtequilacalledTequilapormiAmante,or“TequilaforMyLover,”acreepynameforadrink,probablybestleftuntranslated.

InSeptember1942,Gourmetmagazinerecommendedserving3oz/90mloftheluscious,rosyelixirinacollinsglasswiththejuiceofasmalllimeandfinishingitwithiceandsoda.Thetequilaalsomakesthebeststrawberrymargaritayou’veevertried,butIfindittobeadamnfinesipperstraightoutofthefridge,whichishowItakemine.1qt/680gripefreshstrawberries,halved16oz/480mlreposadotequilaCombinetheberriesandtequilaina1-qt/960-mlcanningjarandseal.Letsitfor3weeks,agitatingoccasionally.

Strainthroughameshstrainer,gentlypressingontheberriestoreleasetheirliquid.Discardtheberries.Straintheentiremixturethroughacoffeefiltersuspendedinastrainersetoverabowl.Bottleandstoreawayfromdirectsunlightindefinitely,thoughthecolormayfadeafter6months.

INFUSINGWITHHOTCHILES

Freshchilesareworthycandidatesforinfusions.Thecombinationofspicyheatandfruity,grassyflavorsgivesspiritslikevodkaortequilaadeliciousdimension,whichinturnmakesfordeliciouscocktails.JustimagineaThaichileBloodyMarytoperkupadrearywinterday,oraspicyjalapeñomargaritaattheheightofsummer.

Butchilesdorequiresomespecialhandlinginordertoprotectyourselfandmitigatetheirseriousheat.Itmightseeminconvenient,butIrecommendyoualwayswearfood-service-gradelatexgloveswhilecuttingfreshchiles.They’recheapandthey’remultipurpose;Ikeepaboxathomeforeverythingfromcuttingchilestohandlingthingslikepaintorshoepolish.

Also,besuretogiveyourcuttingboardandknifeapropercleanuprightaway.Theheat-producingcompoundinchiles—calledcapsaicin—ispotent,andifitmigratestothewronglocation,suchastoyoureyesoranyother,uh,sensitiveareas,youcandevelopsomeunfortunateproblems—nottomentionaconsiderableamountofpain.

Mostoftheheatisconcentratedintheinternalribsofthechile,whichholdtheseeds.Whiletheseedsthemselvesarehot,thewhitishribs(calledtheplacenta)aretheepicenter.Asyouprepyourinfusioningredients,decidewhethertoincludetheribsandseedsornot.Aninfusioncontainingseedsandribswilltakeonmorespicemorequickly,whileaseedlessandriblessinfusionwillhavebeautifulvegetalflavorsunderneaththeheat.Thetrickythingaboutinfusingwithfreshchilesisthewidevariationinheatlevelamongspecimensofthesametypeofchile.Youmightbeabletotakeabitefromonejalapeñobutnotgetasecondonepastyourlipswithoutpain.Evenchilesfromthesameplantcanhaveradicallydifferentheatlevels.Thatbeingsaid,there’sahierarchyofheat,expressedthroughtheScovillescale,withapoblanobeingoneofthemildestandthefabledghostchilebeingthehottestintheworld...thatweknowof.

ScovilleScale

CHILE

AVERAGESCOVILLEHEAT

AVERAGESCOVILLEHEATUNITS

Poblano 2,000

Jalapeñoandchipotle 5,000

Serrano 17,000

Bird’s-eye(Thaichile) 75,000

HabaneroandScotchbonnet

200,000

Nagajolokia(ghostchile) 1,000,000

Police-gradepepperspray 5,000,000

Purecapsaicin 16,000,000

Youwantyourchile-infusedspirittobebalanced—andnotlethal—andbecauseofachile’svariability,it’simportanttostarttastingearlierthanyouwouldanothertypeofinfusedspirit.Itastetestmychileinfusionsafter1day.Ifit’sgonepastthepointofbeingcomfortabletoconsume,I’llstraintheinfusionandcutbacktheheatbyaddinguninfusedspirituntilit’swhereIwantittobe.

INFUSIONSOFHERBS,SPICES,ANDOTHER

INGREDIENTS

Toinfuseliquorwithherbsorspices,youusethesameprocessaswithfruit:combinetheflavoringwiththespirit,wait,strain,filter,anddrink.Sincethereislittletonowatercontainedwithinthecellwallsofthesetypesofingredients,however,theprocessforthissortofinfusionisallaboutthedissolutionofthepotentoilsandcompoundscontainedwithin.Eighty-proofliquorshouldbesufficientsinceyouwon’tbelosinganyalcoholstrengthtowatercontent.

InfusingwithHerbs

Tenderfreshherbsaresoftenoughthattheirflavorwillleachoutwithoutanyadditionalprepsuchaschoppingorgrinding,and,infact,doingsocanleadtoamurkyinfusionandbitterflavors.Hardierherbscanbenefitfromagentlebruisingtohelpreleasetheiroils.

Allinfusionsareultimately“totaste,”intermsofhowmuchingredienttouseandforhowlongtoinfusethem,butherearesomeguidelinesforherbinfusions.

Tenderfreshherbs,suchasbasil,chives,cilantro,dill,mint,parsley,shiso,ortarragon:Forone750-mlbottleofvodka,use2cups/50glightlypackedsprigs(noneedtoremovethestems).Steepfor1week,agitatingregularly,andthenstrainandfilter.

Hardier,resinousherbs,suchasmarjoram,oregano,rosemary,sage,orthyme:Forone750-mlbottleofvodka,use1cup/40glightlypackedgentlycrushedsprigs(removelargeorwoodystemsonly).Steepfor1week,agitatingregularly,andthenstrainandfilter.

THYME-INFUSEDCOINTREAU

MAKESONE750-MLBOTTLEOnelittletrickthatIliketoemploybehindthebarisinfusingflavoredliqueurswithcomplementaryflavors.Cointreauisanabsolutelygorgeousorangeliqueurthatjusthappenstobe80proof,andifanyherbpairsbeautifullywithorange,it’sthyme.

Onedrinkthattakesadvantageofthisnaturalpairingandhighlightsitbeautifullyisthewhitelady(seepage161),oneofmyfavoritedrinksmadewithCointreau.1cup/40gfreshthymesprigs,gentlybruisedOne750-mlbottleCointreau

CombinethethymeandCointreauina1-qt/960-mlcanningjarandletsitfor1week,agitatingregularly.Straintheentiremixturethroughastrainerlinedwithacoffeefilter,setoverabowl.BottletheinfusedCointreau;itshouldkeepindefinitely.

SpeedInfusionthroughPressure

There’sanotherveryfast,andverycool,waytoinfuseherbsintoliquor,andthat’sbypressurizingyouringredientswithacreamwhipper,suchastheiSiGourmetWhip.Theintensepressurecausedbythereleaseofgasfromanitrousoxidecartridgeforcestheflavorcompoundsoutofyourflavoringingredientandintotheliquorrapidly.Youcanuseanytypeoffreshherb,andyoucanevensimulatebarrel-agedcocktailsbyinfusingapremadecocktailwithwoodsmokingchipsmadefromwhiskeybarrelsfoundatbarbecuespecialtyretailers.(Formoreonbarrelaging,seepage132.)

ToInfuseUsingaCreamWhipper

Putyourflavoringingredientintothewhippedcreamcanister,addyourliquor,sealtheunit,andchargethecanisterwithnitrousoxide(N2O).

Givethecanisteragentleshake,waitfor1minuteorsoforsofterherbs,or30minutesforwoodchips,andthenslowlyventthegasfromthewhipperbygentlysqueezingtheleverwhiletheunitremainsupright.Strainyourliquorthroughafine-meshstrainerandfilterthroughacoffeefilterifnecessary.

InfusingwithSpices

Itcanbemuchtrickiertoinfusewithspices.Thegoalisasubtle,softflavor;youdon’twantyourrumtastinglikeacandleshopatthemall.Theamountofspiceyouneedandtheinfusingtimeitrequireswillvary,dependingonthesurfaceareaofthespiceandtheintensityandcharacterofitsflavor.Themoresurfacearea,themoreaccessibletheflavorcompoundsare,andsothefastertheinfusiontakesplace.Asanexample,ifyoudropawholenutmegintoabottleofrum,youmightbewaitingforayeartogetenoughnoticeablespiceflavor.Butifyouweretoadd1tspofgroundnutmeg,whichisessentiallyallsurfacearea,theflavorexchangemighttakeplacewithin24hours.

I’vefoundthatmostspiceshaveasimilarpotency,andsoIuseaboutthesameamount:1tspfreshlygroundspicetoone750-mlbottleofliquorasageneralruleofthumb.Butsomespicesarecrazyintense,suchascardamomandcloves.WiththeseIfindIneedmuchless,about1/8tspperbottle.

CHINESEFIVE-SPICEDDARKRUM

MAKESONE750-MLBOTTLEMakingyourownspicedrumgivesyougreatercontrolovertheflavorsinyourcocktailthansimplypurchasingspicedrumofftheshelf.ForawinteryversionofanislandcocktailIlovesomuch,IemployChinesefive-spicepowdertoinfusedarkrum—alittletrickIpickedupwhileworkingatBamboo.Tryusing2oz/60mlofyourspicedruminaDarkandStormy(page68)withthehouse-madeGingerBeer(page65).

1tspChinesefive-spicepowder

One750-mlbottledark80-proofrum,preferablyGosling’sBlackSealUsingasmallfunnel,spoonthespicepowderintotheneckoftherumbottleandreplacethecap.Shaketomixwell.Allowtoinfusefor24hours,agitatingregularly.

Straintherumthroughacoffeefilterandrebottle.Thiswillkeepforever.

NOCINO

MAKESABOUT2QT/2LNocino,likelimoncello,isanItalianliqueurandaninfusion.It’saninfusionofjustabouteverythingI’vetalkedaboutinthischapter:citrusfruit,spices,andnuts—greenwalnuts.(Afreshwalnutstraightfromthetreelookslikeasmalllime;thebestwaytofindthemistoprowlyourneighborhoodandlookinneighbors’yards,butsometimesyoucanfindthematafarmers’market).Yousteepthegreenwalnuts,lemons,cinnamon,cloves,andvanillainEverclearor100-proofvodka,alongwithsomewhitewineandsugar.It’straditionaltoleavethenocinotosteepinthesuninordertospeedtheprocess,soabackporchorpatioisperfect;shakeeveryfewdays.Youcouldprobablygetgoodresultsindoors,aswell,butitfeelsmoreItaliantoputthejaroutdoors.

NocinoistraditionallymadeonthedayofSt.John’sFeast,June24,whichiswhenthewalnutsshouldberipebutstillgreen;theinfusionshouldbereadytostrainandfilterforChristmaspresents.Nocinoisquitesweet,butlesssothanlimoncello,andmuchmorecomplex,withlayersofspice,nuts,andafaintbitterness.It’sanicewintersipperandisgreatwithdessertsandonicecream.30fresh(stillsoft)greenwalnuts,quartered(podandall)One750-mlbottle100-proofvodkaorgrainalcohol,suchasEverclearOne750-mlbottleunoakedwhitewine,suchasPinotGrisorSauvignonBlanc2cups/400ggranulatedsugarZestof1lemon3cinnamonsticks

20wholecloves

1greencardamompod,crushedCombinethewalnuts,vodka,whitewine,sugar,lemonzest,cinnamonsticks,cloves,andcardamompodina1-gal/3.8-Lglassjarwithatight-fittinglid.Lettheinfusionsitinawindowthatreceivesasmuch

directsunlightaspossibleforabout5months,shakingiteveryday.After5months,starttasting.Whentheflavorisdeepandcomplex,it’stimetobottle.

Strainthenocinointoalargecontainerthroughacolanderfirsttoremovethelargeingredients;thenstrainagainthroughacoffeefilterorasuper-fine-meshstrainerseveraltimes,untilmostofthesedimentisgone.Letthestrainednocinositinacleanbottleforatleastadaysothatanyleftoversedimentwillsettletothebottom,andthencarefullypouritoffintoyourchoiceofdecorativebottles.Nocinokeepsforalongtime,atleast4years.

LIMONCELLO

MAKESABOUT2QT/2LInrecentyears,house-infusedliqueurshavebecomewidelypopular,especiallythoseinthe“cello”family.Limoncello—madefromlemons—isthemostpopular,butothercitruscellos(pronouncedlikethemusicalinstrument),suchastangerineandbloodorange,areshowinguponbarmenusandasholidaygiftsfromcraftyfriends.

Theprocessconsistsofinfusinggrainalcoholorhigh-proofvodkawithcitruszestforabout3months,andthenmixingwithsimplesyrupforsweetness.TheItaliansservelimoncelloasadigestif,traditionallyinasmallchilledceramiccup,butitshowsupincocktailsandevendesserts.Cellosareoftenoversweetened;Iprefertousetheminmoderation.

15lemons

Two750-mlbottles100-proofvodka

4cups/800gsugar

5cups/1.2Lwater

Washthelemonswellunderrunninghotwaterandpatdry.Peelthezestfromthelemonsinlong,widestrips.

Combinethelemonpeelsand1bottleofvodkaina1-gal/3.8-Lglassjarwithalid.Coverthejarandstoreitatroomtemperature,awayfromlight,forabout6weeks.Givethejaraswirleveryfewdays.

Afterthe6weeks,makeasugarsyrup.Combinethesugarandwaterinamediumsaucepan.Bringtoaboilandletthesyrupcontinueboilingfor5minutes.Letcool,andthenaddittothelimoncello

mixture,alongwiththesecondbottleofvodka.Coverthejarandinfuseforanother5to6weeks,swirlingthejarafewtimesduringthisperiod.

Strainthelimoncellothroughafine-meshstrainerintoclean,decorativebottles;discardthelemonzest.Limoncellotastesbestwhenverycold,sostoreyourbottleinthefreezer;itshouldbegoodforatleastayear.

WOODINFUSIONS,A.K.A.BARRELAGINGBarrelagingisessentiallylittlemorethaninfusingalcoholwithwood,aprocessthathasbeenpartofthebeverageworldforcenturies.Wines,spirits,andevenbeerstakeonsomecharacteristicsoftheoakbarrelsthey’restoredin.Byputtingcocktailsintooakbarrels,we’retakingadvantageoftwoprocesses:usingthealcoholasasolventtowashthecaramelizedsugars,vanillin,andotherorganiccompoundsoutofthewood,aswellasexposingthecocktailstoasmallamountofair,whichwillslowlyoxidizethedrinkovertime.

In2009,ImetTonyConigliaroathisbar(“thebarwithnoname”)at69ColebrookeRow,inLondon.TonyservedmeaManhattanthathe’dbeenaginginaglassbottleforfiveyears.Thecocktail’sflavorsweremoreintegrated,softer,andmoredelicate.IrememberedanoakbarrelI’dbeenseasoningwithMadeirawinebackhome,andimmediatelysetouttoexpandonTony’sexperimentuponmyreturn.Almostovernight,barsallovertheworldbegantheirownbarrel-agedcocktailprograms.

Barrelagingacocktailmadewithwine-basedingredients,suchassherryorvermouth,oxidizesthecocktailslightly.Duringthisprocess,smallamountsofethyleneareconverted,viainteractionwithair,toacetaldehyde,contributingflavorsofnut,mushroom,grass,andapple.Drinksmadewithwine-basedingredientsarealsolowerinalcoholandhigherinacidityandaremoreefficientatextractingacompoundknownashemicellulose.Foundinplantmatter(suchaswood),hemicelluoseisbelievedtobreakdowntherougheredgesfoundinspirits,resultingina“softer”drink.

SmallbarrelscanbepurchasedforverylittleovertheInternet,thoughIdorecommendbreakinginunusedoakbarrelsforsometimewithinexpensivesherrytoflavorandseasonthewood.Herearesomeothertipsforagingcocktailsinoak:

AgingCocktailsDo’sandDon’ts

DO DON’T

checkyourcocktailregularlybyopeningthebarrelandextractingsamples(Iemployaturkeybasterdedicatedsolelytothispurpose).

leaveyourcocktailinabarrelfortoolong,asitcanresultintheextractionoftoomuchhemicellulose,whichisfoundinoak,andleadtoaflabbycocktail.

becarefulaboutselectingyourchoiceofcocktailtoage.Spirit-drivencocktailsare,ofcourse,anaturalchoiceforaging,asarecocktailsthatincludeawine-basedingredient,suchasvermouthorsherry.

agecocktailsthatcontainingredientssuchasfreshcitrus,eggwhites,orcream,astheyarepronetospoilageandcanleadtocontamination.

choosecocktailsmadewithspiritsthathavehadlittletonooakaging.Lighter,unagedspiritssuchaswhitewhiskey,gin,vodka,unagedrum,andtequilafarethebestwithtimespentinanoakbarrel,particularlyonethathasbeenpreviouslyusedtoagewhiskey.

asageneralrule,agecocktailsmadefromoak-agedspirits,asthiswillminimizetheeffectoftheoakagingandprovideyouwithamuchlessstrikingrenditionthanyouwouldgetwithunagedspirits.

TINCTURESTincturesaresimilartoinfusions,butonamuchmoreconcentratedscale.Wherewemightuse2oz/60mlofaninfusedvodkainacocktail,we’duseonlyadashordropofatincture.Iliketothinkofatinctureasaverysmall,veryportablewaytoaddflavortoadrink.Infact,Ioftencarryafewofmyfavoritetincturesindropperbottlespackedinasmallzipperedbaginmybarkit.

Sowhyatinctureandnotaninfusedliquor?Well,here’soneexample:IfIhaveawholefifth(750ml)ofsomethingveryspecific,like,say,clove-infusedvodka,Icanonlymakethosecocktailsthatcallforclove-infusedvodka,andtherearen’tthatmany.ButifIhaveasmallbottleofclovetincture,Icanmakeclove-flavoreddrinksusinganybasespiritonmyshelf.It’sinfinitelymoreversatile,plusitsavesspaceandmoney—Idon’tneedtocommitalotofresourcestoclove,sincecloveisaflavorIcareverylittleabout.

Becausethepurposeofatinctureistoaddflavorwithoutvolume,it’smadefromintenselyflavoredingredients,includingsomeherbs,spices,citruspeel,chiles,androots—sassafras,forexample.Wedon’tmakeblueberrytincture,becauseblueberriesjustdon’thavetheintensityweneed.

Thewayyougetthatintensityintothetinctureisthroughcontrollingtheamountoftheflavoringagentandthelengthofsteepingtime.Inotherwords,youcanaddalargeamountofingredientstoyouralcohol,whichcangetexpensive,oryoucanleaveyourmixturetosteepforalongtime—butthatrequirespatience.

Tospeeduptheprocesswhilekeepingiteconomical,Iuseamethodsimilartotheoneformakingspiceinfusions(seepage127):Igrindthefreshingredientmyself,addittothealcohol,anditletsteepfor1weekorso—orinsomecases,forevenlesstime.Ialwaysmonitortheflavordevelopmentbyfrequenttastings,andImakesuretogiveitagoodshakewheneverIpassby,asthattinyvolumeofspicetendstosettleatthebottomofthebottle.

CHOOSINGALCOHOLSFORTINCTURES

Thehigherthealcoholcontent,themoreeffectivethetincturingprocess.A100-proofvodkadoesthejobperfectly,andyoucanfinditjustaboutanywhere.Don’tbetemptedtomakeatinctureusinganythinglessthanabout80-proofspirits,however,becauseatalowerstrength,therearetoomanywatermoleculesbondingwiththealcoholmolecules,andtheyblocktheabilityofthealcoholtoreleasetheflavorcompoundsfromtheingredient.

HowtoMakeaTincture

TheratioIuseformytinctures,byweight,is1partflavoringagentto4partsalcohol.Themethodissimilartotheotherswe’vediscussedinthischapter,butyou’llprobablybemakingasmallerquantity,somethingcloserto8oz/240mlatatime.

1.Measureyourspiceandalcoholanduse1partspiceorherbto4partsspirit,inthequantitiesyoudesire.

2.Finelyminceyourherbs,orgrindyourspiceorotherdriedflavoringinaspicegrinderorinamortarwithapestle,untilpowdery,oratleastquitegranular.

3.Putyourtincturingingredientintoacleancanningjar,andaddyouralcohol.

4.Leavefor1weekawayfromdirectsunlight,gentlyagitatingthejaraboutonceaday.

5.Strainyourtincturethroughacoffeefilterandstoreincleandropperbottles,whichyouhavelabeled,tomakethetinctureeasytoadminister.(Youcanfindeyedropperbottlesatmostcontainerstoresandatmanyonlinesources.)

CINNAMONTINCTURE

CinnamonisoneofthoseflavorsIliketousemainlyinthefall,andalwayssparingly.SoIkeepasmalldropperbottleofcinnamontinctureatthebarandathometoeasilyturnjustaboutanycocktailintosomethingseasonal.

MAKESABOUT6OZ/180ML

About2sticksCeylonsoft-stickcinnamon1cup/240ml100-proofvodkaGrindthecinnamoninaspicegrinderorwithamortarandpestle.Inasmallcanningjar,combinethevodkaandcinnamon.Coverandshaketocombine.Letsitfor1week,shakingoccasionallytoagitate.Strainthroughacoffeefilterandstoreinalabeleddropperbottle.Thiskeepsforever.

AUTUMNLEAVES

WecameupwiththisvariationontheclassicNewOrleanscocktailtheVieuxCarréasanautumnalofferingatmybar.Thedrinkwassopopularwhenitdebutedonourmenufiveyearsagothatit’sstillfrequentlyrequestedbyname.

MAKES1DRINK

3/4oz/22.5mlryewhiskey3/4oz/22.5mlapplebrandy3/4oz/22.5mlsweetvermouth1/4oz/7.5mlStregaliqueur1dashCinnamonTincture(facingpage)Icecubes

1orangepeelforgarnish

CHILLEDSMALLROCKSGLASS

Combinetheryewhiskey,applebrandy,vermouth,Stregaliqueur,andcinnamontinctureinamixingglass.Addicecubesandstiruntilchilled.Strainintotherocksglassfilledwithmoreicecubes.Twisttheorangepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktail,rubtherimoftheglasswiththepeel,andthendropinthedrinktoserve.

BITTERSWhatstartedoutmorethan200yearsagoasacategoryofmedicinesisnowoneofthemosttalked-aboutandhotlydebatedsubjectsinbartending.Itseemslikeeveryself-describedcocktailgeekthesedayscraftshisorherownlibraryofbittersforuseathomeandbehindthebar.

BorninEuropeandembracedbyAmerica,bitterswereoriginallydevelopedascure-allsforavarietyofailments,mainlystomach.Infact,aneighteenth-centuryEnglishhangovercurecomposedofStoughton’sbittersandfortifiedwinefromtheCanaryIslandsmayhavebeenoneoftheearliestpredecessorsofthecocktail.

Bittersarehavingarenaissancerightnow.Somebartendersareevenusingbittersasthebasespiritindrinks,withsurprisinglybeautifulresults.MyfriendGiuseppeGonzalez,aNewYorkbartender,islegendaryforadrinkknownasaTrinidadsour,whichcallsforawhole1oz/30mlofAngosturabitters,whilebartendersKirkEstopinalandMaksPazuniak,atCure,inNewOrleans,makeadrinkcalledthegunshopfizz,withawhopping2oz/60mlofPeychaud’s.

Simplyput,bittersarenothingmorethanatincture,orcombinationoftinctures,withtheadditionofabitteringagent—typicallyabitterrootorbark.Iliketothinkofthemasthesaltandpepperofcocktails.Whiletheydobringtheirownflavortotheparty,theirmaineffectistoenhancealltheflavorsofthedrink,makingeverythingtasteabitmorelikeitself.Iftheultimategoalisadrinkwithdepthandcomplexity,thebittersIreachforarepotentanddeeplybitter.

ALCOHOLTHAT’STOOHARDTODRINK?

Ifbittersarenothingmorethanblendedandbitteredtinctures,andtinctureshavehigh-proofalcoholastheirbase,thenwhyarebitterssometimessoldinplaceswhereliquorsalesareprohibited?Itturnsoutthateventhegovernmentbelievesthatsomeboozeisjusttoodifficulttodrinkonitsown.TheAlcoholandTobaccoTaxandTradeBureau,orTTB,hasdeemedbitters“nonpotable”andthereforenotaproblemtosell,eventoaminor.Theflavorissostrongandbitterthatit’sinconceivablethatsomeonecoulddrinkenoughtogetintoxicated.

AuthorandbarexpertGaryReganmanagedtomakeabittersthatcrossedthelinefromunpalatabletoquaffable,atleastaccordingtotheTTB.TheydeemedhisRegan’sOrangeBittersNo.5toopotentiallydrinkable,andpreventeditfrombeingsold.FortunatelyforGary,twelveformulationslaterhewasrewardedwithastampofapprovalforaversionlesspalatableonitsown,andRegan’sOrangeBittersNo.6wasabletomakeitontostoreshelves.

COMMERCIALBITTERS

BackwhenIwasfirstgettingstartedinthebusiness,therewasonedustybottleofbittershiddenbehindeverybar,anditwasinconceivablethatadaywouldcomewhenaguestwouldaskwhatbitterswereavailablebeforedecidingonadrink.Now,youcanstockyourbarwithanewbottleofbitterseveryweek,buttherereallyareonlythreethatyou’llneedinordertomakethevastmajorityofclassiccocktails:Angostura,Peychaud’s,andorangebitters.

AngosturaBitters

Thesearethego-tobitters,thebottlethatisfoundineverybar,grocerystore,liquorstore,andhomeliquorcabinet.Unmistakable,withitsdistinctiveoversizepaperlabeloftenscrunchedaroundtheneck,Angosturabittershavebeenaroundsincetheearly1800s.Angosturaispinkish-purpleincolorwithaflavorprofilethatcanbebestdescribedaspotent,hintingatcinnamonandherbs.

Thebittershavearichhistory.JohannGottliebBenjaminSiegertwasaGermandoctorwhoservedatthebattleofWaterloobeforeheadingtoVenezuela,wherehebecameasurgeongeneralinSimónBolívar’sarmy.Siegertexperimentedwithlocalherbs,roots,botanicals,andbarkstodevelopatonictohelpthetroopswithallmannerofdigestiveailments.

Peychaud’sBitters

Theseweredevelopedinthe1830sbyAntoineAmédéePeychaud,aHaitianpharmacistlivinginNewOrleans.Peychaud’sisusedintheverypopularSazeraccocktail,adrinkthathaskeptPeychaud’sprominent.

Itsflavorisslightlyfloral,withasubtlehintofaniseandnotesofcherryandspice.Itsbrightredcolorwillgiveyourcocktailsabeautifulrosyhue.

OrangeBitters

Orangebittersare,asyoumightguess,atinctureoforangepeelandotherspicesblendedwithbitterbarksandroots.Longextinct,youcanfindquiteafewcommercialbrandsonthemarketthesedays,thoughnosinglebrandstandsasthequintessentialorangebitters.

WhenI’mnotmakingmyown(seepage138),IoftenadoptatrickfavoredbyNewYorkbartenderscalledthefifty-fifty,inwhichequalpartsFeeBrothersandRegan’sorangebittersaremixedtogethertotakeadvantageofthebestqualitiesofeach.

HOUSEORANGEBITTERS

Mostbittersrecipesyou’llseeouttherecallforneutralspirits,suchasEverclear,butIprefertouseWrayandNephewoverproofwhiterumasthebaseformyorangebitters.ItnotonlyprovidesthenecessaryhighproofI’mlookingforbutalsocontributesitsownsubtleflavorcharacteristics,unlikeflavorlessgrainalcohol.

Formaximumflavor,youcanmakeyourowndriedorangepeelbygratingorangeswithaMicroplaneanddryingthegratedpeelonaparchmentpaper–linedbakingsheetinalowoven.Oryoucanfindareputablespicetraderwhoseproductyoutrustandusepre-driedpeel.Aftermakingnearlyahundredbatchesofdriedgratedorangepeelovertheyears,InowjustbuyitfromaplaceIlike.

MAKESONE750-MLBOTTLE

One750-mlbottleoverproofwhiterum,preferablyWrayandNephew3oz/85gdriedgratedorangepeel

2wholecardamompods,crushed

1/2tspcarawayseeds,crushed

11/2tspcorianderseeds,crushed13/4oz/50ml2:1Demerarasyrup(seepage78)

Combinetherum,orangepeel,cardamompods,carawayseeds,andcorianderseedsinacleancanningjar.Leavefor1week,awayfromdirectsunlight,gentlyagitatingaboutonceaday.

AddtheDemerarasyrupandletsitfor1weekmore,againagitatingdaily.

Strainthemixturethroughacoffeefilterandstoreinclean,labeleddropperbottles.Thebitterswillkeepindefinitely.

REVOLVER

ByJonSanter

Myfirstencounterwiththerevolverwentlikethis:Afavoriteregularofoursfrequentlytraveledforbusiness,andheenjoyedagoodcocktailwhereverhewent.Onenighthecameinandtoldusaboutabartenderhe’drecentlybecomeenamoredwithonhislatesttriptoSanFrancisco:JonSanter.

JonSanterisabartender’sbartender,andsomethingofalegendamongthoseintheknow.HenowownsThePrizefighterinEmeryville,California,butbeforethatheworkedinbarsalloverSanFranciscoforyears.ItwaswhileJonwasworkingatBourbon&Branchthatourregularenjoyedhiscocktail,therevolver.

Thedrinkwasdescribedtomebyourman,andwhileItriedmybesttoreplicateitusinghisinstructions,heleftunsatisfied.Asluckwouldhaveit,thedrinkappearedinaWallStreetJournalarticlethefollowingweek,soIcribbedtherecipeandsurprisedourregularwithwhatIthoughtwasaperfectversionofhisnewfavoritedrink.Althoughhecouldn’tputhisfingeronwhy,hestillwasn’tsatisfiedwithmyversionoftherevolver.

LaterthatyearIfoundmyselfbartendingalongsideJonatapartyinLondon,andeventuallyIgotaroundtoaskinghimwhatthesecrettothedrinkwas.Asitturnedout,therecipeinthenewspaperwasslightlyoff.Iwasabletoreturnhomeandsurpriseoneofourfavoriteguestswithagoodstoryandanevenbettercocktail,andJonandIhavebeenclosefriendseversince.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mldry,spicybourbon1/2oz/15mlcoffeeliqueur2dashesHouseOrangeBitters(page138)Icecubes

1orangepeelforgarnish

CHILLEDNICKANDNORAGLASS

Combinethebourbon,coffeeliquer,andHouseOrangeBittersinamixingglass.Addicecubesandstiruntilchilled(seepage206).

StrainintothechilledNickandNoraglass.Usingtheorangepeel,expressflamedorangeoil(seepage277)overthesurfaceofthedrink.Droptheorangepeelintothedrinktoserve.

CHAPTERNO7

DAIRY&EGGS

ADDINGALAYEROFTEXTURETHROUGHFOAMANDFAT

Ifitweren’tforwhoeverfirstuseddairyincocktails,theworldverywellmightbewithoutguilty-pleasuredrinks.Andthatwouldmakemeverysad,becauseIdon’twanttoliveinaworldwithoutbrandyAlexandersandWhiteRussians.There’sachainrestaurantaroundhere,whichshallgounnamed,thatservestheseboozymilkshakesfullofKahlúaandOreocookiesandstuff.They’resogoodthataboutonceayearIcan’tcontrolmyurgesandIhavetodriveouttothenearestmalltohaveone.

Myparentslearnedhowtodrinkatatimewhen“guilty-pleasurecocktails”weresimplyreferredtoascocktails.Whatwethinkoftodayasoverlysweet,fruity,orcreamyconcoctionswerethenormbackinthe’60sand’70s.Sexonthebeach.Screwdrivers.TheBahamamama,whateverthehellthatis.Andthentherewerethecreamydrinks.Piñacoladas(whichdon’tactuallycontainanycream,butarecreamyanyway.)WhiteRussians.Grasshoppers.TheB-52.

Ifyouwantedtorobmyparents’liquorcabinetin,say,themid-’80s,whenIwasinhighschool,youhadachoicetomake.Youcoulddrinkwhatyousawtheadultsdrinking,namelythingslikeIrishcreamandKahlúa,andruntheriskofthemnoticingsomeboozewasmissing.Oryoucould,asIwouldhavedoneifIwerethetypewho’dstealliquorfrommyparents,helpyourselftothemanybottlesofScotchthatsatbarelytouched,allthewhileenviousoftheforbidden:thosecreamy,fattening,caloric,guilty-pleasuredrinksmyparentsgottoenjoy.

Butrelegatingdairytotheworldoffatty,overlysweeteneddrinksminimizestheimportantrolethatdairyhasplayedincocktailssince,well,beforecocktailsasweknowthemwereinvented.Intheseventeenthcentury,amixtureofale,rum,sugar,andraweggswouldbeheatedwithahotpokerfromthefireplace;itwasawarmearlyprototypeofaneggnog.Adollopofeggwhiteshavebeenusedforwelloverahundredyearsbybartenderstolenddrinksacreamier,silkiermouthfeel.Those

classicNewOrleansbreakfastcocktails,theRamosginfizzandthebrandymilkpunch,arebalancedandlightenoughtobeconsumedoneventhemuggiestGulfCoastday.

Thewholepointisthatbartendershavebeguntoturnbacktheclockontheuseofdairyincocktails,andwe’veallrealizedthatthere’smoretomilk,cream,andeggsthansimplysweetenedvanillaorchocolatemilkshakes.Andsincewe’regoingtobedoingmorewithdairythansimplythrowingitintoablender,we’llneedtoknowathingortwoabouttheproductswe’rehandling.

CHOOSINGTHEBESTDAIRYPRODUCTSANDEGGSOfalltheingredientsyou’llusebehindthebar,dairyingredientsandeggsarethemostperishable.Theyneedtobechosenandhandledwithasmuchthought—andperhapsmorecare—thanyou’dgivetoanyrarespiritoresotericliqueur.

Withdairy,thebestwaytochooseprimeingredientsistobuyfromalocalfarm—directly,ifpossible,orthroughafarmers’marketoragoodgrocer.Theflavorofyourdrinkswillbemarkedlybetterwhenyouusedairyandeggsthathavebeenproducedinamoreresponsibleandintelligentway.Atthebar,weworkwithlocalfarmerstogetlargequantities.Forhome,IsimplypopinattheSaturdayfarmers’marketandpickupwhatIneedfortheweek.

EventhoughIadvocatelocalandhyperfresh,thereare,ofcourse,limits:wedon’teverserveraw(unpasteurized)dairyatabar,becausewedon’twanttotakethatkindofhealthriskwiththepublic.Butattheotherendofthespectrum,wealsoavoidultrapasteurizedhalf-and-halforcream.Oddlyenough,alotoftheorganicdairyonthemarketisultrapasteurized,whichjustmeansthatit’sbeenheatedtoahighertemperaturetokillmorebacteriaandextendtheshelf-life.(Ultrapasteurizationheatsthemilkto280°F/138°Cfortwoseconds;traditionalpasteurizationheatsthemilkto165°F/74°Cforfifteenseconds.)Butthehighertemperaturekillsnotonlymoreofthebacteriabutalsoalotoftheflavor,givingtheproductaflatter,lessfresh,andmore,well,cookedtaste,whichIdon’tlike.IfIhavetochoosebetweenorganicultrapasteurizedandanonorganicregularpasteurized,I’llchoosethelattereverytime.

CREAM

Whenyou’rehangingoutathome,perusingclassiccocktailrecipes(asIdo)inbooksandontheInternet,you’llnoticethattheyalmostalwayscallforcream.Butrealcreamisroughtoworkwithasaningredient;it’ssimplytooheavyandtoorichtoconsumeinacocktail,andthegreasymouthfeelinterfereswiththerestofthedrink.Iusehalf-and-halfwhenarecipecallsforcreamasanincorporatedingredient,andeverybartenderIknowdoesaswell.Savethecreamforwhipping,asagarnish,andgetthehighestfatcontentyoucanfind.

It’sgoodtoknowtherelativefatcontentsofthedifferenttypesofcreamandmilk,sothatyouunderstandwhat’sgoingintoyourcream-baseddrinksandmaketherightchoice.

DAIRYPRODUCT AVERAGEPERCENTAGEOFFAT

Heavycream 39%

Whippingcream 35%

Half-and-half 12%

Wholemilk 3.8%

ALEXANDERCOCKTAIL

Ifyoueverhavethegoodfortunetomeetmyfather,askhimtotellyouthestoryaboutthetimeheandhisbuddyHenryReynosohad,like,fifteenbrandyAlexanderseachatthebardowntheroadfromthecabinweownedbackinthe1980s.Mydadknowstwothingsforcertain,thefirstbeingthatbrandyAlexanderswillmakeyousickerthananythingyou’veeverhadinyourlife,andthesecondbeingthattheycomefromablenderfulloficecream.

AllIknowaboutthebrandyAlexanderisthatit’ssortofthesequeltoanevenolderdrinkcalledtheAlexandercocktail,whichfirstappearedsometimearound1915inNewYork,andismadewithequalpartsgin,darkcrèmedecacao,andcream.Ofcourse,Iusehalf-and-halfbecauseit’slighterthancream.It’salsolighterthanacartonofvanillaicecream,whichwasneverusedintheoriginalAlexanders.

MAKES1DRINK

1oz/30mlLondondrygin1oz/30mldarkcrèmedecacao1oz/30mlhalf-and-halfIcecubesFreshlygratednutmegforgarnishCHILLEDCOCKTAILGLASS

Combinethegin,crémedecacao,andhalf-and-halfinacocktailshakerfilledwithicecubesandshakefor10seconds.Doublestrainintothechilledcocktailglass(seepage219)andgarnishwithalittlefreshnutmegtoserve.

WhatDoestheSell-ByDateMeanonaCartonofCream?

Alldairyproductsarestampedwithsomethingcalledasell-bydate.Alotofpeoplethinkitmeansthecontentswillbegooduntilthatdate.Anicepromise,butonethat’snotreallytrue.Andit’sreallynofuntofindoutthehardway,trustme.

Thesell-bydatemeansthatiftheproductiskeptproperlychilledandunopened,itshouldbegoodforabout1weekafterthatdate(thestore“sellsby”andthenyoutakehomeandkeeplonger).Onceyouopenthatcartonorbottle,allbetsareoff,inthesensethattheproducercan’tcontrolwhatkindofbacteriamaybehasteningspoilage.Howlongyouleavethecartononthecounterinawarmroom,whethersomeonetakesaswigofmilkrightfromthecarton(asIusuallydo),ortowhattemperatureyourfridgeissetallfactorin.

Youcanassumethataproductwithadatethat’sfurtheroutwillbefresherthanonewithadateonlydaysaway,sobesuretopissoffyourgrocerandrummagearoundtheselections,lookingfortheonewiththelatestdate.Justrememberthatonceyou’veopenedit,it’suptoyoutostoreitoptimallytokeepitfresh.Openedmilkproductsshouldbegoodfor7to10days.

HOWTOSTORECREAM

Tokeepyourcreamandhalf-and-halffreefrombacteriaandpreserveflavorandfreshness,keepthemcold.Bacteriatendstogrowaroundthecartonspoutandotheroxygen-accessiblespots.Transferringthecreamtoacleanplasticsqueezebottle,labeledwiththedate,minimizesthatpotentialandmakesthecreameasytopourandmeasure.

HOWTOWHIPCREAM

Idouseactualcream,ratherthanhalf-and-half,whenIwantitwhippedforgarnishingacocktail.Togarnishadrinkproperlywithwhippedcream,youneedtowhipittoorder.Onceagain,you’vegotafewoptions.

UsingaCreamWhipper

Whiletheequipmentisn’tnecessarilycheap,it’scertainlytheeasiestoption.Youfillthecanisterwithcoldcream,chargeitwithnitrousoxide,giveitashake,andpressthelevertodeliverwhippedcream.Youcanloadit,keepitinthefridge,andhaveitatthereadywheneveryouneedit;justgrab,shake,andgo.(It’sagoodideatowritethedatewhenyouaddedthecreamonapieceofmaskingtapeandstickitonthesideofthecanister.)Thebiggestdrawback—asidefromthecost—isthetextureofthecream:firmandtight,almostoverwhipped.Creamwhippedtothatconsistencymightlookniceasaswirlonamochaorapieceofpie,butitdoesn’tincorporatewellintoacocktail;itjustsitsontopandrequiresastrawtoaccessthedrinkbeneath.

WhippingCreamManually

Thisoptionisapainintheass,butitproducesabetterwhippedcreamforuseincocktails.Youpoursomecoldcreamintoasmallstainless-steelbowl,takeawhisk,andwhipuntilthecreamisthickenedandhasmorevolumebutisn’tyetatthestagewhereitholdsitsownshape.Don’tbetemptedtowhipuntilyouseebillowypeaks—that’stoomuch.Creamthat’sonlythickened,ratherthanwhippedsoitholdspeaks,willfloatnicelyonthesurfaceofacocktail,yetwilleasilyincorporateintothedrinkasit’ssippedwithouttheneedforastraw.Thecreamprovidesasortofcoolpillowthroughwhichahotcoffeecocktailissipped.

Youhavealotofcontrolovertextureandconsistencywiththishand-whippedmethod,butit’sproblematicinaservicesituationforseveralreasons:

Thevolumeinthecreamdoesn’tlastforever,meaningyouwillneedtorewhipbeforeserving.

Inordertopreventthewhippedcreamfromdryingoutandpickingupflavors,itneedstobecoveredinplasticwrap.

Itneedstoberefrigeratedbetweenusestopreventspoilage.

Andfinally,abowlandwhisktakeuppreciousspacebehindthebarandinthefridge.

TheMasonJarMethod

Thebestoptionistheonewe’veperfectedatmybar:Takeacanningjar,fillithalfwaywithcream,seal,andshakehardfor15seconds.Pourtheamountyouneeddirectlyontoyourcocktail.What’sleftoverinthejargoesrightbackintothefridge,whereit’sreadyforyoutograbforthenextdrink.There’snoneedformessywhisksorbowls,andyourcreamisalreadyinthedispensingvessel.

Knowinghowmuchtoshakethecreamiskey.Theruleofthumbistoshakeuntilthevolumehasincreasedbyabouthalf.Soifyoustartwith8oz/240mlofcream,youwanttoshakeuntilyouhave12oz/360ml.Usingajarthathassomecalibrationsontheside—mostcanningjarsdo—willhelpyoueyeballthevolumelevels.

IRISHCOFFEE

EveryyearwhenIvisitSanFrancisco,Iperformalittleritual.Idropmybagsatthehotel,walkdownthestreet,andcatchthestreetcarforarideoverthehillstotheBuenaVistaCafeforacoupleofIrishcoffees.TheIrishcoffeewasinventedattheBuenaVista,andwhileI’msuretheydomakeplentyofotherdrinkswell,I’veneverorderedanythingelse.Judgingbywhattheotherguestsaredrinking,neitherdoesanyoneelse.There’salwaysalineofglassesdownthebar,andthebartendercranksthemoutinassembly-linefashionandfinishesthemoffwithametaltinfullofthemostdelicatecream,lightlywhippedinamilkshakemachinetojusttherightconsistency.

IfyouwanttomakeanIrishcoffeeaswellastheydoattheBuenaVista,youcandoitwithoutthemilkshakemachine.Simplyshakethecreaminacanningjar,usingthemethoddescribedonpage148.

You’llneedtherightglasswaretobetrulyauthentic:ArealIrishcoffeeisservedonlyina6-oz/180-mlLibbeyGeorgianIrishCoffeeglass,modelnumber8054.TheglasscanbepurchaseddirectlyfromLibbey’swebsite(Retail.libbey.com),butifyoudon’twanttobotherwiththat,youcanuseasmall6-oz/180-mlwineglassinstead.Justknowthatit’sapointofprideforbartenderstoservethisoneintheproperglass,andit’sajoytotakeadrinkfromit.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlIrishwhiskey

2tsp/10ml2:1brownsugarsyrup(seepage78)3oz/90mlhotfreshlybrewedcoffee

Whippedcream(seepage148)forgarnish

IRISHCOFFEEGLASS

Heattheglasswithhotwater.Oncetheglassiswarmenough,emptythecontentsandaddthewhiskeyandbrownsugarsyrup.Stirinthehotcoffee.Topwithwhippedcreamandserve(withoutastraw).

EGGSThedifferenceinflavorbetweenwhatIcallasupermarketeggandafreshlocaleggisremarkable.Inpart,it’samatterofactualfreshness,withafarmers’marketeggbeingprobablyafewdaysoldatmost,whileasupermarketeggcanbe,underU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)regulations,upto5weeksoldwhenyoubuyit.(Thesell-bydatemustbenolaterthan30daysaftertheeggsarepacked,andeggsmustbepackednomorethan7daysaftertheywerelaid.)Butthequalityofthefeed,typeofchicken,andotherhandlingissuesalsoaffecttheflavorandperformanceoftheegg.

MEASURINGEGGS

Eachindividualegginacartonofeggslabeled“large”doesn’tneedtomeettheUSDA’scriteriaforalargeegg;thewholedozenmustmeetastandardweight.Inonecartonyoucouldhavesomeundersizeandsomeoversize.Andmostfarmers’marketeggsaren’tgradedbysizeatall.

Lookingagainatclassiccocktailrecipes,you’lloftenseetheauthorcallfor“thewhiteof1egg”ratherthananactualmeasurement.Keepinmindthateggsweremuchsmallerahundredyearsagothantheyaretoday,sowhenyouencounterarecipecallingfor1eggwhite,planonusingavolumeof1/2oz/15ml,aswedoatmybar.Withinatypicalegg,you’llhavetwiceasmuchwhiteasyolk.Soinalargeegg,thevolumeofthewhitewillaveragejustover1oz/30mlandtheyolkjustover1/2oz/15ml.

Aswithrawmilkandcream,rawunpasteurizedeggs(mostareunpasteurized)cancarryasmallriskofbacteria—inthecaseofeggs,salmonella.Thebestwaytoavoidhavinganyproblemsistobeexquisitelysanitarywhenpreparing,handling,andstoringeggs.Oncethey’reoutoftheshell,alwayskeepthemrefrigerated.AndwhileI’veeatenraweggscountlesstimesandincountlessformsandhavenevergottensick,ifyoudohaveacompromisedimmunesystem,youmightwanttoavoidraw-eggcocktails.

CRACKINGEGGS

Whetheryoucrackyoureggbyrappingitsharplyontheedgeofabowl,oruseJacquesPépin’smethodoftappingtheeggflatonthecounter(heassertsthesharpedgewillforceshellintotheegg,whiletheflatsurfacejustcreatesabreachintheshellforyoutopullapart),it’saprettysimpleprocedure,andonethatyou’vedoneahundredtimeswithoutgettinganyshellintheegg.Butthe101sttime,youmightnotbesolucky.Atinybitofshellcanruinadrink,andreallyruinalargebatchofeggs.Thefoolproofwaytoavoidgettingshellinyoureggistocracktheeggintoasmallbowlfirst,verifythatthere’snoshell,anddumpitintoanyothereggs,thedrink,orwhateverthedestinationis.

WHOLEEGGCOCKTAILS

Themoststraightforwardegg-basedcocktailiscalledaflip.Asthatseventeenth-centurymixtureofale,rum,sugar,andraweggsheatedwithahotpokerfromthefireplaceevolved,itemergedinJerryThomas’sTheBar-Tender’sGuide(1862)asacoldcocktailwithoutthealeandfeaturingamyriadofbasespiritoptionssuchasbrandy,rum,gin,orevenportwine.

Thekeytoallegg-basedcocktailsisgettingtheeggstoaconsistencythatallowsyoutocombinethemwithotheringredients,sobeatingthemwellbeforeusingtheminacocktailisimportant.ItypicallyuseasmallwhiskandametalbowlwhenI’mpreparingabigbatchofwholeeggsoreggwhites,orsimplymybarspooninashakertinwhenI’mmakingasingle-servingeggcocktail.

CYNARFLIP

ByBenSandrof

MyfriendBenSandrofisoneofthosebartenderswhopushestheboundaries.HelivesinBostonandhashelpedrunsomeofthemostprogressivebarprogramsinthecountry.AfewyearsagohewasmakingasortoficecreamwithFernet-Branca,averypowerfulItalianbitter,whentheideastruckhimtotrymakingaflipwithCynar,anotherItalianamaro,madefromartichokes.ItwasthefirsttimeI’deverheardofsuchathing,andI’vebeenmakingthemwithgreatsuccesseversince.

MAKES1DRINK

1egg

2oz/60mlCynar

2tsp/10ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)Icecubes

FeeBrothersWhiskeyBarrel–AgedbittersforgarnishCHILLEDCOUPEGLASS

Puttheeggintothecocktailshaker,makingsurenoshellcamealong.Then,usingyourbarspoon,breakuptheyolk,andwhiptheeggvigorouslytoloosenupthewhites.

AddtheCynarandsimplesyrup,filltheshakerwithicecubes,andshake.Strainintothechilledcocktailcoupe.Usinganeye-dropper,dropbittersintothefoamontopofthedrinkanddragatoothpickthroughthebitterstogarnishbeforeserving.

CLYDECOMMONEGGNOG

MAKESABOUT1GL/3.8L

Eggnogisessentiallyaflip,withtheadditionofcream(readthatashalf-and-half,remember?).Whileyoucantechnicallymakeeggnogasyouwouldtheflip(seepage153),adding2oz/60mlofcreamtothemix,Ifindthateggnogisbestsharedwithfriends,anditalsolendsitselftoagingforadayorsointhefridge.

Therefore,Ialwaysmakemyeggnoginalargebatchandtradeinmyshakerandbarspoonforablender.Yousimplyblendtheeggsforafewsecondsonlowspeed,whichwillgettheconsistencyfluidenoughtoplaywellwiththeotheringredientsasyoucontinuetobuildyourcocktail.

Theeggnogweserveatmybar,ClydeCommon,inPortland,Oregon,hasbeenimmenselypopularforyears.Thecombinationofsweetañejotequilawithdryamontilladosherryisagorgeouspairing.

12largeeggs

21/4cups/450gsuperfinesugar12oz/360mlañejotequila15oz/450mlamontilladosherry36oz/lLwholemilk

24oz/720mlheavycreamFreshlygratednutmegforgarnishSMALLCHILLEDPUNCHGLASSES

Inablenderorstandmixeronlowspeed,beattheeggsuntilsmooth.Slowlyaddthesugarandblendorbeatuntilallofitisincorporated.Slowlyaddthetequila,sherry,milk,andcream.Refrigerateovernightandserveinsmallchilledpunchglasses.Dustwithfreshnutmegbeforeserving.

EGG-WHITECOCKTAILS

Bartenderslearnedlongagothattheycouldcreateacreamymouthfeelinacocktail,withouttheflavorandfattyfeelofcream,simplybyaddingadollopofwhippedeggwhite.Butdon’tlistentomustachioedspeakeasymixologistswhomightbeinclinedtotellyouthattheoriginalwhiskeysourrecipecalledforeggwhites—itdidn’t.Thewhitedoesgivethedrinkawonderfultexture,however.

HOWTOSEPARATEANEGG

You’vegotthreeoptionsforseparatingthewhitefromtheyolk,fromthesimplesttothemostculinary.

TheShellMethod

Thismethodusestheshellitselfastheseparatingtool,andisquickerandmorefoolproofthanthetwomethodsthatfollow,butittakessomepracticetogetitright.Cracktheeggsharplyinthecenter,gentlyinsertboththumbs,andprytheshellapartoverasmallbowltocatchthewhite.Asyoupullaparttheeggshell,simultaneouslyinverttheeggsotheeggshellhalvesareopen-sideup,oneineachhand.Theeggwillbeinonehalf,andthewhitewillbespillingoveritssidesandintothebowl.

Tipthefullhalftoallowmoreofthewhitetobegindrippingfromtheshellintothebowl.Usetheotherhalftocatchtheyolkasitstartstoslideoutaswell.Repeattheprocess,lettingasmuchofthewhiteaspossiblefallintothebowl,butalwayscatchingtheyolkbeforeitfalls.

Becarefulnottolettheedgeoftheshellpiercetheyolk.Thewhiteswon’tfoamproperlyifthey’recontaminatedwithanytypeoffat,suchaseggyolkorcream.Afterafewback-and-forths,thewhitewillbeinthebowlandtheyolkintheshell;saveitforanotheruseordiscardit.

TheHandMethod

Holdingtheegginyourdominanthand,crackitinthecenter,atthewidestpoint,sharplyonthecounterorontheedgeofabowl.Then,widenthecrackbypullingonehalfoftheshellwiththethumbandforefingerofyourdominanthandwhilegrippingtheotherhalfwithyourpalmandotherfingers.Youjustneedtoopenthetwohalveswideenoughfortheeggtofallout,intoyournondominanthand,whichisgentlycuppedoverabowltocatchtheegg.

Now,openthefingersofyour“catchinghand”abittolettheeggwhiteslidebetweenthem,intothebowl,keepingtheyolkinyourhand.Dumptheyolkintoasecondbowl,andrepeatifyouhavemoreeggs,orwashyourhandsifnot.Thismethodcanbeveryfastifyou’regoodatit,butitdoesmeanthatyourhandshavetobeimmaculatebeforeyoustart—notgreatifyouwearringsandsuch—andyou’llneedtotakeaquickbreaktowashyourhandsafterward,too.

TheToolMethod

Therearetoolsdesignedforseparatingeggs,buttheytakeupvaluablespace,haveonlyonepurpose,andarenotaseffectiveasthetwoothermethods.Onetoollookslikeashallowcupwithslotsaroundtherim.Youcracktheeggintoit,theyolksettlesintothecurvedbowl,andasyoutiltthecup,thewhiteslidesouttheslotsintoanothercatchbowl.

Theseconddesignlooksalittlelikeastrainer,butinsteadofmesh,youhavespiralwires.Youcracktheeggintothecenter,thewhiteslidesoutthroughthewires,andtheyolkiscapturedinthecenter.Sometimes.Istronglysuggestskippingthetoolsandusingoneofthepreviousmethods.

HOWTOPREPAREANDSTOREEGGWHITES

Eggwhitesaremucilaginous(superslippery)andresistbeingdividedormixed.Ifyou’veevertriedtoaddjusthalfaneggwhitetoarecipe,youknowwhatImean:youstarttoemptyalittlebitofthewhiteoutoftheshell,andbeforeyouknowittheentirewhiteslidesintoyourbowl.

Thatgloppinessistheworkofproteinsintheeggwhite(whitesare90percentwater,10percentproteins).Intheirnaturalstate,theproteinsarecurleduptightlyinlittleballs,withbondsholdingtheproteinstrandstogether.Asyouwhiskorotherwiseagitatethewhites,thoseproteinballsareslammedaround,andtheimpactloosensthebonds.Theballed-upproteinsbegintounfurlandformnewbondswithotherproteins,ratherthanwiththemselves.Thiscreatesaloosenetwork.Ifyoucontinuetoagitate,youbegintointroduceairbubblesintothenetwork.Theairiscapturedbytheproteins,andtheresultisfoamyorfluffywhites,dependingonhowfaryougo.

Beatthewhitesslightlytoloosenthemup;useyourbarspoonorasmallwhisk,dependingonhowmanywhitesyou’reworkingwith.Labelasmallsqueezebottlewiththedateandstoretheeggwhitesinthebottleinthefridge.Duringservice,youcankeepthewhitesinasmallhotelpanofice;youreallydoneedtopayattentiontoproperfoodhandlingmethodshere,sinceraweggsofanykindhavesomeriskassociatedwiththem(seepage152).Theywillkeepforabout1week.

HOWTOSHAKEANEGG-WHITECOCKTAIL

Drinkscontainingeggwhitesbenefitfromaninitialshakewithoutice—calledadryshake—whichwilldevelopathicker,morevoluptuousandstablefoam.ChadSolomon,formerbartenderatNewYork’sPeguClubandpartneratthebeverageconsultingcompanyCuffs&Buttons,haschampionedthetechnique,thoughbarhistorianshaverecentlyfoundreferencestothemethodgoingbackdecades.

Proteinswillstretchandunwindmoreeasily,aspreviouslydescribed,ifthey’regivensometimetoloosenupratherthanbeingrushedintotheprocess.Achefusuallywhipseggswhitesmoreslowlyatfirstandthenturnsupthespeedoncealightfoamhasformed.Thedryshakeaccomplishesthisforthebartender.

Thedryshakealsojustallowsmoretotaltimeforyoutoshakethewhites—onceyouaddice,you’relimitedastohowmuchshakingyoucandobecauseyoucan’triskoverdilutingthedrinkwithmeltingice.Soshakefirsttogetagoodfoamestablished,andthencontinuewithice,whichwillcreateevenmoreagitationandfoam.

Anotherwaytojump-startagoodfoamistoprefroththewhitesusingasmallelectricwhipper,suchastheAerolatte,intendedforwhippingmilkforespressodrinks,butperfectasanadjunctbartool.

SomebartenderswillremovethespringfromaspareHawthornestrainer(seepage219)andtossitintheshakerwiththedrinkforevengreaterwhippingpower,thoughIuseMr.Solomon’sdryshakewithfantasticresults.Ialsodon’thavetodealwithasteelspringcoveredinstickyegg-whitecocktailwhenI’mdone,soI’vegotthatgoingforme.

SealingaBostonShakerforaDryShake

Whenyou’redoingadryshake,youdoneedtomodifyyourmethodifyou’reusingaBostonshaker(seepage213).Becausethere’snoice,yourcontentsaren’tcold,andyourshakingtinswon’tcontracttomakethetightsealyouneed.WithaBostonshakerusedinthetypicalfashion,withthetoptinseatedinthebottomhalfataslightangle(seepage218),youruntheriskofeggwhitesandcocktailleakingoutofthesidesandontoyourshirt,face,thewallbehindyou,andyourguests.

SoinsteadofsealingtheBostonshakerinthetraditionalmethod,alignthetwohalvesperfectly,deadcenter,andgivethetophalfasolidsmackwithyourfist.Doyourdryshake,open,addice,andthencloseinthenormalwaytodoyourfinalshakewithice.

BostonShakerinDryShakeAlignment

WHITELADY

TheoriginalwhiteladyrecipeinHarryCraddock’sSavoyCocktailBook,publishedin1930,doesn’tcontainanyeggwhites.However,almosteveryrecipeyou’llfindafterthatinexplicablydoes.Maybeit’sbecausebartenderslearnedwhatIlearned:whileawhiteladymadewithouteggwhite(aginsidecar,essentially)isagreatdrink,onemadewitheggwhiteisabsolutelysublime.

I’vetakenafewotherlibertieswiththisdrink,butmyfavoritehastobetheadditionofthethyme-infusedCointreau.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlLondondrygin

1oz/30mlThyme-InfusedCointreau(page127)3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlemonjuice(seepage22)

1tsp/5ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)1/2oz/15mleggwhite

Icecubes

1orangepeelforgarnish

CHILLEDCOCKTAILGLASS

Combinethegin,Cointreau,lemonjuice,simplesyrup,andeggwhiteinyourcocktailshaker.Shakewithouticeuntilthewhiteisfrothy(seepage157).Addicecubesandshakeagainuntilchilled.

Strainintothechilledcocktailglass.Twisttheorangepeeloverthedrink,discardthepeel,andserve.

CHAPTERNO8

ICE

SELECTINGASHAPEFORPROPERCHILLINGANDDILUTION

Thequestforflawlessice—crystal-clearcubes,perfectlyroundspheres,andfrostycrushedsnowdrifts—hasbeenahugepartofthemoderncocktailrenaissance.Butitisn’tthefirsttimepeoplehavegoneaboveandbeyondfortheperfectlychilleddrink.

Beforethenineteenthcentury,somepeopleknewthepleasuresoficeandsomedidn’t.Iceexistedonlyintheimaginationoffolkslivinginhotclimates.Northernsocieties,incontrast,harvestedblocksoficefromlakesandpondsinthewinter,andkeptitfrozenthroughthewarmseasonsbystoringitindeepwellsinsulatedwithstraw,foruseinsummerdrinksconsumedbygenteelcompanyinupper-crustdrawingrooms.

Inoneofthosedrawingrooms,atthehomeofwealthyBostonlawyerWilliamTudor,washisne’er-do-wellsonFrederic,whoturneddownhisadmissiontoHarvard,preferringinsteadtohangoutatthefamilyestate,huntingandfishing.Perhapswhilesippinganiceddrinkoneday,Frederichadanearlyinspiration:somebodyoughttobringthisstufftothetropics.

Beginningin1806,withanentrepreneurialmaniaandafewthousandofhisfather’sdollars,Tudorboughtships;packedice;bravedoceans,skeptics,andtropicalheat;andeventuallyestablishedaworldwideicetrade,bringingicefrompicturesqueNewEnglandpondstotheAmericanSouth,Cuba,Calcutta,andbeyond.Tudor’scompanycuticefromthefabledWaldenPond,causingHenryDavidThoreautowriteinhisjournal,“TheswelteringinhabitantsofCharlestonandNewOrleans,ofMadrasandBombayandCalcutta,drinkatmywell....ThepureWaldenwaterismingledwiththesacredwateroftheGanges.”

It’sinterestingtonotethatbackthen,icehadprovenance,andthebesticecamefromthebestplaces.Muchaswegetallmisty-eyedthesedaysoverCopperRiversalmon,EthiopianYirgacheffecoffeebeans,orhamfromthelittleblack-footedpigsofSpain,fancyLondonersinthemid-1800swouldserveonlycrystal-clearicefromWenhamLake,inMassachusetts.

Today’sbarculturemaynotbethatobsessiveaboutice,butwe’regettingthere.Forthemodernbartender,it’snotamatterofwhatlaketheicecomesfrom,butratherwhatformitcomesin:crushed,cubed,speared,“sphered,”andevensmoked.Icemeansmoretotheprofessionalbartenderthesedaysthansimplywhetheradrinkisservedstraightuporontherocks.Wenowtalkaboutdilutionandtemperaturewhenwetalkaboutice.Andthebestcocktailsareperfectlydiluted,andvery,verycold.

Becauseit’sthislastproperty—theonethatcreatesthebeautifulfrostyglazeonyoursilverjulepcup,thethirst-quenchingreliefwhenyoutakeasipofacolddrinkonahotday,andthebrainfreezewhenyousuckdownaSlurpeetooquickly—thathasdrivenpeopletodocrazierandcrazierthingssinceFredericTudorstartedshippingthaticearoundtheworld.

HOWICEBEHAVESWesaythaticeistothebartenderasfireistothechef.Inthesamewayaskilledcookusesheattopreparefood,theprofessionalbartenderusesicetopreparecocktails.Andasthechefcreatesandmanipulatesheatdifferentlytogetdifferentresults—thinkofthedifferencebetweenasearedsteakandabraisedpotroast—thebartenderusesdifferentformsoficeindifferentwaystopreparecocktails.Andinordertoknowhowtouseiceproperly,it’simportanttoknowwhaticeisandunderstandhowitbehaves.

Iceisthephaseofwater(H2O)thatoccursat32°F/0°C.Whenwaterbeginstofreeze,themoleculesbegintoformahexagonalcrystallinestructure.Watermoleculesalwaysformahexagonwhentheyapproachthattemperature,whichiswhysnowflakesalwayshavesixsides.Wateralsocomeswithanotherprettyremarkablecharacteristic,whichisthatinitsfrozenform,it(unlike,say,steel)occupiesmorespaceandisthereforelessdensethanitsliquidform.

WaterinitsLiquidStateWaterinitsSolidState

Iceperformstwoimportanttasksincocktails:itchillsanditdilutes.Italwaysdoesbothatthesametime,thoughitdoessoatdifferentrates,dependingonthesizeandshapeoftheice,andthemethodyouemploytomixthedrink.Someofithappensduringmixing,whetheryou’restirring,shaking,blending,orswizzling.Andsomehappensafteryou’vepouredthedrink,ifthedrinkisservedontherocks.Thechallengeforthebartenderisusingbothofthosevariablesinacontrolledway,byusingaspecificformoficeforeachtypeofdrink.

WHYICECLARITYMATTERS

Atypicalicecubefromahomefreezerisfairlycloudy—partsareclear,partsaremilky,andthereareprobablyafewfissuresrunningthroughthecube.Thecloudinessinicecomesfromtwosources:impuritiesandair,neitherofwhichwewantinourdrinks.Thismightnotseemlikeabigdealwhenyou’redroppingthecubesintoaDietCokeorglassoficedtea,butitcanmakeorbreakacocktail.Whetheryouriceisclearorcloudyisn’tsimplyamatterofaesthetics;it’salsoamatterofperformance.

Thefirstreasonweareconcernedwiththepurityoftheiceweuseisthattheicewillbecomeaningredientinyourcocktailsthroughtheprocessofdilution.Someofthaticeisgoingtomelt,andthewaterwillbemixedwiththeotheringredientsin

yourdrink.Soyouneedicethattastesonlylikepristinewater,andnotlikepipesorafreezer.

Airiniceisaproblemforotherreasons.Atnormalatmosphericpressure,oxygenandothergasesaredissolvedinwater.Asthewaterfreezes,ittrapstheair,resultinginopaqueicecubes,whicharen’tveryattractive.Moreairintheicealsoequalslessdensity,whichmeanslesscoolingpowerandfastermelting.

Dropacubeofpure,hard,cleariceintoaglassofgoodwhiskeyandyou’llhavealongperiodofsippingwithminimaldilution.Dropthesamesizecube,butonethat’sfrostedontheinside,andyourwhiskeywillbetastingprettyweakinashorteramountoftime;there’slessactualchillingpowerinthecube.

OBTAININGCLEARICE

High-endicemachinesaredesignedtopurifythewaterusedinmakingice,whichisonesteptowardclarity.But,moreimportant,theyalsofreezethewaterslowly,fromthebottomup.Astheicecrystalsslowlyforminthosebottomlayers,theysqueezetheairout,sendingituptothenextlayerofwater.Thatlayerfreezes,andtheairmovesuptothenextlayer.Eventuallythewholequantityofwaterisfrozensolid,andallthegaseshavebeenpushedtothesurface,wheretheyescape.Theslowprocessleavesyouwithgas-free,crystal-clearice.

Whenmakingiceyourself,whetherlarge-formatorsmallercubes,it’snearlyimpossibletomanipulatethedirectionofthefreeze,andI’vetriedprettymucheverymethodoutthere.Here’sthedealwithclearice:

Therearealotofknuckleheadsouttherewhowilltellyouthatyouhavetoboilthewaterfirst,inordertoboilofftheair.Someevensaytoboilthewatertwice,lettingitcometoroomtemperatureinbetween.Somesayyou’vegottofreezethewater,letitmelt,andthenfreezeitagaininordertoobtainclearice.I’veevenheard(Godhelpmeonthisone)thatyou’vegottoputthewaterinthefreezerwhilestillboiling,becauseboilingwaterfreezesfasterandclearerthancoldwater.Letmejustsharethiswithyourightnow,myfriend:everyoneofthosemethodsis100percentpure,crystal-clear,ice-coldb.s.

I’vetriedusinganaquariumpumptocirculatewaterinacontainerinthefreezer,butIstillhadahardtimecontrollingthedirectionofthefreeze.Oh,andIalsohadanelectricalcordhangingoutofmyfreezerdoorandanaquariumpumpfrozensolidinablockoficeattheendoftheexperiments.Iendedupwithicethatwaskindaclearish...insomeplaces.

I’vetriedfillinganIgloocoolerandcrammingitintomyfreezer,sothatthewaterwouldfreezefromthetopdown.ButthenIrealizedthattheonlythingIhadinmyfreezerwasanIgloocoolerandablockoficethatstillwasn’tperfectlyclear.Andittookagooddayandahalftofreeze.

I’vesetmyfreezertoahighertemperature,butstillbelowfreezing,inordertogivetheairtimetoescapeastheiceformedmoreslowly.ButthenIhadafreezerdedicatedtococktailice,asmyicecreammeltedandmyfishstartedtosmell.

AndthenIrealizedsomething:there’saplacedownthestreetthatsells300-lb/136-kgblocksofcommercial-grade,crystal-clearice.NowIgrabafewfellowbartenders,loadtheblockintoatruck,grabsomechainsaws,andhaveanice-blockcarvingparty.AndIwalkawaywithenoughlargebricksoficetofillachestfreezer.

Butifyou’restillhell-bentonmakingthedensest,best-tastingiceathome,justdoyourselfafavorandpickupsomedistilledwateratthegrocerystoreandfreezethat.It’sgotairinit,there’snowayaroundthat.Butit’salsogoingtobethepurestwateryou’llfind,sojustdoitandbehappywiththeresults.

STORINGICEYou’realwaysgoingtobemakingiceaheadoftimesinceitneedstimetofreeze,andforthemostpart,youcanmakeitmanydaysahead.Buticedoesn’tkeepindefinitely.Iteasilyabsorbsodorsfromotheringredients,sotrytokeepyourfreezerasfreefromoldfoodaspossible,andcyclethroughyouriceatleasteveryweek.Ifyoudon’tuseitbythen,dumpitandstartfresh.Ifyoureallywanttobefussy,orifyou’vespenttimefabricatingspecialshapesorsizes,youcansealyouricewithavacuumsealer,whichwillkeepitfreshandcleanformonths.

TRANSPORTINGICE

Ifyou’vegonetothetroubleofmakinghigh-qualityice—whetherthatmeansonehundred2-in/5-cmcubesoronestunningpunchring—andyouneedtotransportit,lineyourcoolerwithdry-icepacks,addyourcocktailice,andthentopwithmorepacks.Youcangetdryicefromanumberofsources,includinghardwarestores,icecreamshops,andgrocerystores.

Buttakecarewhenhandlingdryice,whichisfrozencarbondioxide.Dryiceclocksinatabout-100°F/-73°C,andifyoutouchitformorethanasplitsecond,yourcellswillfreeze,andtheresultwillbelikeaburn.Youalsodon’twanttostoredryiceinaperfectlyairtightcooler.Asthefrozencarbondioxide“sublimates,”orvaporizes,itturnsintogas,whichcouldcauseanyairtightcontainertoexpandandpossiblyexplode.

HANDLINGICE

Therearereallythreewaystohandleice:withyourhands,withapairoficetongs,orwithanicescoop.Andofcourse,eachtechniquehasitsownpeculiartricks.

You’llmainlybehandlinglargechunksoficewithyourbarehands—whetherpullingablockfromthefreezertocutandshape,orputtingasphereorlargecubeintoaglass—soyourhandsneedtobeimpeccablycleanbeforetouchinganythingthatwillbegoingintoyourguest’sdrink.

Tongsareusedforhandlingmedium-sizeice,whenapairofbarehandsmightseemalittleunsightlytotheguest,yetanicescoopmightbetoosmallforunwieldypieces.Therearemanytypesofstainless-steeltongstochoosefrom,andthechoiceisamatterofpreference.Ilikethetweezer-styletongswithtexturedtips,asIthinkthey’realittlemoreelegantandmaneuverablethanstandardscallop-tippedkitchenspringtongs.Bambootongsareanother,mainlystylistic,option.IfI’musingapairofbambootongs,Ialwayswraparubberbandaroundeachtiptoprovidealittleextragrippingpower.

Forsmallerpiecesofice,suchascubedorcrushedice,Ikeepa12-oz/360-mlstainless-steelicescoopwithasolid,contouredhandle.Usingaglasstoscoopicefromabinisabsolutelyforbidden,astheriskofeventhetiniestshardofglassinyouricesupplyisoneyoucan’taffordtotake.

TYPESOFICEHere’sadescriptionofthebasiccategoriesoficeusedbybartenders.Someareachievableinahomesettingandothersreallyaretheprovinceofthepros.

BLOCKICE

Let’sstartwithlargeblocksofice,andinmanycases,wemeanreallylarge.BarsthatmakeabigcommitmenttoiceprogramsarebuyingClinebellEquipmentCompany’sCarvingBlockIceMaker,aseriousinvestmentofamachinethatproducestwo300-lb/136-kgblocksofcrystal-cleariceeverythreeorfourdays.Specialpumpsandfiltersremoveimpurities,but,moreimportant,thewateriscirculatedoverametalcoolingplatesotheiceisformedfromthebottomupinlayers,asdescribedearlier.

Clinebellicemakerswereoriginallydesignedforpeoplewhoneededverylargeblocksoficeinordertodoicesculpture.Ifyou’veeverbeentoaculinaryschoolgraduation,orperhapsamidnightbuffetonacruiseship,you’veprobablyseenicesculptures:soaringeagles,gracefulswans,and,ofcourse,tastefulnudes.Whetheryougetwhysomeonewouldspendtwentyhoursinawalk-infreezercreatinganicesculptureornot,youcanunderstandwhytheyneedclearice.Anyveinofbubblesorchangeindensitycouldmeanafractureorcrumblethatruinsthepainstakinghoursofwork.Bycontrast,bartendersareratherrestrainedintheiricesculpting,stickingtolargecubes,spears,and,occasionally,dramaticallyshapedshards.

HowtoBreakDownBlockIce

Alargeblockoficeneedstobebrokendownintousablepieces.MyfriendsandIhaveachainsawthatwe’vesetasideforspecificallythispurpose.Wecarvethemassiveblockintomoreusable12-by-12-by-24-in/30-by-30-by-60-cmpieces,

whicharethensealedinplasticbagsandstoredinachestfreezer.

ThefirstthingIdowhenbreakingdownblockiceisremoveitfromitsbagorcontainer,andthenletitsetoutatroomtemperaturefor15to30minutes,dependingonthesizeoftheblockandwhattemperaturethefreezerissetto.Towarmitup,placeitonalint-freetowellaidoverasheetpan.Thisstepisimportanttobringtheiceuptoatemperaturethatwillallowcuttingwithoutshattering.Icebelow15°F/-9°Cissusceptibletoshattering.

Afterashortwarm-up,youriceblockshouldbereadytouse.Drainthesheetpanofwater,andplacetheiceblockatopafreshtowel(topreventslipping)onthesheetpan.

Thekeyhereistoworkslowlyandlettheicedothework.Iuseafine-toothedJapanesecrosscutrazorwoodworkingsawforthisprocess.Measuringapproximately6in/15cmfromonesideoftheblock,cutaguidelinewiththesaw.Onceyou’recertainthatyouhavetherightplacement,begintoslowlycutthroughtheblock.

Thisprocesstakessometimeandsomeelbowgrease,soworkdeliberatelyandcarefullyuntilyou’vemadeyourwaythroughtheblock.IusuallyplacethisfirstslicebackinthefreezertopreventmeltingwhileIcontinuetodividetheremainderoftheblock.

Breakingdownthepiecesfurtherwillrequiremorecutting,breakingtheslicesdownuntilyouhaveabunchofperfect,largecubesofice.

LARGE-FORMATICE

Largecubesarethebestoptionforservingiceinspirit-drivendrinks,astheymeltslowly,keepingthecocktailcoldwithonlyminimaldilutionoveralongtime.Onebig,chunkycubeisimpressiveasitsitstherechillingacocktailormeasureofwhiskeyinarocksglass.BarprogramsthatmakebigblockswithaClinebellicemakerorlargemoldsoftencarvelargemade-to-measurecubesforvariousdrinksusingthetoolsandmethodsdescribedpreviously,butthereareotheroptionsforgettinglarge-formatcubes.

Youcanusespecialmolds,suchasthosefromTovolo;theflexiblesiliconemakesiteasytopopoutthecubes.TheKingCubemodelmakes2-in/5-cmcubes,whichareactuallyquitebig.OryoucandowhatIdo:Pickupamulticompartmentplasticstorageboxatahardwarestore,theliddedtypemostoftenusedforholdingnailsandscrews.Simplydiscardthelid,fillwithdistilledwater,andfreeze.ThemodelIhaveathomehas13/4-in/4.5-cmcubedcompartments.Youcanstoreyourbig,beautifulcubesinaliddedplasticcontainerinthefreezer;justreachinandgrabtoorder.(Ifyou’remakingicetouseinacommercialsetting,however,youshouldsticktofood-gradematerials.)

CUBES

Large-formaticeisn’tgreatformixingcocktails,however,asonelargecubewon’tprovidethesameagitationasafewsmallerones.Thebeststandard-sizeicecubesforshakingandstirringcocktailsaremadebyKold-DraftorHoshizakiicemachines,whichproduceextra-large11/4-in/3.2-cmcubes,appreciatedbybartendersfortheirclarityandhandsomesquareshape,aswellastheirslow-meltingproperty.AthomeIuseTovoloPerfectCubesiliconeicetraystomakemyown1-in/2.5-cmcubes,whichIthenstoreinaliddedLexanplasticcontaineruntilI’mreadytousethem.

Stirringadrinkwithlargecubesrequiresalongertimetoaccomplishproperchillinganddilution;inabusybarsetting,thatcanbeadrawback.Acombinationoflargecubesandcrackedicewillspeeduptheprocess.Ioftenusearatioof3:1,wholecubestocrackedcubes.

SPEARS

Whileanicespear’smaincontributiontoadrinkisitsdramaticaesthetics,itdoesprovideaslow-meltingchill.It’sessentiallyalongcube,cuttofittheheightofacollinsglass.Spearsareusuallycarvedfrombigblocksbyindustriousbarbacks,ortheymaybefrozeninspecialmolds.

Youcanmakeyourownicespearmoldsbycarefullycuttingouttheseparatorsbetweenthechambersofaflexibleicecubetray,liketheTovolo,usingasharprazororX-Actoknife.Simplychoosehowmanycubestallyou’dlikeyourspearstobeandcutaccordingly.Youcanalsoorderpurpose-madecollinscubemoldsfromCocktailKingdomonline(www.cocktailkingdom.com).

Storespearsinaliddedplasticcontainerinthefreezer,withthelayersseparatedbysheetsofwaxpaper,andgrabtoorder.Justbecareful,though,asspearsaremorefragilethancubes.

CRACKEDICE

Halftoaquarterthesizeoficecubes,butnowherenearasfineascrushedice,crackediceoffersmoresurfaceareaforrapidcoolinganddilution,andgivesasparklinglooktoyourdrink.Iliketousecrackedicetospeedupstirtimesaswellastoserveinhighballs—there’ssomethingalmostromanticaboutthetinkleofsmallpiecesoficeinaglassasyousipaginandtonicwithamixtureofcrackedandcubedice.

Unfortunately,crackediceshouldn’tbemadeaheadoftime,asonewoulddowithlargerspecialtyice.Inordertominimizeexposedsurfaceareaandpreventmelting,thebartenderneedstomakecrackedicetoorder;Ifindthaticecrackedaheadofservicealwaysresultsineitherawaterymess,oramassofcrackedshardsfrozentogetherinthefreezer.

Tomakecrackedice,startwithacube.Cradleitinyour(impeccablyclean)handandstrikeitsharplywiththeedgeofthehammerendofyourbarspoon;twoorthreeblowsshouldgiveyoutheconsistencyyouwant.IalsolikeusingatoolcalledaTapIcerfromthe’50sor’60sthatIpickedupatanonlineauction.Ontheendofitsflexibleplastichandleisastainless-steelballthatshattersicecubesoncontact.

Analternativemethodistoslidesomecubesintoasmallicescoop,holdthescoopinyourpalm,andthwacktheicewithamuddler.Thenyoucansimplypourthecrackedicefromthescoopintotheglass.Thedisadvantageofthismethodisthattheiceismorelikelytojumparound,sincethescoopdoesn’talwayscradleandcontainit.

CRUSHEDICE

Crushediceisasitsounds—highlyfracturedice,whichmeanslotsofsurfaceareaandquickandeasymelting.Crushedicealsohasaparticularaesthetic,bothinthewayitlooksintheglassorcupandinthewayitfeels,sounds,andreleasestheliquorheldwithinthemyriadtinypocketsasyousip.

Forasmallquantityofcrushedice,Iusewhat’scalledaLewisbag.It’sessentiallyasmallcanvassleeveintowhichyousticksomeicecubesandthensmashthemwithamallet.Thecanvaswicksawaythemeltingwater,sothatyou’releftwithcrushedicethat’sfairlydry.Youcanreachinwithyouricescoopandfillyourglassdirectly.

Thecanvasneedstostaypristine,ofcourse,soitdoesn’t“flavor”yourice.ButneverputaLewisbagintothewashingmachine—youdon’twanttopickupanylaundrysoapflavors.Instead,runthebagthroughthedishwasherasneededandletitair-dry.

Youcanalsouseanice-crushingmachine.I’veusedtheWaringIC70model,whichworksfinewithsmallorcrackedcubesaslongasyoufeedtheminslowly,butotherwiseithasatendencytojam.Thelarger,heavy-dutyicecrushers,withburlyfive-horsepowermotors,willhappilychewthroughmoundsofice,butthey’reabitoverkillforahomebar.

Themachinethathasalwaysworkedwellformeathomeaswellasbehindthebarisaregularfoodprocessor.Fillwithicecubes,pulse,pulse,pulse,andbeforeyouknowit,you’vegotbeautiful,granular,fluffycrushedice.Nothingtakesadvantageofbeautifullycrushedicebetterthanamintjulep.

MINTJULEP

Iliketothinkofthemintjulepasoneoftheworld’sfirstsingle-servingcocktailsandasthepredecessortothecocktailthatwenowknowastheold-fashioned(seepage82).Ifyoulookclosely,thetwoformulasareessentiallyidentical:1tspofsugar,2oz/60mlofliquor,somewater,andalittlesomethingtoaddaflavorfulkicktothedrink.Inthecaseoftheold-fashioned,thatkickcomesintheformofbitters.Inthecaseofthemintjulep,itcomesfromfreshspearmint.

MAKES1DRINK

10sprigsfreshspearmint

1tsp/5ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)2oz/60mlbourbon

Crushedice

SILVERJULEPCUP

Inthebottomofthejulepcup,combineabout10freshspearmintleaveswiththesimplesyrup.Muddlethemintgently(seepage230)withthediskendofabarspoon,addthebourbon,andstirtocombine.

Workingslowly,addcrushedicewhilestirringtheingredientstochillthemandincorporatetheice.Continuepackingthecupwithcrushediceuntiltheiceformsamoundontopofthedrink.

Insertthetipofachopstickintotheicetomakeasmallhole.Gathertogether6to8trimmedsprigsofmint,andinsertthebouquetintothehole.Guideastrawintotheholealongsidethegarnish,andserve.

ICEFORPUNCH

Punchesaremadeinbatches,eithertobeservedoneglassatatimefrombehindabar,orasacommunitydrink,ladledfromaprettycrystalbowlataparty.Ineithercase,youneedalotoficetocoolthelargevolumeofpunch.Therearetwoschoolsofthoughtwhenitcomestokeepingpunchcold—addingicedirectlytothepunchorchillingitexternally.Whicheverapproachyouuseisreallyamatterofservice.Whichonewillprovidethecoldest,mostattractive,andeasiestwaytoservepunchinyoursituation?

AddingIcetothePunch

Youcanaddicetopunchdecoratively,bymakinganicemold,withorwithoutfrozengarnishes.Tomakemoldediceforpunch,chooseamoldthatwillfityourpunchbowl—anornateBundtpanorgelatinmoldusuallyisagoodsize.Slicecitrusfruitverythinlyandarrangeitinanattractivepatternontheinsideofthemold.Don’taddyourwaternext,oryourdesignwillfloataway.Rather,packthemoldwithcrushedice,whichwillkeepeverythinginplace,andthenfillwithcoldwaterandfreeze.Anicemolddoesrequiresomeforethought.Itcantakeupto12hoursforaringmoldtofreeze,soplanahead.

Ifyourpunchisn’tondisplay,sayit’sbehindthebarwhereyourguestswon’tseeit,youcankeepitcoldwithoutdilutingitbyfillinga1-qt/960-mlzip-topbagwithicecubesandplunkingitrightintothepunch.Overthecourseofyourevening,theicewillmelt,soyoucansimplyunzipthebag,pouroutthemeltedwater,andrefillwithnewcubes.

ChillingPunchExternally

Tokeeppunchcoldwithoutinternalice,fillalargebowlwithcrackediceandthenpositionyourpunchbowlintheice.Topofftheicebowlwithwater,stayingbelowtherimofthepunchbowlsoyoudon’trisksloshingintothepunch.

MAKINGSPHERICALICE

Aspheremadeofanymaterialisaspecialshape,inthatitprovidesagreateramountofvolumeforitssurfaceareathananyotherform.Forourapplications,thismeansthataspherethatisequalinvolumetoacubehaslesssurfaceareaexposedtotheliquidthatwillbemeltingtheice—24.069992018164percentless,tobeexact.So,theoretically,asphereoficewillchillthewhiskeythatsurroundsitwhileimpartinglesswatertothealcohol.Thereareafewwaystocreatethisdifficultshapeinice.

Toshapeaspherefromalarge-formatcube(seepage170),placethecubeonacuttingboardoronatowelonthecounter.Withonehandpressingdownonthetopofthecube,takeaserratedbreadknifeandslowlychipawaythebottomfourcornersofthecube.Flipthecubeoverandrepeatontheoppositesurface.Whatyoushouldbeleftwithisasortofpolyhedron,orasoccerball–lookingpieceofice.Wearingglovesorcradlingtheicewithatowel,useanicepickorserratedbreadknifetoknockoffanysharpcorners,rotatingtheiceuntilyouarriveatauniformshape.

MostbartendersIknowthenrinsetheiceballundercoolrunningwatertofurthersmoothoutanyroughedges.Theiceballisthendriedwithalint-freetowelandplacedinthefreezeruntilreadytouse.Whilethismethodisessentiallyfreeofextracostandequipment,itstillrequirestimeandexpertiseonthepartofthebartender.Lesseffectiveandmoreexpensiveoptionsthatrequirelesstechnicalabilitydo,however,exist.

Manycompaniesnowmakesiliconeiceballmolds.Thisisessentiallytwohalvesofasphere,whichfittogethersnuglytoformashell.Thewaterispouredintoaholeinthetophalfoftheunit(theholealsocatchestheoverflowasthewaterbeginstoexpand).Theunitisthenfrozensolid,thesiliconehalvesarepeeledfromtheiceball,andtheiceisreadytobeused.Myexperienceusingthesehasresultedinmorethanafewcrackediceballs,whosedeepfissuresessentiallyincreasethesurfaceareaoftheiceball,negatinganybenefitsinthatdepartment.

Thethirdmethodrequiresanexpensivepieceofequipmentandseemstobemoreofaparlortrickthanaclassicbartechnique,butitsureisawesometowatch.Thedeviceiscalledaniceballmakeroriceballpress,anditconsistsoftwoheavycopperoraluminumcylinders,whichfitoneontopoftheotherandareconnectedbypins.Inthecenterofthecylindersarehemisphericaldepressions;ifyouputthetwotogether,you’dhaveasphericalvoidinthecenter.

Youseparatethecylindersandplacealargecubeoficeinthebottomhemisphericaldepression.Placethetoponeontothepinssoitslidesdowntorestontheice.Theheattransferfromthecoppertotheicecreatesinstantmelting,andasthecubemelts,thecylindersmoveclosertogether,eventuallyclosingaltogether,withonlytheballoficeremainingontheinside.Yousortofhavetoseeittobelieveit;watchoneofthemanyvideosonlinethatdemonstrateit.It’sreallycool.Thedownsidetotheseunitsisthattheytendtobeveryexpensive.

CHAPTERNO9

MEASURING

DEVELOPINGBALANCEBETWEENPRECISIONANDEFFICIENCY

Afewyearsago,Iwasbehindthebaronaslowweeknight,wipingdownbottlesandtellingjokeswiththeregulars,whenIspiedayoungmancominginthedoor.

Heapproachedthebarcasually,lookingaroundtheroomtocheckouttheotherpatrons,andthensatdown.WhenIaskedhimwhathewouldlike,hegesturednonchalantlytowardthebottlesbehindme.“JustgivemeacoupleoffingersofScotch,please.”

“Certainly,sir.MayIseeyourID,please?”

Andwiththeheavysighofaninconveniencedman,heproducedadriver’slicensestatingthathewastwenty-threeyearsold.But,unfortunatelyforthisgentleman,Ihadalreadydeterminedthathewasn’tofageandsoIaskedtoseeasecondpieceofidentification.

“I,uh,leftitinmy,uh,car.I’llgogetit.”Andwithoutanotherword,hesnatchedthedriver’slicenseoutofmyhandsanddartedoutthedoor.IwentbacktowhatIwasdoing,withnointentionofmakingthedrinkherequested.

“Wow,thatmusthavebeenoneshittyfakeID,huh?”askedoneoftheregularsseatedatthebar.

“Ohno,itlookedreallygood,actually.Definitelygoodenoughtofoolevenmyeyes.”Isaid.

“So,thenhowdidyouknowhewasn’treallytwenty-one?”askedanotheroneoftheregulars.

“Itwasprettyeasy,actually,”Isaid.“Onlycowboysinoldmoviesmeasuretheirwhiskeyinfingers.”

WHYDOWEMEASURE?

Bartendingisnot,tothedismayofmany,anartform.Itisacraft.What’sthedifference?Well,simplyput,artisaboutcreatingsomethingbeautifulandunique,anobject,aone-of-a-kindmomentintime.Craftworkisaboutdoingthesamething,overandoveragain,improvingslightlyeachtime,fine-tuning,adjusting,andaimingfortheunattainablegoalofpureperfection.Soundskindofdrearytosome,buttothoseofuswhoenjoythatsortofthing,it’saZenpractice.

Cookingcouldbeconsideredanartform.Forthesavorycook,adashofthisandapinchofthatisthewaytorespondtoaparticularsetofingredientsonaparticulardaywheninaparticularmood.Makingcocktailsismoreakintobaking:everythingiscarefullymeasuredbeforebeingputthroughacalculatedtransformation—inbaking,throughheat;incocktails,usuallythroughcold.Thereisnoleavingitonthestoveforanotherhalfhour,addingabitmorebutter,orseasoningtotastewithsaltandpepper.Bakingdemandsprecision,andsodococktails.

There’salsothematterofconsistency—beingabletoduplicatethatperfectdrinkforyourguests,overthecourseoftheirstay,oroverthecourseofmanyyears.Believeme,yourhusbandappreciatesthatperfectmargaritayoumakehimeverysummerjustasmuchasthestockbrokerappreciatestheManhattanImakehimeverynightathappyhour.Andtheonlywaytodothatisbycarefullymeasuringeveryingredient,everytime.

But,aswithmostthingsinlife,measuringisnotassimpleasitsounds.Determininghowotherpeoplehavemeasuredtheiringredients,andfiguringoutthebestwaytoquantifytheingredientsforyourowndrinks,canbesomewhatpuzzlingattimes.

OLDTERMINOLOGY

Aquickonce-overofnineteenth-andearly-twentieth-centurycocktailbooksturnsupalitanyofoutdated,nonstandardized,bizarre-soundingmeasurements,whichmighthavesimplyremainedquaintterms,exceptforthefactthatoldcocktailbooksareafertilesourceofinspirationformodernbartenders.

JerryThomas(authorofTheBarTender’sGuide,1862)wasfondofaunitcalledawineglass,generallyassumedtobe2oz/60ml,whennotdescribedasasmallwineglassorlargewineglass.Thetermwasoftenshortenedtoglassinmanybooksandthenfelloutoffavoraroundtheturnofthetwentiethcentury,whichalsomarkedtheappearanceoftheubiquitousmetal“eggcup”–stylemeasuringdevice,witha11/2-oz/45-mlmeasureononeside(ajigger)anda1-oz/30-mlmeasureontheother(apony).Yes.Apony.

TheSavoyCocktailBook(1930),writtenbythelegendarybartenderattheSavoyinLondon,HarryCraddock,isafamousdisasterofmeasurement,oftencallingforabsolutemeasuresandproportionalmeasuresinthesamerecipe.Forinstance,therecipefortheimperialfizzcallsfor1partrum,2partswhiskey,thejuiceofhalfalemon(howevermuchthatmaybe;cocktailbookswererarelyprecisewhenitcametomeasuresofcitrus)andahalftablespoonfulofsugar.Whatitdoesn’tspecifyiswhatsizethose“parts”are:1oz/30ml,acoffeemug,ahollowed-outcoconut,or1gl/3.8L?

Addingtotheconfusionisthegill,animperial(U.K.)quantityofmeasureequalingaquarterofapint.Butwhosepint?Inimperialmeasures,apintisequalto20oz/600ml;inU.S.measures,apintisonly16oz/480ml.Soagillcouldbe5or4oz/150or120ml,dependingonwhosepintyoustartwith.

Andthenofcoursethere’sthedram,asin,“I’llhaveaweedramofScotch.”Adramislegallydefinedas1/8oz/3.75ml,andismostlyusedinapothecaryformulas.Hardlyenoughforme,anddefinitelytoolittleforanyScotsman.Fortunatelyforus,adraminthecontextofabarreferstoareasonablemeasureofwhiskey;inbartendingit’snevergivenanofficialquantity.

MODERNMEASURESAsnotedearlier,todaywemeasurecocktailsquiteprecisely,andwhilesomeofthepoetryoropportunityforimprovisationthatcamewiththoseoldertermsmaybelost,we’reprobablydrinkingmuchbetter,oratleastmoreconsistentlymade,cocktailsforit.MostU.S.drinkrecipeswillusetheU.S.measurementsystemoffluidouncesandrelatedterms.HereareabouttheonlytermsyouwillevercomeacrossthesedaysincocktailliteratureintheStates:

OUNCE TEASPOON DROPSANDDASHES

1 1 Anynumberofdashes3/4 1/2 Anynumberofdrops

1/2

1/4

You’llseethesemeasurementsinanycombinationthatdoesn’tcombinecolumns,meaningthatyou’llsee11/2oz/45ml,butyou’llalmostneversee1oz/30mlplus1tsp.Sotheingredientslistforabrandymilkpunchmightreadlikethis:

2oz/60mlwholemilk

11/4oz/37.5mlbrandy3/4oz/22.5mlJamaicanrum1/2oz/15ml1:1simplesyrup

1tsp/5ml2:1Demerarasyrup

1dashvanillaextract

Noticethat“tablespoons”hasbeenleftoutofmostbartenders’terminology,probablybecause1tbspisequalto1/2oz/15ml.Andsince1tbspisequalto3tsp,thereare3tspin1/2oz/15ml,whichisaverygoodthingtoremember.

Isometimesfinditeasiertogivelargermeasurementsincups,butnotallbartendersthinkthisway:

U.S.FLUIDOUNCES ALSOCALLED

2 1/4cup

4 1/2cup

6 3/4cup

8 1cup

16 1pt

32 1qt

64 1/2gl

128 1gl

(Noticethatthereisn’tareadytermfor3,5,or7fluidounces.)

THEMETRICSYSTEM

Thenthere’sthemetricsystem.IntheAmericansystemofmeasurement,theunitsofmeasurestartwithasystemofthirdsandthenswitchtoeighths—3tspareequalto1tbsp,but2tbspareequalto1floz,and8flozmake1cup—soit’sdifficulttoscaleupanddown,nottomentionthatmultiplesof8cangetconfusing.

Ontheotherhand,themetricsystemisbasedontenths,ormultiplesoftenths.It’ssomuchmorelogical.Thebasicrelationshipsbetweenamountsareeasytounderstandandadapt.Startwith1ml.Ifyoumultiplyitbyathousand(10x100),youget1L.Andit’sacinchtofigureoutpercentages:65percentof1Lis650ml.What’s65percentof2cups?Atthetimeofthiswriting,I’mawareofonlythreecountriesontheplanetthatdon’tusethemetricsystem:Liberia,Myanmar,andtheUnitedStates.There’ssomuchtosaythere,Ihonestlydon’tknowwheretobegin.IfIthoughtIcouldpullitoffwithoutinspiringamutiny,Iwouldconvertmyentirebarstafftometric.It’seasiertolearn,andit’swaymoreprecise.

Perhapsmoreimportantthantheeasy-to-graspsystemoftenths,metricmeasuresarebrokenintomuchsmallerincrementsthantheU.S.systemofmeasurements,allowingthebartendermoreprecision.Aswesaidearlier,sinceyou’llalmostneverseeacocktailrecipecallingfor1oz/30mlplus1tsp,themostprecisemeasurementyou’lleverget,whennotmeasuringeverythingintsp,isa1/4oz/7.5ml.

Inametriccocktailrecipe,youhaveamountsinincrementsof5ml,whichiscoincidentally1tsp!Soyou’llseemetricrecipescallingfor5,10,15,20...upto30ml,whichistheequivalentof1oz.Thelogicofmetricmeasurementisbeautiful,efficient,andpreciseforbartenderswhotrulycareaboutthefinedetails.

HOWMUCHISADASH?

Adashincocktailmeasurementtermsisn’tnearlyaspreciseasotheramounts,butit’snotatallarbitrary,either.Astandarddashwilltypicallymeasureoutat6to8tothetsp,so1dashisjustshyof1ml.

Dashesaremainlyusedformeasuringbitters,andwhilesomebartenderssimplyinvertthebittersbottleandcallwhatcomesoutadash,othersliketoputtheirbittersandtincturesintoeyedroppersorevenspeciallydesignedbittersbottles,whichmakedispensingtinyamounts—suchasasingledrop—morecontrollable.It’sanimprecisescience,tobesure,butonewe’velearnedtocopewithbytastingourcocktailsbeforewe’redonebuildingthem.

MEASURINGTOOLSAswitheverythingintheworldofbartendingequipment,therearegoodtoolsforthejob,andtherearebettertoolsforthejob.Thetoolsweuseformeasurementarenoexception.

JIGGERS

Notoolkitiscompletewithoutasetofjiggers.Iinsistoncarryingatleasttwo,butI’mreallymostcomfortablewhenI’vegotthreeonme.

Thefirstshouldholdboth1-and2-oz/30-and60-mlmeasures.Thesecondshouldholda1/2-oz/15-mlmeasureononeside,and3/4oz/22.5mlontheother.Thisshouldgetyoueverypossiblecombinationyouneed,butforspeed,Ialsostockonethathas11/2oz/45mlononesideandeitherafull1-oz/30-mlora3/4-oz/22.5-mlmeasureontheother.

Butwhataboutthe1/4-oz/7.5-mlmeasure,Icanhearyouscreaming.Well,somenewerjiggersarearrivingwithalineinsideofthe1/2-oz/15-mlmeasurethatindicateswhere1/4oz/7.5mlwillfall.Ifyoursdoesn’thavethisnicefeature,simplyfillyour1/2-oz/15-mlmeasurewith11/2tspofwater,andmarkalinewherethewaterlinelands.

Thatdescribesthevolumemeasurements,butwhataboutthestyleandshapeofthejigger?Theworldisfullofjiggers,buttheyallcanbedividedintooneoftwocategories:U.Smeasures(ounces)ormetricmeasures(milliliters).

WithintheU.S.-measurementcategory,therearetwostyles:AmericanandJapanese.TheAmericanstyleisshapedliketwowideconesconnectedatthetipstoformawaist—thejiggersareshort,squat,andiconic.You’veseenthem.

Japanese-stylejiggersaretallandslender.Theyhaveanelegantlook,but,moreimportant,youcangaingreateraccuracywiththem.Thinkaboutit:ifyouunderpour,forexample,byatinyfractionofaninch(orcentimeter),thattinyfraction,spreadacrossthewidesurfaceareaoftheAmericanjiggerismoreliquidthanthattinyfractionmultipliedbythesmallersurfaceareaofanarrowjigger.

Inthemetricjiggercategory,IliketheonesmadebyBonzer.Nicelymachinedinheavy-gaugestainlesssteel,Bonzersaretotallycylindrical,withnopinched-inwaist,andjustafewhorizontalgroovesforaneasiergrip.(Thisiscalledathimblestyle.)Theseare,ofcourse,greatwhenyou’reworkinginmetricmeasurementsforyourcocktails.Thedownsideisthatyou’llneedagiantsetifyouwanttoaccommodateeverypermutationofthescale.

Agoodcompromise—ifyouconsidercompromiseagoodthing—aretheclearjiggersmadebyOXO.They’reessentiallysmallmeasuringcupsthataredesignedforreadingfromoverhead(ratherthanhavingtobringthejiggertoeyelevel).TheseOXOcupsaremarkedinmetricmeasuresaswellasU.S.amounts,whichIappreciate.

ReadingtheU.S.measuresaccuratelyfromoverheadistough,however,especiallyinadarkbarwhenmeasuringclearliquids.Thejiggersarealsooddlycalibrated,andontheU.S.measureside,they’renotgreat(there’sno3/4-ozmeasure,forexample).

ButtheydoofferyouthechoicebetweenU.S.andmetric—agoodoptionforpeoplewhodon’twanttoinvestinacompletesetofmetricjiggers.

Theothertoolsyou’llusetomeasureareregularkitchenmeasuringspoons,andinsomecases,yourbarspoon,thebowlofwhichis,intheory,theequivalentof1tsp.Butbecausenotallbarspoonsareequal,youshouldalwayshavegoodstainless-steelkitchen1-tspand1/2-tspmeasuresinyourkit.

HOWTOMEASURELIQUORPROPERLYUSINGJIGGERS

Holdyourjiggerlevelbetweenthethumbandforefingerinyournondominanthand,rightnexttoyourmixingglassorshaker.Slowlypourintheliquorsothatitfillsthejigger,givingyouafullyroundedmeniscus.Thencarefullytipthejiggeroverthelipofyourmixingvesseltoaddtheliquortoit.

HOWTOPOURFROMABOTTLE

IreceivedmydegreeininteriorarchitecturefromtheUniversityofOregonin1998.Theprimaryfocusofmystudy,asisthecaseinanyinteriorsdepartment,washowhumansinteractwiththebuiltenvironment.Twoofthecomponentsofthedisciplineareanthropometricsandergonomics.

Anthropometryis,literally,the“measurementofman”inGreek.Itisthestudyofthehumanbody’sdimensions.Peoplewho,say,designclothingforalivinghavethetoughjobofsummingusallupintermsoflarge,medium,orsmall,despitethefactthateachandeveryoneofusisproportionallyunique.

Ergonomics,ontheotherhand,isthescienceofreconcilingthatfactwiththerealityoflivinginastaticbuiltenvironment.Ifyou’veevertakenaminutetothinkaboutthedistancefromtheseatofyourcartothegaspedal,that’sergonomics.Toiletpaperdispensersareatthesameheight,doorhandlesarealwayswhereweexpectthemtobe,laptopsareaspecificwidth,andstairsaregenerallyofacertaintreadwidthandriserheight.That’sallergonomics.

SinceIdidstarttendingbarwhileinschool,Ihavealwaysbeenveryconsciousofmylargeframebehindthebar.Iwalkintoabarandimmediatelynotewheretheliquoriskept,whatheightthesinksare,howhighthebartopis,andthedistancefromtheicewelltothebackbarcounter.Nearlyeverythingabouttendingbarisphysical.Couplethatwiththefactthatyou’reliftingandrotatinga2-lb/910-gbottleofboozeeveryfewseconds.Ifyou’veeverhadcarpaltunnel,asIdidwhenIspentninehoursadaydraftingwithamouse,thenyouknowwhatexcruciatingpainawaitsyouwhenthebodyandthebuiltenvironmentdon’tworkwelltogether.

Thetypicalgraspyou’llseebartendersusewhenreachingforabottleisanoverhandedgrab,meaningthatwithpalmfacinginward,thebottleisheldeitherattheneck,middle,orbaseandrotatedwellover45degreesinordertopourthecontents—theproblemherebeingthatatthisangle,thewristcanonlyrotate45degreeswithoutinjury.So,inessence,everydegreepastthe45-degreemarkisgoingtorequireadditionalstrainonthewrist,elbow,andshoulder.

Makingthismotionhundredsoftimesanightoverthecourseofyearsbehindthebarhasgivensomebartendersinjuriesthatprecludethemfromworkingorforcethemtowearabraceorusetheirnondominanthand.

Butthere’sabetterwaytoholdabottleofliquorthatisgentleronthewristandresultsinlesspossibilityofinjury,andthat’stheunderhandedpour.Anunderhandedpourusesthefull90-degreerangeofthewrist,putslessstressonthearm’sjoints,isamoreeleganthold,andisevenmoreprecisewhenmeasuring.

Startbyholdingyourdominanthandwiththepalmopenandfacinguptowardtheceiling.Or,ifyou’rebartendinginthegreatwideopen,thesky.Whatever.Nowsliptheneckofthebottlebetweenthemiddleandringfinger,anduseyourthumbtopinchthesealofthepourspoutwhereitmeetsthebottleneck.

Liftingthebottleslowly,andcurlingyourindexfingeraroundtheneckasyoudoso,begintoturnyourwristinwardtopour.

Soon,theringfingerwillnaturallybesupportingmostofthebottle’sweightwhiletheindexandmiddlefingerscontinuetocurlaroundtheneckandthethumbpressesdownward,supportingtheturn.

Onceyoucompletethepour,curlyourmiddlefingerbackintowardthepalm;yourthumbandforefingerareleftpinchingthebottleneck,whichisreadytobeplacedbackinitsplace.Itmayseemawkwardatfirst,butwithsomepracticeitbecomesagentler,morenaturalwaytoholdabottle.

SPEEDANDFREEDOM

It’sonethingifyou’remakingacocktailforoneortwopeople;it’sanotherwhenyou’reinabusyprofessionalsituation.Howdoyoubalancepreciseandcontrolledmeasurementwithmovingalotofdrinksacrossthebar?

Obviously,partofthatanswerisbyexperienceandacquiredskill.Mostbartendersoutfittheirliquorbottleswithaspeedpourer,aspoutthatallowsacontrolledstream,makingitaloteasiertoswiftlyandsmoothlydelivertherightamountofspirittothejigger.Speedpourersalsokeepyourbarneater,avoidingdripsandopenbottlenecks.

Atmybars,allofmybartendersaretaughttomeasure,buttheydelivertheliquorusingspeedpourers.ThemodelmostwidelyusedbyprofessionalsistheSpill-Stopmodelnumber285-50.They’reavailableprettymucheverywhere.

There’sastepbeyondthat,however,whichisactualfreepouring.Somechainrestaurantsrequiretheirbartenderstofreepourbecausetheyfeelitaddsadegreeofshowmanship,whichtheylike.Thosebartendersundergointensetraininginordertodevelopthefeelforthepour,andtherearealotofquality-controlcheckups.

Youcanteachyourselftofreepourathome,asIdidwhenIwaslearninghowtomixdrinks.SimplyfillanemptyliquorbottlewithwaterandfitthebottlewithaSpill-Stoppourspout.Getyour1-oz/30-mljiggerready,standoverthesink,andpreparetocount.

Therearetwokeystogreataccuracywhenitcomestofreepouring.Thefirststrategytobemindfulofisthecountingsystemyouchoose.Holdingthejiggerinyournondominanthand,quicklyinvertthebottlesothatitisstraightupanddown,andpourfromthebottleofwaterintothejiggerwhilecountingto4.The

number4isimportant,asitiseasilydividedandmultiplied.Bylearninghowtopour1oz/30mlwhilecountingto4,youcaneasilypourallofthecommonmeasurementsusingthissystem:

1/4oz/7.5mlbycountingto1

1/2oz/15mlbycountingto2

3/4oz/22.5mlbycountingto3

1oz/30mlbycountingto4

11/2oz/45mlbycountingto6

2oz/60mlbycountingto8

Whenthewaterhasnearlyfilledthejigger,snapthebottlesharplyinadownwardmotion.Thiswillforceasmallairbubbleintothepourspoutandmomentarilystoptheflowofliquid.Quicklyturnthebottle90degrees,andwithanyluckyoushouldhaveaneat,fulljigger.

Seehoweasythatis?Well,it’seasyonceyoumakeapointofpracticingeverysingleday(that’sthesecondkeytogreateraccuracymentionedearlier—practice).Musclememoryisapowerfulthinginbartending,andthisisaperfectexampleofthat.Repeatyourtestwiththebottleofwaterandthejiggeroverandoveragainuntilyoucandoitwithoutneedforthejigger.

Nowyoucantestyourself.Getanemptyglassormixingtin,andpouryourself1oz/30mlbycountingto4.We’llcallthis“pouringblind.”Nowemptythecontentsoftheglassintothejiggertotestyourresults.Adjustyourcountasnecessary.

YoucanalsopickupanExacto-Pourtestingsetifyoureallywanttogetpreciseaboutcounting.Thetestingsetsareessentiallygraduatedtesttubeshiddenwithinasmallbox.Youpickyourpoursandthenturntheunitaroundtoseehowpreciseyouare.

Thedebatesbetweenthejiggeringcampandthefree-pouringcampcangetacrimonious,andtherearedefinitelyvirtuesandchallengestoeach.Myfeelingisthatmeasuringisthesimplest,mostreliablewaytogoinanysituationwhereyouhavemultiplepeoplemakingdrinks—asinaprofessionalbar.

SPEEDPOURINGVERSUSFREEPOURING:THETWOCAMPSOFMEASURING

WhenItookoverthebaratClydeCommonin2009,therewasnorealsysteminplaceformeasuringtheingredientsthatwentintothecocktails.Imean,therewasthislittleshotglassthebartendersweresupposedtobeeyeballingtheirpourswith,butasyoucanimagine,itwasimpreciseand,atitsbest,sloppy.TheminuteIsetfootintheplaceIknewIwasgoingtohavetochangethis“system”tomypreferredsystemofmeasurement.

SoIbracedmyselfforsomeresistancefromthestaff.AndresistanceIreceived.ThemostobstinatememberofmynewlyinheritedstaffwasayoungmannamedJustinPike.Hewas,andstillis,anincrediblebartender.And,likemostincrediblebartenders,hedidn’tseethepointinchanginganythinghedidbehindthebar,andhedefinitelydidn’twanttobetoldwhattodo.

ButIknewsomethingaboutJustinthathedidn’tyetknowabouthimself:thatanotherqualityofagreatbartenderistheirabilitytochange.Andslowly,overthecourseofthenextseveralmonths,Justinlearnedandadapted,andgrew,reluctantly,toappreciatethenewsystemwe’dbuilttogether.AndthenonedayheapproachedmeformyrecommendationsofbarstovisitwhileonvacationinSeattle.

OneofthebestbartendersI’veeverseenisMurrayStenson,upinSeattle.You’llfindalotofpeoplesayingthesameabouthim,whichmeansthere’sprobablysomethingtoit.ThethingaboutMurrayishoweveryonetakessomethingdifferentawayfromtheirtimespentathisbar.Somefolksadmiretheguyforbeingaveritabledatabaseofcocktails.Somelookuptohimforhisabilitytomakeincredibledrinks,orforhisextensiveknowledgeofScotchwhisky.IpersonallymarvelathisabilitytoremainunflusteredwithahundredpeopleshoutingathimonapackedFriday.I’mnotgoodatthat,andIwishIcouldbemorelikehiminthatregard.

SowhenJustinaskedmewhosebartositatinSeattle,IimmediatelythoughtofMurrayandsenthimtotheZigZagCafé,whereMurraywasworkingatthetime.SeatedrightinfrontofMurray’sstation,JustinimmediatelypickeduponsomethingthatI’dforgottenabout,somethingthatmighthavemademechooseanotherbarforthisparticularmemberofmystafftositathadIthoughtofit:Murraydoesn’tmeasure.Atall.Nojiggers,andhalfthetimehe’sgotnospeedpourersonthebottle;he’sjustpouringfromtheopenneck.WhenIaskedhimaboutitforthisbook,hehadthistosay:

“I’mnotascontraryonjiggeruseasyoumightbelieve.Ispentmyfirstfifteenyearsofbartendingusingajigger,butatmylasttwojobsIwasjiggerless.I’vehadgoodandbaddrinksthatwerejiggeredandfromfreepours;Ithinkitdependsonthebartender.”

Averygoodpoint,butnotthesortofthingIwastryingtoinstillinayoungstaffmember.SowhenJustinnoticedthatMurraywasfreepouring,withmykindwordsaboutMurraystillringinginhisears,theconflictofourtwoopposingcampsonmeasuringbecamealmosttoomuchtobear.Andhehadtoaskthequestion,“So,Murray,whydon’tyouusejiggerstomeasureyourdrinks?”AndMurraystoppedwhathewaslooking,lookedJustindeadintheeye,andutteredthewordsthatnearlysetallmyhardworkoverthepreviousmonthsbacktosquareone:

“Becausejiggersareforsissies!”

JustinisnowoneofthemostcelebratedbartendersinLosAngeles,andhetellsmethatheandhisstaffstillmeasureeverydrink,soIguessImusthavehadsomesortofimpactonhimafterall.

WHYMETRICMAKESMORESENSE

InIanFleming’s1953JamesBondnovelCasinoRoyale,Bondorderswhatwouldbecomehisiconicdrinkofchoice:thevesper.Hedictatestherecipetothebartenderasfollows:“ThreemeasuresofGordon’s,oneofvodka,halfameasureofKinaLillet.Shakeitverywelluntilit’sice-cold,thenaddalargethinsliceoflemonpeel.”

Myissuewiththisdrinkisthatit’senormous.Huge.Barelydrinkable,exceptbyMr.Bond,whodeclares,“Ineverhavemorethanonedrinkbeforedinner.ButIdolikethatonetobelargeandverystrongandverycoldandverywellmade.Ihatesmallportionsofanything,particularlywhentheytastebad.”

GoodthingforBond,becauseifwetakeeach“measure”tomean1oz/30ml,thenourvesperrecipeisasfollows:3oz/90mlGordon’sgin

1oz/30mlvodka1/2oz/15mlLilletblanc

Awhopping41/2-oz/135-mldrink,andthat’sbeforeweshaketodiluteit.Themoretroublingnotionformetowrapmyheadaroundiswhatsortofglassthebartenderwouldhaveputthisinbackin1953.

The1990swasthedecadeoftheOutrageouslyOversizedMartiniGlass,andwewereservingenormous,colorful,boozy,sugaryconcoctionstoourguestsinglasswarethesizeoffishbowls.Butpriortothe’90s,glasswarewasmostoftenofareasonablesize,andmartiniglassesweretypically4to6oz/120to180ml.Fortunately,we’vereturnedtomoresustainableproportionsinthepasttenyears.

Butwheredoesthatleavethevesper?Ifwesimplyhalvetherecipe,weendupwiththis:

11/2oz/45mlGordon’sgin1/2oz/15mlvodka1/4oz/7.5mlLilletblanc

A21/4-oz/67.5-mldrink.Muchmorereasonable,buthardlyadecent-sizedrink,inmyopinion.Iwouldliketolandsomewhereinbetween,saytwo-thirdsthesizeoftheoriginaldrink,butthat’sgoingtogiveussomeverystrangemeasurements:

21/4oz/67.5mlGordon’sgin3/4oz/22.5mlvodka3/8oz/11mlLilletblanc

Fine,butgoodluckfindinga3/8-oz/11-mljigger.

Abetterandsimplersolutionwouldbetousemetricmeasurements.Onthenextpageiswhattwo-thirdsoftheoriginalrecipewouldlooklikeinmetric,asa90-ml/3-ozdrink—amuchmorerespectableserving,especiallyforsomeonewhoholdsalicensetokill.

VESPER

MAKES1DRINK

60mlGordon’sgin

20mlvodka

10mlLilletblancIcecubes

1largelemonpeelforgarnish

CHILLEDCOCKTAILGLASS

Combinethegin,vodka,andLilletinacocktailshakerfilledwithicecubesandshakefor12to15seconds.Strainintothechilledcocktailglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktailanddropinthedrink.

BATCHINGDRINKS

Theultimateinmeasuringisknowinghowtoscaleuparecipefromasingleservingtoalargebatchforservingmultipleguests.Ifyou’remultiplyingby100,that’ssimpleenough;you’lljustmultiplyeachingredient’samountby100,andyou’redone.

Butmoreoften,you’llneedtoscalearecipeupforaspecificsizeofvessel.Whetheryouwanta5-gal/19-Lbucketofmargaritasforaparty,orafifth(750ml)ofManhattansasaChristmasgiftfortheboss,thereisatechniqueforfillingthatcontainer.

Forthisexample,we’lluseoneofmyfavoriteclassiccocktails,theImprovedHollandCocktail.Thisdrinkisagreatillustrationofcomplexscaling,duetothethreedifferenttypesofmeasuringunitsinvolvedinmakingit.

2OZ/60MLgenevergin1TSP/30ML2:1simplesyrup1/2TSP/15MLmaraschinoliqueur2DASHESAngosturabitters1DASHabsinthe

Thefirstthingweneedtodoisgetallofthosecrazyunits(ounces,teaspoons,dashes)intoacommonunitsize.Wecouldconverteverythingovertometric,orwecoulduseadashasacommondenominator,buttomakelifeeasieronourselves(withouthavingtomeasureout20,000dashesofgin),we’regoingtoconverteverythingtoounces.Bearinginmindthatsincetherearemoreorless6dashesin1tsp,1dashisequalto0.027oz/0.8ml:(Note:youcanapplythesameconversionprocessandconverteverythingtomilliliters;it’ssimplyamatterofgettingeverythinginthesameunit.)2OZgenevergin0.167OZ2:1simplesyrup0.083OZmaraschinoliqueur0.055OZAngosturabitters0.027OZabsintheConvertingallofthesemeasurementsintoonecommonunitwillletmeknowtheexactsize,inounces,ofthatcocktail.Addingtheabovemeasurementsupgivesme2.332ozoftotalvolume.

Iwanttomakea750-mlbottleofImprovedHollandCocktailforapartyafriendishostingtonight.A750-mlbottleequals25.360oz,soIneedtoknowhowmanytimesmy2.332-ozdrinkwillgointo25.360oz/750ml.

Since25.360ozdividedby2.332ozequals10.874,bymultiplyingeveryingredientby10.874,Iwillhopefullyarriveataround25.360oz/750ml—afullbottleofImprovedHollandCocktails:genevergin:2OZ×10.874=21.758OZ2:1simplesyrup:0.167OZ×10.874=1.815OZ

maraschinoliqueur:0.083OZ×10.874=0.902OZAngosturabitters:0.055OZ×10.874=0.598OZ

absinthe:0.027OZ×10.874=0.299OZ

I’llprobablytakesomesmalllibertiesandroundoutafewofthosemeasurementsintonormalamounts:213/4OZgenevergin13/4OZ2:1simplesyrup1OZmaraschinoliqueur1/2OZAngosturabitters1/4OZabsintheIfweaddallthosetogether,wearriveat25.25ozofcocktailforour25.36-oz/750-mlbottle.Closeenough.

LiquidMeasurements

U.S. METRIC1/4teaspoon 1.25milliliters

1/2teaspoon 2.5milliliters

1teaspoon 5milliliters1/2fluidounce(3teaspoons) 15milliliters

1fluidounce(2tablespoons) 30milliliters

2fluidounces 60milliliters1/3cup 80milliliters

1/2cup 120milliliters

1cup 240milliliters

CHAPTER10

STIRRING&SHAKING

ASSEMBLINGANDINTEGRATINGACOCKTAIL’SCOMPONENTS

Stopmeifyou’veheardthisone:Aguywalksintoabarandordersamartini.Thebartenderfillsacocktailshakerwithice,addsvermouthandgin,andthenshakesthedrinkashardashecan.Theguydrinkshisfoamy,slushycocktail,pays,andleaves.Henevercomesback.

Okay,howaboutthisone?AguywalksintoabarandordersaManhattan.Thebartenderfillsacocktailshakerwithice,addsvermouthandwhiskey,andthenswirlstheshakerwithalimpwristforacoupleofseconds.TheguydrinkshiswarmManhattan,pays,andleaves.Heneverreturns.

Ifyou’renotlaughingateitherofthosejokes,thenmaybeyoualreadyknowwhatIknow:Thesetwoscenariosareplayedouteveryday,allovertheworld,bybartenderswhodon’tknowhow—orwhen—toproperlyshakeorstiracocktail.Andit’sreallytoobad,youknow,becauseit’snotallthatcomplicated.Itjusttakes,likeeverythingelseinbartending,alittleattentiontodetailandtechnique.

Soherearethebasicrulesthatprofessionalsusewhenitcomestoshakingorstirringcocktails:Wewantanydrinkcomposedentirelyofspirits—suchasManhattansandmartinis—tobecrystalclearandArcticcold.Theyshouldbebiting,bracing,andfreeofairbubblesandicechips.Andsothosetypesofdrinksarealwaysstirred,becausestirringisagentlerprocessthanshaking.

Anydrinkthatcontainsjuice,cream,oreggwhitesisalwaysshaken,becausewewantthosedrinkstobewellcombined,fulloftinyairbubbles,cold,andmoredilutedthanspirit-drivendrinks.It’sreallyaseasyasthat:clearequalsstirred,cloudyequalsshaken.

Butthere’smoretoshakingandstirringthansimplyknowingwhentoapplyeachmethod,andthat’sknowinghowtoexecutethemperfectly.Thatiswhatthischapterisallabout.

CHILLINGANDDILUTIONBartendingiskindofaweirdfieldinsomeways.Therearen’tmanyotherjobswhereyouencounterasmuchsuperstitionasyoudoinbartending.Andwithinourfield,therearenosubjectsmoreladenwithmyththanshakingorstirring,andthat’sunfortunatebecauseifanythingcanbeexplainedthroughscience,it’sthechillinganddilutionofacocktail.Scienceevenhasawordforit:thermodynamics.

Whenice(whichistypicallyataround32°F/0°Cwhensittingatroomtemperatureinanicebin,or5°F/-15°Cstraightoutofthefreezer)iscombinedwithaliquid(let’sassumearound70°F/21°Cforourcocktail),thecocktailcoolsdown,andtheicewarmsup.Simpleenough.

Whenweagitateacocktailthroughshakingorstirring,we’regreatlyincreasingthesurfaceareaoftheliquidthatcomesincontactwiththeice.It’spartofthereasonwhyweshakeorstirinthefirstplaceandexplainswhyshakingchillsanddilutesacocktailmuchmorequicklythanstirringdoes;shakingissimplyamoreaggressiveprocessthatputsagreateramountoftheliquid’ssurfaceareaincontactwiththeice.

Ittakesafairamountofenergytomeltice.Whatiscalledtheheatoffusion—meaninghowmuchenergyisabsorbedbytheiceas1grammelts—comestojustunder80caloriespergram.Almostallofthatenergyisgoingtocomefromtheheatintheliquid,which,aswesaidbefore,isataround70°F/21°C.Asthewarmercocktailcomesincontactwiththecolderice,thesurfaceoftheicewarmsuptothemeltingpoint,32°F/0°C.Theicemelts;thecocktailbecomescooler.

Now,chillinganddilutionareinextricable,whichistosaythatnomatterhowcoldyouriceis,it’snevergoingtochillyourcocktailuntilitssurfacewarmsupto32°F/0°C,whichmightbealittlecounterintuitive,butit’strue:icekeptinaninsulatedbinwillchillacocktailfasterthanicekeptbelowfreezing(inafreezer).

Asyoucontinuetoshake,theicemeltsuntilthewholesystemreachesequilibrium,andtheiceandthecocktailarethesametemperature.Sinceourcocktailscontainalcohol,theequilibriumpointtendstobebetween23and14°F-5and-10°C,becausethefreezingpointofalcoholisconsiderablylowerthanthatofwater.Muchthewayicewithsaltaddedtoit(forthepurposeofmakingicecream)hasalowerfreezingpoint,drinkscontainingalcoholareabletobechilledtotemperatureslowerthan32°F0°C.

Oncethisequilibriumpointismet,that’sit.Nofurtherdilutiontakesplace,andthedrinkisfinished.Thishappensregardlessofwhetheryoushakehard,orshakeveryhard,inthespanof12to15seconds.Afterthat,nothingmoreisgoingtohappen.It’salsotruethatthesizeoftheiceisn’tamajorfactorinchilling,withinreason(finelycrackedorcrushedicehastoomuchsurfaceareaandtoolittlevolume).Sowhetheryou’reusing11/4-in/3.2-cmor1/2-in/12-mmcubes,thereisabsolutelynodifferenceintermsofchillinganddilution.None.

Whybotherwithbigger,colderice,then?Ifthetemperatureanddilutionareexactlythesamenomatterwhatweuseinourcocktails,whyshouldwebotherwithwhatwe’vebeentoldisbigger,better,colderice?Well,becausenoneofthistakesintoaccounttexture,whichisofcoursethedifferencebetweenagoodcocktailandagreatcocktail,particularlyinjuice-forwardcocktailsanddefinitelyindrinksthatcontaindairy.Allofthatviolentshakingproducesveryfineairbubbles,whichareoneofthehallmarksofagreatdrink.Andlargericecubesproducethesmallestairbubbles,givingyouafinertexture.

Thewholepointofthisistoletyouknowthatyoushouldneverletpeoplebullyyouintothinkingthatyouneedanexpensiveicemachineinordertomakeworld-classcocktails.Youdon’t.

TimesandMeasurementsforIdealDilution

SHAKING STIRRING

Typeoficeneeded

Cubes Cubesplusasmallamountofcrackedice(3:1ratiocubestocracked)

Fillline Completelyfull

Three-quartersfull

Idealtime 12to15seconds

30to45seconds

Idealtemperature

23to19°F/-5to-7°C

32to23°F/0to-5°C

Idealpercentofdilution

25to40% 20to25%

Youdon’teverwanttoaddiceandbeginstirringunlessyouknowyouwon’tbeinterruptedintheprocess.Addingice,pouringinyourspirits,andthengettingcalledawaytosignforthebarlinendeliveryortakeaphonecallisagreatwaytoruinadrink;theicewillmelttoomuch,oratleastmorethanyoucanaccuratelyperceive.

Toavoidthissituation,weuseatechniquecalledbuildingdry,whichsimplymeansaddingtheiceonlyafterallothercomponentsareinthemixingglassandyouarereadytomix.

STIRRING

Stirringseemsprettysimple,right?Westirliquidsallthetime:westircreamandsugarintoourcoffee,stirsomeingredientstogethertomakesoup,stirthebubblebathstuffintothetub,whatever.Butwhenstirringacocktail,we’retryingdosomethingmorethanjustmixthingstogetherinaglass.Hereareourgoalsagain:

Afinalproductinwhicheverythingisthoroughlycombined

Acrystal-cleardrink,freeofbubblesoriceshards

Aproperlydilutedcocktail—justenoughtotakethestingoffthealcohol

AnArctic,ice-coldcocktail

Achievingallthatjustbymovingaspoonaroundaglassrequiresknowingathingortwo.

THESPOON

Abarspoonisalong,slendermetalspoonspecificallydesignedforcocktails.Youknowthetype;you’veprobablyencounteredacheapstampedstainless-steelversionwithaninexplicablered-plastictipatsomepointinyouradventures.Mosthaveatwistedstem,andthegoodonesoftensportafunctionalshapeoneachend—thebowlofthespoonitselfononeendandanothersortoftoolontheother,suchasamuddlerorafork.

Whenlookingforabarspoon,thefirstthingyouwanttodoisskiptheliquorstoresandrestaurantsupplyshops;mostofthemcarryonlythosecheap,red-plastic-tippedspecimensyouseeeverywhere.SpendafewextraminutesscouringtheInternetorspecialtyshops,andafewextradollarsonsomethingthatwillgetthejobdoneinamoreelegantandprofessionalfashion.

Thefirstthingyouwanttodowhenevaluatingabarspoonistogaugetheheft,howtheweightandbalancefeelasyouholdit.Thespoonshouldfitcomfortablyinyourhand,andtheamountandshapeofthecoilsonthestemshouldprovideyouagoodpurchaseonthespoon.Isteerclearofthosesexyspoonswithoutcoils,astheytendtosliparoundinthegripofwetfingers,whichyou’reoftengoingtohavebehindthebar.

Thespoonshouldn’tbetooheavy,asitwantstodancebetweenthefingersandnotclankaroundawkwardlyintheglass.Thebalancefromtoptobottomshouldbeevenlyweighted;abowl-heavyspoonislazyanddifficulttocontrol,andatop-heavyoneishyperactiveandspasticintheglass.

Inadditiontothebowlononeend,abarspoonshouldhavesomethingusefulontheoppositeend.Ilookforaspoonwitheitheradiskorhammerend.Thediskendissimplythat—aflatdisk,likeacoin,thatcanbeusedtomuddleherbs(moreonthatinchapter11).Ahammerendischunkier,withaflatdiskfacebutalsoenoughmassandweighttodoubleasbothamuddlerforherbsandatoolforcrackingicecubeswithalittlelesseffortthanthedisk-endedmuddlers.

IalsoalwaysstockaJapanesespoonwithatridentforkontheoppositeendfromthebowl.Thisprovidesanexcellenttoolforspearingolivesandcherries,soIwon’tneedtongs(orbeforcedtograbthemawkwardlywithbarefingers).However,ninetimesoutoftenIreachformyhammer-endspoon,astheextraweightprovidesthebalanceI’mlookingforwhenstirring.

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:BARSPOON

MyfavoritespoonismadebySwissmar.Itmeasures103/4in/27.5cmlongandismadeofstainlesssteel.Thecoilisperfectlyspunformylargerhands(thosewithsmallerhandsmightfindthisspoonatadoverbearing).Thehammerendissolidandheavy,withatextureddiskfaceformuddlingandasolidbaseforcrackingice.Myonlycriticismisthattheice-crackingsurfacecouldbesharper,andthetinyserratedteethonthespoonbowlareunnecessary.

IfI’mreachingforatrident-endspoon,it’salwaystheJapanesetight-coil31.5-cmtrident-endbarspoon(about121/2in)fromCocktailKingdom.It’slong,balanced,andelegant,andthetightcoilfeelsgreatinthehand.

STORINGBARSPOONSDURINGSERVICE

Barspoonsgetagoodworkoutduringservice.ButmaneuveringfromstirringaManhattantoscoopingoutacherrypackedinsyruptostirringamartiniisgoingtorequireconstantrinsingunderthesinkifyoudon’twanttheremnantsofeverythingthatspoonhastouchedshowingupinyournextdrink.Tomakerinsingalittlesimpler,wekeepourspoonsina16-oz/480-mlmixingglassfilledwithwarmwater.Beforeservice,weaddtwodropsofbleach—convenientlykeptinaneyedropperandclearlylabeled—toensureasanitarysolution.

MIXINGGLASSES

Forsomereason,stirredcocktailsarealmostalwayspreparedinaglassvesselratherthanametalcontainer.Thereasoncertainlywouldn’tbethermodynamic,asmetalisbetterforchilling.Myguessisthatwhenproperlystirred,acocktaillooksappealingtotheguest,dancingaroundintheglasswithanoccasionalflashofsilverorgold.

Myday-to-daymixingglassatmybarisa16-oz/480-mlglass,availableprettymuchanywhere.Butifyouwanttogobeyondthismostbasicstandard,you’llfindanarrayofvesselstochoosefrom.Theycanbeaslargeas34oz/1L,ormore,andcomeinavarietyofshapes.You’llfindsloped-sided,straight-sided,andevenstemmedandtulip-shapedmixingglasses.Justbesureyourglassisalittlebottomheavysothatyoudon’thavetoworryabouttippinginaction.

Yourchoiceofsizewilldependonwhatyourcocktailhabitsare—averylargeglassmaymakesenseonlyifyouplantomixmultiplecocktailsatonetime.Andyoudefinitelyneedtoconsiderhowyourglasswillfityourbarspoon—noreachingyourhanddownintothemixingglassbecauseyourspoonistooshort—aswellasyourstrainer.Anybeautythatyoumaycreatebymixingacocktailinastunningcut-crystalglasswillsoonvanishifyousloshthedrinkoverthebarasyoustrain.(Seemoreonstrainersonpage208.)

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:MIXINGGLASS

WhenI’mentertainingathome,Itendtochooseoneoftwooptions,dependingonthesizeofthegroup.Thefirstoptionisaspecialmixingglassfrommycollection.TheseamlessYaraimixingglassistheonemostoftenfoundincraftcocktailbarsthesedays,butotherssuchastheJapanesepaddlemixingglassandstemmedmixingglassarebeautifulandelegantaswell.Youcanfindalloftheseonlineatmyfavoriteonlineretailer,CocktailKingdom.

Afunoptionforlargergroupscanbefoundinthriftandvintagestoreseverywhere,aswellasatonlineauctionsites:alargeglasspitcher,oftendecoratedwithgoofy1950sartworkdepictingallmannerofmartinis,Manhattans,andothercocktailsandusuallyadornedwithterriblerecipesthatshouldneverbereplicated.They’refun,they’recheap,andthey’replentiful.

PROPERSTIRRINGTECHNIQUE

WhenIfirststartedbartending,therewasonemethodofstirring:Youbuiltthedrinkinthemixingglass,addedtheice,andthenviolentlyplungedthespoonupanddownintothemixwithonehand,whiletheotherhandcuppedtheopeningofthemixingvesseltokeepitspreciousingredientsfromspillingout.Anysuchescapeesweresplashedunhygienicallyagainstthepalmofyourhandandbackintothemix.Sinceit’sstillprettyubiquitousinthiscountry,we’regoingtorefertoitastheAmericanstir.

WhenIfirstexperiencedEuropeanbartending,Iwitnessedaslightlymoreelegantbutalmostequallyconfusingtechnique.Bartendersthere,particularlyintheUnitedKingdom,graspedthespoonbythebowlendusingthethumbandforefinger,andstirredthecontentsbytracingtherounddiskendaroundtheinsideoftheroundmixingglass.Lessviolent,tobesure,buthardlyasolutionwithfinesse,asthespoon’sinvertedstateandthebartender’sgriponthebowlbroughttothetablethequestionofhygieneonceagain.We’regoingtocallthistheU.K.stir.

Butinthemid-2000s,videosandstoriesbegantoemergeonlineaboutJapanesebartenders,whograspedthespoonbythemiddleandeffortlessly,almostmagically,twirledthespoonaroundtheglassinsilence.Theirfingers,heldperpendiculartothespoonasitspun,seemednoteventomoveasthecontentswerethoughtfully

andpreciselytwistedintoavortexintheglass.TheJapanesestiristhetechniquethatmosttrainedbartendersaroundtheworldhavenowadopted.Ittakessomepractice,buttheresultsseparatetheprofessionalsfromtheamateurs.

HowtoPerformtheJapaneseStir

Buildyourdrinkinthemixingglassandaddenoughicetofilltheglassonlythree-quartersfull.Lightlygraspthespooninthemiddle,usingyourthumbandforefinger.Theconcavebowlofthespoonshouldbefacingtheinterioroftheglass,andtheconvexbackofthespoonshouldbenestledinbetweentheiceandthewalloftheglassinterior.

Usingyourpinchonthespoonasapivotonly,begintopushandpullthespoonawayfromandtowardyourbody,usingyourringandmiddlefingers.Doingthisshouldnaturallyguidethespoonaroundtheinterioroftheglassinacircularmotion,asyoupushandpullthespoonawayandtowardyou.

Withsomepracticethismotionwillbecomeeffortless,andyoucanbegintoliftthespoonandsinkitintothecontentsoftheglass,achievingperfectmixing.

STRAININGASTIRREDDRINK

Sowe’vegotourspoontostirourcocktailwith,aglassvesseltostiritin,andnowweneedatooltoallowustogetthatdrinkofftheiceandintotheservingglass.Thatpieceofequipmentiscalledastrainer,ofwhichtherearetwostyles:julepandHawthorne.

Originatinginthedaysbeforeplasticstraws,thejulepstrainerwasoriginallydesignedasalarge,slotted,spoonlikeimplement,whichthedrinkerplacedoverthetopofaniceddrink(suchasamintjulep)toholdtheicebackawayfromtheteeth.Asspirit-driven“cocktails”grewinpopularity,bartendersbegantousethespoonlikestrainerasatooltostrainstirreddrinks.Thejulepstrainerisoneofthemanycocktailtoolsinwhichformandfunctioncombinetocreateatrulybeautifulobject.Usethejulepstrainertostrainstirreddrinks.

HOWTOSTRAINWITHAJULEPSTRAINER

Tostrainastirreddrinkwithajulepstrainer,placethestraineroveryourmixingglass,concave-sidefacingdown,convex-sidefacingup.Holdthestrainerinplacewiththeforefingerofyourdominanthand.Liftthemixingglasswiththatsamehandandpour.

BARTENDER’SCHOICE:JULEPSTRAINER

Thevariationsinjulepstrainersaremostlyamatterofthematerialandthecraftsmanship—thebasicshapeofalljulepstrainersisthesame.MyfavoriteisCocktailKingdom’sproprietarysilver-platedmodel.

MARTINI

Themartiniisthegreat-grandfatherofallstirredcocktails.Atmybarweprefera5:1gin-to-vermouthratio,whichI’vefoundtobemostpleasingtothegreatestnumberofmartinidrinkers.

MAKES1DRINK

21/2oz/75mlLondondrygin1/2oz/15mldryvermouthIcecubes

1lemontwistoroliveforgarnish

COUPEORCOCKTAILGLASS

Combinetheginandvermouthinamixingglassandstirwithicecubes.Strainintothecoupeglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktailanddropinthedrink,orgarnishwiththeolive,toserve.

SHAKING

Unlikestirreddrinks,whereyourgoalisclarityandanabsenceofanyfizzorfoam,shakendrinkswanttobelight,almostfluffy,withabracingchillandlotsoftinyairbubblestodanceonthetongue.Whenshaking,herearethegoals:

Afinalproductinwhicheverythingisthoroughlycombined

Anaeratedcocktail,fulloftinybubbles

Aproperlydilutedcocktail,enoughtotakethestingoffthealcoholandtheweightoffoftheotheringredients

Aperfectlyuniformdrink,freeoficeshards

AnArctic-coldcocktail

Whilethebestbartendersintheworldmakeitlookeasy,achievingallofthisrequiresabitofmultitaskingandsomepropertools.

THESHAKER

Youhavetwomainoptionsincocktailshakers:theBostonshakerandthecobblershaker.Iprobablyshake95percentofmydrinksinaBostonshaker,asit’sbestforhigh-volumebarprograms.Butit’sgoodtoknowhowtohandlebothtypes.Shakingacocktailisahighlyvisiblegesture;andfortheguest,watchingtheprocessisanimportantpartofthesweetritualofdrinkingawell-madecocktail.Soyoudonotwantaleakyshakeroroneyoucan’tswiftlyandsmoothlyhandle.

TheCobblerShaker

Thecobblershakeristheonemostpeoplethinkofwhentheythinkofacocktailshaker.It’sgotthreeparts:acup,alid,andacap.Mostaregarbage.Themetalthey’remadefromistoothin,andtheyfreezeshutonceloadedwithice.Believeme,I’vetriedtheseshakers,whichyouoftenfindatfancyculinaryshops,andI’vethrownthemawaymoreoftenthanI’vebeenabletogetthemopen.

Therearehigh-qualitycobblershakers,however,thebestbeingthick-walledshakersfromJapan.WMF,Rösle,andOXOalsomakedecentmodels.Allhavebuilt-instrainersunderthecap,eliminatingtheneedforaseparatestrainer,butthesmallopeningofthestrainer–pourspoutmeansittakeslongertopouryourdrink,whichcanslowyoudownonabusynight.

Ilikethe500-mlheavy-gaugestainless-steelmodelfromJapan,soldbyCocktailKingdom.It’sperfectlyengineeredtoopenandclosewithouttrouble,andtheheavy-gaugestainlessmeansit’snotgoingtofreezeshut.

TheBostonShaker

Theprofessional’schoiceofcocktailshakersistheBostonshaker,whichconsistsoftwocontainers,oneofwhichfitsintotheother.Therearetwocommonconfigurations:Thefirstconsistsofamixingglassthatfitsintoalargesteeltin;thesecondistwostainless-steeltins—onelarge,onesmall.

Sincethisisreallythesimpleststyleofshaker,thereisn’tmuchofadifferenceinqualityacrossthemanybrandsavailable.Simplylookformedium-gaugestainlesssteel,andensurethatthetwopartsfittogethersmoothlyandsnugly.Thedeepertheoverlapwhenthetwopartsareseated,thebetter,somakethisyourforemostconsideration.It’sgoingtomakelifealoteasierwhenitcomestimetogetthedamnthingopen(seepage218).

TheParisianShaker

Thethirdoptioninshakers,whichislesscommon,istheParisianshaker.It’stypicallymadeofstainlesssteel,althoughifyou’reverylucky,youmayfindsomevintagesilver-platedmodelsoutthere.Theearliestdesignsseemtodatefromthe1870s;theGermanmanufacturerWMFstartedmakingtheirsin1910andcontinuetodosotoday.YoucouldsaytheParisianisahybrid—inshapeitresemblesacobbler,butthecombinedvolumeofthetwopiecesismorelikethatofaBostonshaker,andthereisnobuilt-instrainer.

You’llfindsomeprettyimpostorsoutthere,butIstickwiththeclassicmadebyWMF.Thisisaheavy-gaugestainless-steelshaker,builttowithstandyearsofabuse.Infact,Ifindthattheytakeonanicepatinaafterseveralyearsofshakingandscratchingthesurface.

LEARNINGTOSHAKE

Whathappensinsidetheshakeryouchooseisgoingtomakeorbreakyourdrink.Inordertoachievethecorrecttextureandtemperatureforyourcocktail,youneedtoshakethedrinkcorrectly—whichmeanstherightgrip,andtherightmotion.Seriousshakingisn’tmerelyamatterofstyle,butonceagainoneofphysics.

WhenItrainbartenderstoshakeacocktail,Ihavethemstartoutbyshakingatinfullofrice,muchthesamewaythatachefintraininglearnstoflipfoodinthesautépanbyflippingapanfullofriceforafewtedioushours.

Riceisaperfecttrainingmaterialbecauseit’scheapandnotasmessyasaliquid,andmoreimportant,youcaneasilyfeelandhearthemotionofthecontents.Andifyou’reusingaglassmixingcup,youcanseethecontentsaswell.It’simportanttonoteherethatthebestbartendersintheworldusealloftheiravailablesenseswhenworkingbehindthebar,shakingbeingoneofthebestexamplesofthatfact.

HowtoShakeaCocktail

First,buildyourdrinkdry,combiningallofyouringredientsintheshakerexceptfortheice.Thenaddenoughicetocompletelyfilltheshaker,positiontheshakingtinontop,andgiveitarapwiththeheelofyourpalmtoseal.

Mostshakersaresymmetrical,butthetopofaBostonshakershouldbecockedtooneside.Ikeepthestraightsideclosesttomybody.Gripthebaseofthebottomcupwiththemiddleandindexfingersofonehand,cradlingtherestofthecupwithyourthumbandremainingfingers.

Graspthetopcup,whichisalsocalledtheshakingcup,withyourotherhand,holdingyourthumbonthetopoftheshakingcup,tokeepitsecured.Thetopoftheshakershouldbefacingyou,andthebottomshouldbefacingawayfromyou.

Themostcommonmistakeyou’llseeinexperiencedbartendersmakeisshakingitupanddown,vertically.Dothatwithrice,andyou’llnoticethatthecontentsdon’treallytravelveryfarinsidetheshaker,anddefinitelynotwiththeforceyouwant.

Holdtheshakersothatit’sparalleltothefloor,and—whilegraspingsecurely—launchitforwardsothatyoucanfeelandhearthecontentsleavingtheendclosesttoyourbodyandhurlingagainstthefrontofthetin.Rightatthatmoment,asthecontentsoftheshakerareabouttohitinthefarendoftheshaker,youneedtosnapyourwristsbacktowardyourbodytosendthemsmashingintothefarendoftheshaker,andbacktowardyou.

Whenyoudothiscorrectly,you’llhearacleanpop.Launchingtheshakerforwardandpullingitrightbackwithacleansnappingmotionistheproperwaytoshakeacocktail.It’sallinthewrists,andshouldbesmoothandeffortless.Ifyou’reworkingupasweatorfeellikeyou’reabouttotearyourrotatorcuff,you’redoingitwrong.

HowLongtoShake

Shakingcreatestheactionthatwillmixthecontentsandagitatetheicesothatitmeltscorrectly,buthowlongislongenough?

Quitesimply,larger,coldericeshouldbeshakenforalongertimethansmaller,wetterice.Dependingonthesizeandtemperatureofyourice,usearangeof10to18secondsforyourshake.

SHAKINGDON’TSANDDO’S

DON’T DO

shakeacocktailinthedirectionofyourguest.Itwillhappentoeverybartenderatleastonce—youloseyourgripandsendtheshakerflying.

turn45degreestoonesideandshake.Anymajorcatastropheswillbeavoided;dropsfromyourwethandsorthecontentsoftheshakerwillnotbesplatteredalloveryourguest.

attempttogetawaywithfillingtheshakeronlypartwaywithice.

filltheshakercompletelywithice,maximizingchillandminimizingsloshing.

OpeningtheShaker

RegardlessofwhichBostonshakersetupyouchoose,gettingtheshakerpartsconnectedandunconnectedisabigpartofthejobandnotalwaysaneasyfeat.Whenyouloadyourshakerwithcoldliquidsandice,themetalchillsandcontracts,andtheairchillsandcontracts,essentiallycreatingavacuumseal.That’sagoodthing,becausethevigorousshakingthat’sabouttotakeplaceisgoingtotestthelimitsofanyseal.

Butit’sabadthingwhenitcomestimetopouryourdrink,unlessyouknowhowtomakethetwopartsoftheshakerrelease.IspentmanyyearsasayoungbartenderholdingmybreathasIyankedattheBostonshaker,bangeditagainsttheedgeofthebar,orevenrinseditunderhotwatertotrytogetthecupstounstick.Finally,Ilearnedafoolprooftrick,andI’veneverhadaproblemsince.ButIstillseebartendersmakingmyearlymistakesandsoIofferapieceofprofessionaladvicebelow.

HowtoSealandOpenaBostonShaker

Ifyou’regoingtogotheprofessionalrouteandworkwithaBostonshaker,you’regoingtohavetoknowhowtoopenitproperly,usingonlyyourhands.Bangingtheshakeragainsttheedgeofthebarisnotonlyunsightlyanddisruptive,butalsoextremelydangerousifyou’vechosentouseamixingglassinconjunctionwiththeshakertin.

First,payattentiontohowyoujointhetwotins(ortinandglass).Whenyouseatthetwopieces,thetoponewillnaturallywanttococktotheside,whichleavesonestraightcup.

Nowinverttheshakerandlookstraightdownthroughthelongaxis.Youwillseethetwocirclesformedbytherimofeachcup.Atonespot,theywillbetouchingeachother—that’syoursixo’clock.Directlyoppositewillbeyourtwelveo’clock,andthat’swherethegapbetweenthecirclesislargest.

Youcouldhittheshakernearsixortwelveo’clockahundredtimes,anditwon’topenevenonce.Oneithersideisthreeo’clockandnineo’clock.Toreleasethecups,smacktheheelofyourhandsmartlyagainstthelowercupateitherthethreeornineo’clockposition,dependingonyourdominanthand.Theshakerwillpoprightopen.

TheBostonShaker

StrainingTwiceforTexture

ThestraineryouusewithashakencocktailistheHawthornestrainer,whichisatoolthatyou’llfindonlybehindabar;there’snorealcounterpartinthebatteryofkitchenequipment.AHawthorneconsistsofasmallslottedplatewithacoupleoftabs,whichhelpittospantheopeningofyourmixingtin(orglass)whenplacedontop.TheHawthornealsohasaspringaroundtheunderside,whichiswhatstrainsouticeandotherlargesolids.

Overthecourseofanevening,bitsoffruitpulp,mint,eggwhites,etc.,willremaintrappedinthecoilsofthestrainer,whichwouldbeunsightlyinacrystal-clear,single-straineddrink.Sowe’llbedouble-strainingallofthedrinksmadewithHawthornestrainers—throughtheHawthorneandthenthroughafine-meshstrainer.

MyfavoriteHawthornestrainerismadebyOXO,andlikemanyofOXO’sproducts,itisagoodvalueforthemoney.Itcostsverylittleandisnicelymade,feelsgoodinthehand,andiseasytomanipulatebecauseitshandleisnoticeablyshorterthanthehandlesofmostotherHawthornestrainers.

Whenyoustrainastirred,spirit-drivencocktail,you’reessentiallystrainingapureliquidwithyourjulepstrainer,andallitneedstodoisholdbackicecubes,sothereisnoneedtodouble-strain.Butashakencocktailislikelytohavemoresmallsolids—perhapsfromfruitjuices—anditalsomaycontaintinyshardsofice,aresultofthevigorousshaking.

Youdon’twantanyofthatinyourfinaldrink,asashakencocktailshouldhaveapristine,uniformtextureandnofurtherdilutionfromtinyshardsofice.SoIdouble-strainallmyshakencocktails.Double-strainingissimple—justoutfityournondominanthandwithasmallfine-meshstrainerandpourfromyourHawthornethroughthemeshstrainerintotheglass.YoumaybesurprisedtoseehowmuchgetspasttheHawthorne.

Fine-MeshStrainer

Myfavoritetoolfordouble-strainingistheNorproKrona4-in/10-cmstainless-steeldeluxedouble-meshstrainer.It’swellmadewithveryfine-gaugemesh,andthehandlehassomehefttoit,whichgivesitsomebalance.It’salsoattractivetolookat,withitscontouredhandleandchromeplating,asitrestsonyourbar.

SIDECAR

ThefirstdrinkIreallygottoknowwasthesidecar.Atart,bracingblendofcognac,Cointreau,andfreshlemonjuice,aperfectlymadesidecaristheultimateexpressionofashakencocktail.Mostrecipesyou’llseeouttherecallforasugaredrim;Iskipitandchoosetobalancethedrinkintheglassinstead.

MAKES1DRINK

11/2oz/45mlcognac3/4oz/22.5mlCointreau3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlemonjuice(seepage22)

1tsp/5ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)Icecubes

1orangepeelforgarnish

COCKTAILGLASS

Combinethecognac,Cointreau,lemonjuice,andsimplesyrupinamixingglassandshakewithicecubes.Double-strainintothecocktailglass.Twistthepeeloverthesurfaceofthecocktailanddropinthedrink.

CHAPTERNO11

OTHERMIXINGMETHODS

TECHNIQUESTOMATCHMANYSTYLESOFCOCKTAIL

There’sanothertechniqueformixingdrinksthatyou’llseeperformedfromtimetotime.Granted,youwon’tseethisoneatanyofmybars;norwillyouseeitatanyofthemanyplacesaroundtheworldthatserveawell-madecocktailthesedays.Butyouwillseeitinachainrestaurantbar.You’llalsoseeitattheairport,butonlywhentrafficintheconcourseisslow.You’lldefinitelyseeitinsportsbars,andjustaboutanyplaceonthebeach.GaryRegandubbedit“theSeattlemuddle”inhisbookTheJoyofMixology,butit’slongleftthatcity’slimitsandspreadtothefarcornersoftheglobe.Andhere’showitgoes:

Thebartenderfillsamixingglasswithvariouschunksofspoiledfruitfromthegarnishtray,maybeapacketofsugarorsomemint,seeminglywhatever’slyingaround.Finally,iceisaddedandthewholeshebangiscoveredupwiththepalmofonehand,andawoodenmuddleristakenupintheother.Andthenthemagicbegins.Themuddleristhrustintothegapbetweenthethumbandforefinger,andwithaviolentthrashing,theingredientsarepulverizedwiththeiceinthemixingglass.Harderandharderthebartendermashesandchurns,asthewetingredientsaresplashedalloverthepalmofhisorherhandandbackintothedrink.Bitterpeelsareobliterated,herbsareturnedintopaste,andiceiscrushedintowet,hand-flavoredcrystals.

Thealcoholandanyotherincidentalmixersarethenadded,thewholemessislikelytobeshakenlimplyforasecondortwo,andthedrink—orwhateveryouwanttocallit—isservedtothepoor,unsuspectingguest.

Thereare,ofcourse,manybettermethodsoutthereformixingcocktails.Andwhile90percentofthetimeyou’llbeusingthetwodescribedinthepreviouschapter,stirringandshaking,thereareafewothermethodsthatshouldbeunderstoodbythewell-roundedbartender.Justknowthatthescenariojustdescribedisdefinitelynotoneofthem.

BUILDINGINTHEGLASS

Thesimplest,mostelementarymixingmethodiscommon,important,andexactlyaseasyitsounds.You“build”thedrinkrightintheservingglass,asopposedtocreatingitinamixingglass,shaker,blender,orothervessel.You’lltypicallyusethisforhighballsorcocktailswithjustaspiritandamixer;butitalsoappliestodrinkssuchasCaipirinhas,Mojitos,andsomeswizzleddrinks(seepage226).

Tobuildintheglass,addyourliquortoachilledservingglass,andthenaddice.Finishbytoppingoffwithyourmixer:water,tonic,soda,fruitjuice,orwhatever.Addingthemixerlastallowsyoutoachievethecorrectvolumeandstrengthofdrinkforyourglasssize.

ROLLING

Theideabehindrollingistomixtheingredientstogetherwithoutintroducinganyairorfroth.Tomatojuiceisparticularlysusceptibletofrothing,sowealwaysrollaBloodyMaryratherthanshakeit,inordertocombineallthosepowerfulingredients.

HowtoRollaCocktail

Afterbuildingyourdrinkinamixingglass,captheglasswithamixingtinand,holdingtheshakerhorizontallyinthepalmofyourhand,rotateyourwristsothattheshakermovesinalazycircle.Youcanfeelthecontentsrollingoveronthemselveswithoutbecomingoverlyaerated.

SWIZZLING

Askthemanonthestreetwhataswizzlestickis,andhe’lldescribealong,colorfulplasticstickwithsomethingridiculousonthehandleend—aflamingo,amonkey,ormaybeamildlyoffensiveislandnativeinagrassskirt.Youstickitinacocktailandstir,andthenlayitonthecounter,tobethrownaway.Butthat’snotswizzling.

Trueswizzlingisamethodusedtomixaveryspecifictypeofdrink—acrushed-icedrink,usuallyCaribbean,sometimestiki—anditrequiresaspecifictool.TheauthenticswizzlestickwasborninMartinique,andismadefromtheQuararibeaturbinata,commonlyknownastheswizzlesticktree,anaromatictreethatgrowsonmostoftheCaribbeanislands.Thetreeformsslimbranches,whichendinmultiplefingers.Whentrimmed,thefingerslooklikespokesattheendofthelongstick.InMartinique,thisiscalledalele.

HowtoSwizzle

Generally,swizzleddrinksarebuiltintheglassfirst.IliketostartwithacollinsglassthatI’vechilledinthefreezer.Combinealloftheingredientsintheglass,andthenfilltheglasswithcrushedice.Inserttheswizzlestickintotheglass,andholdthestickbetweenbothpalms.Rubbingyourpalmsbackandforthrapidlytospinthestick,slowlybegintomovethestickupanddownwithintheglass.You’remixingandaeratingthedrink,butyou’realsochurningthecrushedicesothatitsuper-chillstheinsideoftheglass,whichcreatesabeautifulfrostontheexterior.

QUEEN’SPARKSWIZZLE

Longbeforeanyonecameupwiththoseoverlyalcoholic,sugaryconcoctionsforchuggingdownindanceclubsandcollegebars,liketheLongIslandicedtea,therewasanothertall,boozydrink,whichwasservedandsippedatthebarintheQueen’sParkHotel,inTrinidad.Composedmostlyofrum,withafewotheringredientsandalotofcrushedicetotempertheheatofthealcohol,theQueen’sParkswizzleisaclassicbooze-ladensipper.

MAKES1DRINK

3oz/90mlDemerararum3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlimejuice,plusthespentlimehalf1/2oz/15ml2:1Demerarasyrup(seepage78)Crushedice

3dashesAngosturabitters

1bunchfreshspearmint

CHILLEDCOLLINSGLASS

Combinetherum,limejuice,Demerarasyrup,andthespentlimehalfinthechilledcollinsglass.Filltheglasswithcrushediceandswizzleuntiltheglassbecomeswellfrosted.Finishwiththebitters,andgarnishwithalargebouquetofspearmint(seepage260).Servewithastraw.

BLENDINGThecocktailianworldhasalove-haterelationshipwithblendeddrinksthesedays.Therearefewpeopleouttherewhodon’ttrulyenjoyagoodslushydrinkonahotday,andthosewhosaytheydon’tareprobablylyingtoyouanyway.Fancycocktailbartenderssneerandscoffattheideaofhavingtoserveblendeddrinks,althoughmostofthemhaveneveractuallyhadtodoso.

I,ontheotherhand,haveworkedinmyfairshareofMexicanrestaurantsand,asaresult,Ibecameveryfriendlywiththeblenderstation.Andyouknowwhat?Sure,it’skindofannoyingsometimes.Ablenderisloud,it’sfairlycumbersome,andittakesacertainamountoffinessetobeabletomakeablendeddrinkproperly.Plus,youcanmakeonlyonetypeofdrinkatatime,soifyou’vegotthreeblendedmargaritas,twopiñacoladas,andablendeddaiquirionthesameticket,you’rekindascrewed.

Butitwouldbefoolishtowriteabookonbartechniqueandnotincludethisvenerablesystemofmakingdeliciousdrinks,soIpresenttoyoutheproperwaytoblendadrink.Withthewaydrinkingtrendswaxandwane,wemightallbedrinkingblendeddrinksagainverysoon.

HowtoMakeaBlendedDrink

Therearetwofactorstoasuccessfulblendeddrink:First,thedrinkshouldhaveacompletelyuniform,silky-smoothtexture.Thisistheonetimeyou’regoingtobeallowedtodrinkoutofawide(alsoknownasaturbo)straw,sothedrinkneedstobefreeoficechunksandabletoflowsmoothly.Thenextimportantdynamicinablendeddrinkisitsthickness:Thedrinkshouldneverbesothinthatitsloshesaroundintheglass;norshoulditbesothickthattheicecanbeseparatedfromtherestofthecocktailwhensuckeddownthroughastraw,leavingbehindapileofsnowyiceintheglass.

Yourmainweaponinthisbalancingactisthetypeoficeyouuse,andforblendeddrinksIuseonlycrushedorfinelycrackedice.Yes,thepointoftheblenderistopulverizeingredientswithitssharpmetalblades,butifyoustartwithwholecubes

andkeepyourfingerscrossedinthehopesthatyou’veusedexactlytherightamountoficeandthatitwillreachtheproperfineconsistency,you’reprobablyinforsomedisappointment.Assumingyourblendercanhandlewholecubesinthefirstplace.

Inabarsituation,youmighthavecrushediceonhand,butathome,youcanusethefoodprocessortocrushyourice(seepage176).Unfortunately,youcan’tmaketheactualblendeddrinkinthefoodprocessorbecauseoftheholeinthecenterofthebowl;liquidwillleakoutandyou’llhaveamessalloveryourcounter.Seriously,don’tbothertryingtomakeblendeddrinksinafoodprocessor.

Addyourdrinkingredientstotheblender,startitonthelowestpossiblespeed,andthenslowlyaddyourcrushedorfinelycrackediceandblend.(Putthelidon,yes.)I’dlovetogiveyouanexactquantityoficetouseinablendeddrink,butsomuchdependsontheotheringredients.Idoitslowly,byfeel,andbywatchingtheshapeofthecontentsintheblender.Theperfectamountoficewillproduceacentralvortex,withdistinctcurvesofdrinkflowingintoit,almostlikepillowsofdrinkfoldingintoeachother.Whenthere’snotenoughice,thecontentsjustslosharound;andwhenyou’vegottoomuchice,themixwilllookthickandflatintheblender,withnocurvesformingatall.

THEBLENDEROFDESIRE

Intheworldofcars,therearereallynicecars,andthenthereareItaliansportscars.Inthebarworld,therearegoodblenders,andthenthere’stheVitamix.Ifgiventhechoicebetweenthesetwo,Imightpickthecar,butI’mstillprettycrazyaboutmyVitamix.Iuseitforeverythingfromblendingdrinkstomakingsyrupsfromfibrousingredients(seepage97),andaftertenyears,itstillperformslikeachamp.ImayhavemistakenlycomparedittoafinelytunedItaliansportscar;it’sreallybuiltmorelikeatank.AndwhatIloveasmuchastheperformanceisthestory.

VitamixismadebyanAmericanfamilybusinessthat’sbeenatthesamethingforfourgenerationsnow;theirheadquartersareoutsideCleveland,Ohio.ThecurrentCEOisthegreat-granddaughteroffounderW.G.“Papa”Barnard.

Barnardstartedbysellingappliancesdoor-to-door,butmorenotably,hewasthefirsttocreateaninfomercialforTV,inthelate1940s.Givenhowubiquitousinfomercialsarenow,I’mnotsurewhyIthinkthisiscool,butIdo.ThebestpartisthatBarnardhadn’treallyanticipatedtheresponsetothecommercialandwasn’tquitereadytohandlethehundredsofcallsthatcamefloodinginafterhis(highlyeffective)pitch.Barnardspentthenextmanyhourscrouchedonhishotel-roombed,phoneinonehand,pencilintheother,takingdownorderafterorderonanotepad.Thatflowofordersdoesn’tseemtohavesloweddown.

Idon’tmessaroundwiththebar-specificlinethatVitamixmakes,astheyseemtobegearedmoretowardsmoothieshopsthantowardtheprofessionalbartender.InsteadIusewhatthekitchenuses,theProfessionalSeries200variable-speedblender.I’veneverbeenhappier.

PIÑACOLADA

Thepiñacoladaislikelythemostfamous,andinsomequartersmaybeeventhemostreviled,blendeddrink.Thedrink—rum,freshpineapplejuice,andcoconutcream—waspopularizedin1954atajet-setters’destination,theBeachcomberBaroftheCaribeHiltoninSanJuan,PuertoRico.

Whoactually“invented”thedrinkisindispute.Mostsources,includingHiltonpressreleases,creditbartenderRamón“Monchito”MarreroPérez,butanotherHiltonbartender,RicardoGracia,hasclaimedovertheyearsthatheinventedit.Inventionisatrickyterminthefoodanddrinkworld,becauseit’salmostneverpossibletopindownatimeandplacewherethreeingredientsweremixedtogetherforthefirsttime.TheNewYorkTimesmentionedonApril16,1950,that“DrinksintheWestIndiesrangefromMartinique’sfamousrumpunchtoCuba’spiñacolada(rum,pineapple,andcoconutmilk),”soclearlythedrinkpredatesMarrero’screation.

Twotechnologicaldevelopmentssecuredthestatusofthedrinkasaworldwidefavorite—theinventionofamethodforextractingcoconutcreamfromcoconutmeat,andtheinventionoftheblender.Earlyversionsofthedrinkweremadewithcoconutcreamobtainedthewaygenerationsoftropicalcookshaddoneit:Crackthecoconut,pryoutthemeat,shaveoffthebrownskin,choporgratethemeat,soakitinwater,squeezeouttheliquid,andthenwaitforthefat—thecream—torisetothetopsothecookcouldskimit.Alabor-intensiveprocesstobesure.TheUniversityofPuertoRico’sagriculturaldepartmentawardedagranttoaprofessorwhosucceededincreatingamechanizedprocessin1949,andultimatelytheCocoLópezcompanywasborn;itssuccessbecameintertwinedwiththepiñacolada.

Adecadeorsobeforetheprofessormadehisdiscovery,FredWaringperfectedhisWaringmixer.Waring,whowasalsoafamousbig-bandleader,hadpurchasedthedesignfromtheinventorsandimproveduponit.Theblenderbecamepopularthroughoutthebarandrestaurantworldaswellasamongconsumers.Thepiñacoladareceivedonemoreboosttoitspopularity,amusicalearwormthatcameoutin1979,butwe’dratherjustleavethatonealone.

WhenImakethisdrinkathome,Iliketobreakoutaspecialtooljustfortheoccasion:myvintage1950s-eraWaringblender.Itsbeehiveshapeandribbedglassblendercupjustlooksodamngoodwithafrostypiñacoladawhizzingaroundinside.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mlagedrum

1oz/30mlfreshpineapplejuice11/2oz/45mlcreamofcoconut8oz/240mlcrushedice

1pineapplespearforgarnish

WINEGLASS

Combinetherum,pineapplejuice,creamofcoconut,andcrushediceinablenderandblenduntilsmooth.Serveinthewineglassandgarnishwiththepineapplespear.

MUDDLINGWiththeresurgenceofdrinkssuchastheMojitoandtheCaipirinhaoverthepastfifteenyears,we’veseenmuddlingrisefromnearobscuritytobecomepartofthepublicconsciousness.Muddleddrinksaresomehowseenas“fresher”bydrinkers,andI’mregularlyaskedto“muddle”mymargaritasandgimlets.Thesecustomersdon’tknowwhytheyprefertheirfruitpressedwithawoodenstickoverhavingitfreshlysqueezedbyajuicer;theyjustknowthey’veseenitdonebeforeandthat’sthewaythey’dlikeit.

Muddlingisnothingmorethanaquick-and-dirtymethodformakingsomeoftheingredientswe’vediscussedinpreviouschapters:fruitjuice,fruitpuree,andcompoundsyrups.That,inanutshell,prettymuchsumsupwhatmuddlingaccomplishesbehindthebar,andlittlemore.You’retryingtoextracttheflavorfromwhateveryou’remuddling—fruit,herb,orvegetable—butwithoutthebotherofgettingoutthekitchentoolsanddoingitàlaminute,whichisprofessionalkitchenlanguagefor“toorder.”

Thebenefitofmuddlingversusmakingtheseingredientsisthatit’sfasterifyou’remakingonlyoneortwodrinks:there’snoneedfor4cups/960mloftarragonsyrupifyou’remakingonlyacoupleoftarragondrinks.Thedisadvantageofmuddlingisthatit’slessaccurate;it’sdifficulttocontroltheamount,intensity,andconsistencyfromdaytoday,orfromdrinktodrink.Fourraspberriesmightgiveup1oz/30mloftheirpreciousjuiceonetimeand3/4oz/22.5mlthenext.

Insomecasesyou’llleavethesolidsinthedrinkaftermuddling,tobecomeanintegralpartofthecocktail.InaCaipirinha,forexample,themuddledlimesstayintheglass,tosomeextentforaesthetics,butalsosotheycancontinuecontributingtheirflavor.Inotherdrinks,you’lldouble-straintoremoveallthesolids,suchasthetinyseedsfromaraspberry.Dependingonwhatyou’remudding,you’lluseoneoftwomuddlingmethods,andaspecialtoolforeach.

HowtoMuddleHerbs

Muddlingherbsisadelicateprocess,andforthisyou’llusethediskendofyourbarspoon(seepage203).Wewanttopresstheherbsgentlyintosimplesyrupuntilthefragrantoilsarereleased.Youdon’twanttogrindandmashtheherbsbecauseyou’llbruisethemandreleasetheirchlorophyll,whichwilloxidizequicklyandbecomebitterandswampflavored.

Picktheleavesoffthestems(largestemsareunsightlyandusuallydon’tcontributemuchflavor),andpiletheminyourglass,alongwithyoursimplesyruporsugar.Usingthehammerordiskendofyourbarspoon,presstheleaves,movingthemaroundinthemixingvesselsotheyfoldover,andpressagain.Continuepressingandfoldingjustuntilyousmelltheherbs,andthenstop.Onceyoucatchthatwhiffoffreshherb,you’redone.

MOJITO

Sure,sincetheMojitobecamethemostpopulardrinkever,onceagain,it’salsobecomepopularforbartendersandself-describedcocktailgeekstocomplainaboutit:It’spedestrian,it’sthenewcosmopolitan,ittakestoolongtomake.

ButIrememberatimewhenwewerealljustbeginningtorediscovertheMojito.AnddespitethefactthatI’vemadeliterallythousandsofthemduringthecourseofmycareer,Istillhavefondmemoriesofthosesummerswhenwe’dallgatherinthekitchenwhilewewaitedforthegrilltoheatupanddiscoveredthedrinktogether,anewgenerationofMojitolovers.It’sanamazingdrinkwhenit’smaderight,andthat’sallyoureallyneedtoknow.

MAKES1DRINK

1bunchfreshspearmint

1/2oz/15ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)

2oz/60mlwhiterum

1oz/30mlfreshlimejuice(seepage22),plusthespentlimehalfCrushedice2oz/60mlchilledsodawater

CHILLEDPINTGLASS

Put12orsolargespearmintleavesinthebottomofthechilledpintglassandaddthesimplesyrup.Muddlethespearmintgentlytoreleasetheoils.Addtherum,limejuice,andthespentlimehalf.

Filltheglasswithcrushediceandfinishwiththesodawater.Servewithastraw.

MUDDLERSFORFRUIT

Fruit,unlikeherbs,benefitsfromtheuseofanactualmuddler.You’llsometimesseemuddlersnexttotheregisteratliquorstores—theylooklikeminiaturebaseballbats.Stayaway.Theydon’tperformthewayyouneedthemto,andusuallythey’refinishedwitheitherpaintorvarnish,whichcanflakeoffinyourdrink.

Instead,seekoutanaturalwoodmuddlerwithnofinishorstain.Thesecanbetreatedwithfood-grademineraloiltohelppreserveandprotectthenaturalbeautyofthewood.Ifyou’remuddlingfruitthatstains,suchasdarkberriesorcherries,thinkaboutusingaheavy-dutyfood-gradeplasticmuddler,madefromthesamematerialasacuttingboard.They’reeasytopopintothedishwasherandwon’tshowtheresultsofallyourpastwork.Ikeeponeofeachtypeofmuddleronhandatalltimes.

Whicheverstyleyouuse,itneedssomeweight,sothetoolcandoasmuchoftheworkaspossibleforyou.Havingalargeendandasmallendgivesyoutheflexibilitytomuddleindifferentsizeglasses.Andagoodmuddlerwillbelongenoughsothatitstandstallerthanyourmixingvessel;youshouldn’tneedtoreachyourfingersintotheglassinordertocrushyouringredients.

Whenitcomestowoodenmuddlers,Iwantsomeagilityinthereandnotjustabigbillyclubtobeattheingredientsintosubmissionwith.MyfavoritewoodenmuddlersaremadebyourfriendDavidNepoveatMisterMojito(www.mistermojito.com).He’sgotavarietyofreallycooldesigns,manyofwhichIown.Butmyall-timefavoriteofhisistheverysimpleandelegantMasterMuddler,whichisessentiallyalongtapereddowelthatlooksalotlikehalfofaFrenchrollingpin.

MisterMojitoalsomakesacontouredfood-gradeplasticmuddler,butmypersonalfavoriteistheBadAssMuddlermadebyCocktailKingdom(www.cocktailkingdom.com).It’sheavyandsturdyenoughtohandlebeingwashedinthedishwasher.Andit’sblack,whichmeansit’snevergoingtoshowstains,nomatterhowmanyraspberriesorcherriesIendupmuddlingwithitovertheyears.

HowtoMuddleFruit

Mostoften,you’llbemuddlingcitrus,limeinparticular,thoughothercitrusfruitcertainlycomesintoplay,dependingonthedrinkyou’remaking.Otherfruitthat’softenmuddledincludesberries,peaches,pineapples,grapes,and,hell,evencherrytomatoes.

Cutyourcitrusintoquarters;ifyou’reusingsomethinglarge,suchasanorangeorgrapefruit,goaheadandcutitintoeighths.Putthecitrusinyourglass,preferablypeel-sideup,andthenaddthesugar.Workthecitrusbypressingandtwistingitwiththemuddler,grindingthesugarintothepeel.Thesugaractsasanabrasiveandhelpsliberatethecitrusoilsandjuice.Asthejuiceisreleased,itwillformasyrupwiththesugar.Pressandtwistuntilyouseeanicesyrupformingandyousmellthefragranceofthecitruszest.Agoodbartenderuseseverysense,andyoursenseofsmellisoneofthemostcriticaltools.

CAIPIRINHA

Cachaçaisoneofthemostrusticspiritsintheworld.ThenationalliquorofBrazil,cachaçaismadefromthejuiceoffresh-pressedsugarcane,whichisthenfermentedanddistilled.Unlikerum,whichisusuallymadefrommolasses,cachaçaretainsthefresh,grassy,vegetalflavorsofthecanejuice.

Itwouldbetoughforcachaçatoclaimitspositionasthethird-most-consumedspiritintheworldifitweren’tforthesimple,peasant-likepreparationofadrinkknownasaCaipirinha.Withnothingmorethanalittlesugarandlimetoamelioratetheroughedgesfoundinmanycachaças,thisisonedrinkthat’smorethanthesumofitsparts.

MAKES1DRINK

1/2lime,quarteredlengthwise,andwhitemembraneremovedHeaping2tspsugar

2oz/60mlcachaçaCrushedorcrackediceCHILLEDOLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

Combinethe4limewedgesandsugarinthebottomoftheold-fashionedglass.Muddlethelimewedgeswiththesugartoreleasetheirjuicesandgrindtheiroilsfromthepeel.Addthecachaça.

Filltheglasswithcrushedorcrackediceandserve.

“MIXING”ABSINTHEAbsintheisananise-flavoredspiritdevelopedinthemid-1700sinSwitzerlandandintheFrenchJuraMountains;itgainedhugepopularityinFrenchcafésocietyduringtheBelleÉpoque.Butabsinthecontainedasmallamountofthujone,whichwasthought(incorrectly)tobehallucinogenic.Soin1915absinthewasbannedintheUnitedStatesandmuchofEurope,includingFrance.

AlmostacenturywentbybeforetheregulationscontrollingabsinthewerereinterpretedtoallowitssaleandconsumptionintheStates.Providedthattheabsinthecontainslessthan10partspermillionofthujone(acompoundinwormwood),absintheisokay.And,thankstosomeanalysisofpre-banabsinthes,weknowthat’sallthethujonetraditionalabsinthecontainedanyway.

Sodrinkersarenowdiscoveringtheproperwaytoenjoyabsinthe,whichinvolvesaslowdripofwateroverasugarcube,toaddatouchasweetnessandadilutionofbetweenthreeandfivetimesthevolumeofthespirit,dependingontheproofandpersonaltaste.Mostabsinthenowadaysisservedanddilutedwithasmallcarafeofwater,butinthegrandcafés,theywoulduseelaborateabsinthefountains,whichwerefancyurnswithmultiplespigotsthatwoulddispensethewaterinslowdrips.

ToServeAbsinthe

Fillyourglasswithabout11/4oz/37.5mlofabsinthe.Authenticabsintheglasseswilloftenhaveabulbatthebottom,whichholdstherightamount.Setyourabsinthespoon—aslotted,flat,trowel-likeutensil—usuallybeautifullyornamented,liketheglasses—acrossthetopoftheglassandsetaplainsugarcubeonthat.

Slowlydripbetween4and6oz/120to180mlofcoolwateroverthesugarcube,pausingtoletitbecomesaturated,andthencontinuingtodripwaterintotheglass.Youwanttotakeyourtimewiththis,ratherthansimplypouringthefullvolumeofwaterallatonce,becauseslowlydissolvingthesugarandcoaxingouttheoilsheld

insuspensionintheabsintheispartoftheritual.Asthewaterhitsthespirit,itformsanemulsionwiththoseoils,creatingalazycurlofmilkiness,knownasalouche.

Somereferencestoservingabsinthementionsoakingthesugarcubeintheabsinthe,ignitingit,andthenaddingittotheglass.Don’teverdothat.ThepracticecameaboutbecauseofsomehighlyinferiorspiritsthatwereproducedintheCzechRepublicinthe’90s.Calledabsinth(nofinale),theyweremostlyjustneutralspiritsflavoredwithherbalandotheroilsandweremorelikemouthwashthantrueabsinthe.Thesefakeabsinthesdidn’tlouche,sodrinkersconcoctedanothertypeofservingritual.It’sbestleftoutofthemodernbar,soskipthefireandsticktothedripmethoddescribedabove.

FLAMINGDRINKSAbigpartofbartendingistheater:It’sashow,andthere’snothingmoretheatricalorshowythansomeclownplayingwithfire,whichiswhythecocktailrepertoirecontainsafewfamousincendiarydrinks.Theflamethrowinginthesecocktailsdoesconvenientlycomewithfunctionality,however;it’sthewayweusefiretotransformingredientsanddevelopanddeepenflavors.

Mixingalcohol(whetherit’sinsideaglassorinsideyourbelly)andanopenflamecanspellextremedanger,andshouldgivethephraseDrinkresponsiblyawholenewmeaning.

FIRETOBURNALCOHOLANDBALANCEADRINK

TheblueblazerwassupposedlyinventedbySanFranciscobartenderandauthorJerryThomasbackinthelatenineteenthcentury,purportedlyattherequestofagrizzledgoldprospector,whowantedtobeimpressed.Thedrinkconsistsofhigh-proofScotchwhisky,water,sugar,andlemonpeel.Nothingimpressiveabouttheingredients;thesameonesgointotheworld’sleastexcitinghotcocktail,the

whiskeyskin.It’sthemixingmethodthatissomewhatjaw-dropping.You’llneedtofindcask-strengthScotchwhiskyforthis,between100and140proof.Anythinglessdoesn’tignitebelowaroomtemperatureofabout75°F/24°C.

Tomakeablueblazer,youneedtwoheat-proofmugswithhandles,preferablylargetankards.It’sagoodideatoprewarmthemugsbyfillingthemwithboilingwaterandlettingthemsitforafewminutes.Whenwarm,emptythemugsandaddboilingwaterandalittlesugartoone,whiskeytotheother,andlightthewhiskeyonfire.Youthenpourtheflamingwhiskeyintothewater-filledmug,andquicklypourthatmixturebackintothefirstmug.Repeatthisseveraltimes,eachtimemovingyourmugsfartherapart,sothattheburningliquidmakesanarcofblueflamebetweenthetwo.Afterseveralpours,extinguishbothmugsbycoveringonewiththebottomoftheother.Pourthehotmixtureintoafreshmugoratemperedwineglassandgarnishwithagenerouslengthoflemonpeel.Serve,andtakeabow.

Thethingsyouneedtorememberduringthisprocessare:

Longfireplacematchesarereallythesafestwaytolightthisthing,oranyflamingdrink,really,asitkeepsyourfingersasfarawayfromanopenflameaspossible.

Flamingalcoholcaneasilyigniteanythingcombustible,includingeyebrows,beards,andthelongblondehairoftheveryguestyou’reshowingofffor.Payattention.

Youreallyneedtouseheavymetalmugswithhandlesthatarebigenoughtokeepyourknucklesawayfromthecontents.Themugscangetveryhot,though,andit’snotokaytodropthemonthefloor,going“Jeez,that’shot.”

Ifyouwanttobeespeciallycareful,wearingovenmittsdoesn’tlookparticularlycool,buttheywillprotectyourforearmsfromfieryliquid.

Youshouldhoneyourpouringskillsbysimplyusingplainoldwaterbeforeyoutrythis.

OurfriendsatCocktailKingdommakesomeprettyawesomesilver-platedblueblazermugs,ifyoufeellikeinvesting.Oryoucanscourthethriftstores,estatesales,andonlineauctionsforsilvermugs.Theyusuallylooklikebigbeertankards.

BLUEBLAZER

ByJerryThomas

Personally,I’veneverfoundthecombinationofScotchandhotwaterallthatinterestingorappealing,butawholenewgenerationofbartendershasrediscoveredthiscocktail,sothere’sgottobesomethingtoit.HereisJerryThomas’soriginalrecipe.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mlboilingwater

1tspsugar

2oz/60mlcask-strength(100-to140-proof)Scotchwhisky

1lemontwistforgarnish

2BLUEBLAZERMUGS6-OZ/180-MLTEMPEREDWINEGLASS

Prewarmyourblueblazermugswithboilingwaterforseveralminutes.Emptythemugs.

Mixthe2oz/60mlboilingwaterandsugarinonemug,andputthewhiskyintheother.Carefullyignitethewhisky,andwhileitisflaming,pourthewhiskyintothewater.Mixtheingredientsbypouringthembackandforthfromonemugtotheotherseveraltimes.Serveinthewineglassandgarnishwiththelemontwist.

FIREFORTOASTINGThecafébrûlotdoesn’thavetheblueblazer’sJerryThomaspedigree,butitisequallydramaticanddangerous.Asitsnameimplies,thisisacoffeedrink.ItwasinventedinNewOrleansandisstillservedintraditionalrestaurantssuchasGalatoire’sandAntoine’s.Cafébrûlotisreallymoreofamaîtred’-attablesidedrinkforrestaurantpatrons,ratherthanabartender’sdrink.Waitersmakeitinthesamewaytheymightprepareotherflamingclassics,suchascrêpesSuzetteorsteakDiane.Mybrother-in-lawJosephBrookeisquitethecelebritybartenderdowninLosAngeles,andhehappenstobethebrûlotexpertinourfamily.SoIaskedhimforhisadviceonthisone.

Tomakeacafébrûlot,youfirstneedtodragmysisteralloverLosAngelesCountylookingatestatesalesinordertoprocureabrûlotcauldron,whichisaroundedmetalchafingdishthatsitsoverasternoflame.Youaddwholespices(usuallycinnamonandcloves,butsometimescardamomaswell),sugar,brandy,andanorangeliqueur,suchasGrandMarnier.Thoseingredientsarecombinedinthebowl,lefttomaceratefor10to15minutes,andthenheatedwiththesterno.

Meanwhile,youandanin-lawpeelanorangeandalemon,eachinonelong,continuousspiral,alsoknownasahorse’sneck(seepage262),whileyouargueaboutwhomakesthebetterpeel.Leaveasmuchpithaspossibleintactonthepeel,asitwillhelpprovidesomestructuralsupportforlater.Youalsowanttomakethepeel’sedgesassmoothandevenaspossible,astoosharpofananglecouldresultinthepeelbreakingorsendingsplattersofhotboozeflyinginundesirabledirectionsasyoulugetheflamingliquiddownthepeel.Next,studtheorangepeelevery1in/2.5cmorsowithwholecloves,straightdownthemiddlelikethedividinglaneinaroad.Leavethelemonpeelunstuddedandputitinthecauldron.

Nowcomesthefunpart:Whilemysisteryellsatyoutonotburnthehousedown,ignitethehotliquorinthebowlwithalongfireplacematch,andstiritaroundwithasmallladletomix.Then,holdingtheorangepeelwiththelongesttongsyoucanfind,youladlespoonfulsoftheburningalcoholoverthepeel,sothatthealcoholcoursesdownitslength.Intheory,thistoaststheoilsinthepeel,addingmoreflavortothedrink.

Afteraminuteorsoofthis(anythinglongerisquitefranklytoohottohold,andinJoe’scase,itmeansthathe’sjustshowingoffforthecrowdagain),youpourstrongblackcoffeeintothemix,whichwillputouttheflames.Finally,youladlethecoffeeintodemitassecupsandserve.Majorbonuspointsifyouhave—asJoedoes—abrûlotladle,whichcontainsasmallstrainertofilteroutthebitsofspiceandpeelasyouladlethedrinkintothecups.

CAFÉBRÛLOT

MAKES4TO6DRINKS

1orange,peeledinasingle,long,continuousspiral

9wholecloves

1lemon,peeledinasingle,longcontinuousspiral11/2tbspsugar

1longcinnamonstick

3oz/90mlcognac

2oz/60mlGrandMarnier24oz/720mlhotfreshlybrewedstrongcoffeeBRÛLOTDEMITASSECUPS

Studtheorangepeelwiththecloves,placingthemabout1in/2.5cmapart,andsetaside.Inabrûlotcauldron,combinethelemonpeel,sugar,cinnamonstick,cognac,andGrandMarnier.Lighttheburnerandadjusttheflamesoit’slow.Cookfor2to3minutes,stirringwithaladletodissolvethesugarandwarmtheingredients.

Whenthemixtureiswarm,carefullyignitewithamatch.Whilethemixtureisflaming,holdthespiraledorangepeelwithverylongtongsoverthecauldron,ladletheflamingmixturedownthepeelintothebowlseveraltimes,andthendropthepeelintothecauldron.

Addthehotcoffee,stirtocombine,andladlethecafébrûlotintobrûlotordemitassecups,beingcarefultoleavethespicesandcitruspeelsbehindinthecauldron.Serveimmediately.

FIREASCARAMELIZATIONTOOLThere’sonemoredrink,newerthaneitherthecafébrûlotortheblueblazer,that’ssomethingofalegendhereinthePacificNorthwest.YoualmostneverhearcallsforitoutsideofOregon,butwithinthestatelineit’sthemostwell-knownofthedrinksthathaveoriginatedhere,andthat’stheSpanishcoffee.

Icanwalkfrommyapartmenttowherethedrinkwasfirstinventedinthe1970s,Huber’sCafe,arguablytheoldestrestaurantinPortland.Underneaththebarrel-vaultedstained-glassceilinginthebarroom,bartendersandwaitersmakehundredsoftheirfamedconcoctioneverynight.Theprocessisajoytowatchfromatechniqueperspective,andIsometimesfindmyselfseatedatthebaronwinterafternoonsonmydaysoff,writingandlazilywatchinginwonderasthesemastersoftheirsingle-drinkcraftmakeoneafteranother.

Itbeginswitha6-oz/180-mltemperedwineglass,whichismoistenedwithalimewedgeandbandedinsugar(seepage269).Next,151-proofrumandTripleSecarepouredinalongarcinthetxakoli(aSpanishwine)tradition,withtheglassheldlowandthebottleheldhighabovethehead.Andthenthemixtureissetalight.Twirlingthestembetweenthefingers,thebartenderanglestheglasstopointthefiretowardthesugaredrim,twirlingandswirlinguntilthesugarbeginstobubbleandcaramelize.

Kahlúaisthenaddedinalongstream,andtheglassistoppedoffwithstrongblackcoffeetoextinguishanyremainingflame.Alayerofcoldwhippedcreamisfloatedonthesurface,andthenthewholemixtureisfinishedwithfreshlygratednutmeg.It’sstrong,bright,acidic,andperfectfortheweatherweenjoysomuchuparoundtheseparts.

SPANISHCOFFEE

MAKES1DRINK

Sugarforrimmingtheglass

1limewedge

3/4oz/22.5ml151-proofrum1/2oz/15mlTripleSec11/2oz/45mlKahlúa3oz/90mlhotfreshlybrewedcoffeeLightlywhippedcream(seepage148)forgarnishFreshlygratednutmegforgarnish

6-OZ/180-MLTEMPEREDWINEGLASS

Putsomesugarinashallowbowl.Makeaslitinthelimewedge,andmoistentherimofthewineglasswithit.Makeabandofsugararoundtherim(seepage269).FilltheglasswiththerumandTripleSec,andlightwithamatch.

Holdingtheglassatanangle,heatthesugarusingtheflameuntilthesugarbeginstobubbleandcaramelize,about1minute.

AddtheKahlúaandcoffee,andfinishwithwhippedcreamandfreshlygratednutmegtoserve.

CHAPTERNO12

GARNISHING

FINISHINGTHECOCKTAILVISUALLYANDAROMATICALLY

Ofallthetopicsinbartendingthatarousespiriteddebate(ugh,nopunintended,Iswear),therearefewmorecontroversialthanthegarnishconversation.Guestsloveabeautifullygarnishedcocktail,whilemodernyoungmixologists,oftenconditionedtorespondtotheirguests’joywithdisdain,havebeguntospendlessandlessenergyonfinishingthedrink.AlthoughIapplaudthemodernist,minimalapproachintherightsituations,thereisatimeandaplaceforeverything.Andwhenitcomestogarnishing,thetimeisoften,andtheplaceisinyourdrink.

Andinyourmouth,andinyournose,andinyoureyesaswell.I’vebeenlookingforawaytoavoidtheoldcookingadage“Weeatwithoureyesfirst”whileorganizingthismaterial,butIdon’tknowifthere’sanywayaroundit.Cocktailsaresomethingthatare,mostoften,handedtousbysomeoneelse.Idon’tknowaboutyou,butwhenI’mhomealone,Idrinkmilkoutofthecarton,literallyandfiguratively.AbottleopenerforthebeerandacleanglassforthewhiskeyareabouttheonlyaccoutrementsIneed.

ButwhenI’moutandseatedatabarbeforedinner,Iorderacocktail.AndbeinghumanmeansthatIaminstinctivelyalittlewaryofthethingspeoplehandmetoingest.Soasthatdrinkiscomingacrossthebar,thereisalittleprehistoric,subconsciousthingthatkicksininsidemyhead,andit’soneoftworeactions:Ifthecocktaillooksappealingtothecavemanme,I’mgoingtobereadytodrinkit.Andifitdoesn’t,I’malreadyafraidtotakeasipbeforeIeventouchit.

Inthischapter,we’vebrokendowngarnishesintofivecategories.Thefirstwerefertoasdroppedgarnishes,whicharesomeofthesimplestandmostwell-knowntypesofgarnishoutthere.They’retypicallydroppedintothedrinkattheveryend,andtheyprettymuchjustsitthere,offeringverylittleintermsofflavororaroma.Theyareusuallyconsumedoncethedrinkisdone.

Thesecondcategorywe’llshowyouarethevisualgarnishes.They’reastepupincomplexityfromdroppedgarnishes,butthey’rethecatalogmodelsofthecocktailworld:theylookgreat,andusuallysmellprettynice,buttheydon’tofferawholelotintermsofsubstance.

Ourthirdclassofgarnishes,theutilitariangarnishes,arehardworkinglittleoptions,usuallyperchedonthesideoftheglass,waitingtobeused—justincaseyouneedthem.

Sometimesweusearimmedgarnishontheedgeoftheglass,eithersalt—asinthecaseofthemargarita—orsugar,asonewoulddowithalemondrop,ormypersonalfavorite,asidecar.

Andfinallywe’llintroduceyoutothemostcomplexclassofgarnishes,thearomaticgarnishes.Theydon’talwaysoffermuch—andsometimesnothingatall—intermsofvisualpresentation.Buttheyexciteyournoseandprepareyourpalateasyoulifttheglasstoyourlips.

DROPPEDGARNISHES

Seenbytheaveragedrinkerasmoreofabarsnackthanacrucialdrinkcomponent,cherries,olives,andonionsdon’treallygetmuchrespectthesedays.Youcanmostoftenfindthemsittingatroomtemperatureonabartopsomewhere,bathedinanunidentifiablegreasyorstickyliquid,whoseonlydefenseagainstthemanydirtyfingersthathavebeenplungedwithinisabacteria-inhospitablesaltorsugarcontent.Butsomebartenders,playersinatruecocktailrenaissance,haveleftnostoneunturnedintheirattentiontodetail.Atlast,thesehumbledroppedgarnishesarebeginningtogettheduerespecttheydeserve.

CHERRIES

Irememberfondlymyveryfirstcocktail.ItwasataHowardJohnsononaroadtripwithmyparents,andmymotherincludedmeintheroundofdrinkstheyorderedwhenthewaitercamebyforthefirsttime.MydrinkwasaRoyRogers,andwhenitarrived,Iwasthehappiestseven-year-oldintheworld,andallbecauseofthegarnish:abrightredmaraschinocherryskeweredbyalittlegreenplasticsword.

ThearchetypeofAmericancocktailcherriesis,infact,thatsamecherry.Whileit’subiquitous(there’soneinthebackofmyparents’refrigeratorthatIswearisfifteenyearsold),thismass-marketcherryhasbeenbringingartificialcolorandhigh-fructosesweetnesstocrappydrinkssincethe1920s.

Fortunatelyforus,wenowhavemanybetteroptionsavailable.AsuperiorversionoftheAmericanmaraschinoisonemadebyItalianproducerLuxardo,whomakesaliqueurmadefromMarascacherriesaswell.ThedifferencebetweentheseandtheAmericanversionisnightandday.Ratherthanableached-and-dyedzombiefoodproduct,thinkofpreservedsourcherriespackedinasyrupmadefromMarascacherrypits.Themajorsellingpointthesecherriescomewithisthattheyaredelicious;theonlydrawbackisthata12.7-oz/360-gjarispricey.

AnotheroptionthatmanyprofessionalbartenderssuchasmyselfusearepreservedAmarenacherries.Slightlylargerthan,andofaflavorsimilarto,theLuxardomaraschinos,thesearefreshsourAmarenacherriesthathavebeencandiedinsyrup.They’restillfairlyexpensivebutcanbefoundforroughlyhalfthepriceoftheLuxardos.

ImprovingonJarredCherries

OnetrickIliketoemploywithbothtypesofcherriesistodrainofftheirsyrupandthenfillthejarwithliquorsandletthemsitinthefridgebeforeusing.Todothis,simplydraintheliquidfromthecontentsofa12.7-oz/360-gjarofcherriesbysuspendingastraineroveracontainerorbowl,thendiscard.Returnthecherriestothejarandadd2oz/60mlofcognacoranotherbrandy,3/4oz/22.5mlofamaretto,and3/4oz/22.5mlofmaraschinoliqueur.Resealthejarandshakegentlytocombinetheingredients.Addalabelwiththedateandstorethejarinthefridgeforatleast1monthbeforeusing.

Brandyingfreshcherriesgivesthebartenderevenfinercontroloverthecocktail.Forbrandiedcherries,mostpeopleusesourcherries.Sourvarieties(mostlytheMontmorencyvariety)growonlyinpartsoftheMidwestandPacificNorthwest(Michigan,Oregon,andWashington,inparticular)forafleetinglyshortseason.So,manybartendersuseacannedMorellocherry,anothersourvariety.IliketheonesfromTraderJoe’s.Butfreshsweetcherriesalsomakeagreatbrandiedcherry.

DANIELSHOEMAKER’SBRANDIEDCHERRIES

MAKESENOUGHTOFILLABOUTFIVE1-QT/960-MLCANNINGJARS

Thosewhoareobsessedwithcontrollingeverystepofcocktailmakingoftenwanttomakeeverythingpossiblefromscratch.AndthereisnobodyIknowinthisbusinesswhoismoreobsessedthanmyfriendDanielShoemaker,owneroftheTeardropLoungehereinPortland,Oregon.Danielisaluckyman,becausehefoundahealthyoutletforhisobsessive-compulsivenature:heopenedabaratwhichjustabouteverythingishousemade,whichmeanswe’relucky,too.AtTeardropLounge,youcangethouse-pickledonions,house-tincturedrootsandbarks,house-madeAmerPicon,house-carbonatedtonicwater,house-maceratedmango-chipotlehotsauce,andjustaboutanythingelseyoucanthinkof.Amongthebestofthesecraftcocktailcomponentsarethebrandiedcherries,forwhichDanielgenerouslyshareshisrecipehere.

Oregonisbigcherrycountry,andDanielgetslate-harvestfruitfromtheHoodRiverValley,justeastofPortland.Thecherriestendtobebig,firm,andfullofsugar,whichisperfectforthesegarnishes.HeusuallyusestheLapinvariety,whichisdarkmagenta,butyoushouldchoosewhatevervarietylooksbestinyourregion.Thisrecipeisforsweetcherries,however,nottartpiecherries,liketheMontmorency.Itmakesalot,butbrandiedcherriesmakegreatgifts,soyouwon’tregrettheabundance.

5lb/2.25kgripe,firmsweetcherries1/2cup/45gwholejuniperberries1/2cup/45gwholeallspiceberries

6cinnamonsticks,lightlycrushed

3wholestaranise

5cups/1.1kgsugar

8oz/240mlfreshlemonjuice(seepage22),strained3cups/720mlwater

20oz/600mlbrandy12oz/360mlwhiterum

8oz/240mlbourbon

Clearawayanythingthatyoudon’twanttogetspatteredwithcherryjuice.Itspraysanditstains,evenwhenyou’recareful,sowearanoldT-shirt.Pulloffthestemsandpunchoutthepitsofthecherrieswithacherrypitter.(Atrickthatsomecooksuseistoputtheirhandsandthepitterinsideaverylargeplasticbagastheypit.Thebagwillcorralmuchofthejuice.)

Heattheovento200°F/95°C.Placefive1-qt/960-mlcanningjarsright-sideuponabakingsheetandputintheovenfor20minutes;youcanturnofftheheatandleavethemintheovenuntilreadytouse.Inasaucepan,simmerthelidsinwatertocoverfor2minutesandlaythemoutonpapertowelstodrain.

Dumpthejuniperberries,allspiceberries,cinnamonsticks,andstaraniseinthecenterofadoublelayerofcheeseclothandtieintoasecurebundle.Fillalargestockpotorcanningkettleaboutone-thirdfullofwaterandbringtoaboil.Thiswillbeyourwaterbathforcanningthecherries.

Meanwhile,combinethesugar,lemonjuice,andthe3cups/720mlwaterinanotherlargestockpot,atleast10qt/9.5L.Bringtoasimmer,stirringjustuntilthesugarisdissolved.Addthespicebundle,andcontinuetosimmerforabout5minutes.Addthecherries,stoppingwhenthepotisabouthalffull;you’llbeaddinganother5cups/1.2Lofliquidandyou’llneedtobeabletostirthecherrieswithoutthemspillingout.(You’llprobablyneedtocookthecherriesintwoorthreebatches.)

Usingtheslottedspoon,stirandfoldthecherriesontothemselvessothattheyareallsoakedinthesyrupandaregettingthoroughlywarmed.Youdon’twanttoactuallycookthecherries,justletthemabsorbthesyrup.Returntheliquidtoasimmer;pourinthebrandy,rum,andbourbon;andstirtomix.Whentheliquidisheatedthrough,takethepotofftheheat.(Besurenottoboiltheliquidbecauseyoudon’twanttocookofftoomuchalcohol.)

Usingawide-mouthfunnelorjarfillerandaslottedspoon,packeachcanningjarwithcherries,fillingittothetop.Givethejaragoodtaponthecountertosettlethefruitsothereareminimalairgaps.Ladlethehotsyrupintothejarsuptoabout1/2in/12mmfromtherim.Placetheflatpartofthelidonthejar,andscrewthebandonlightly.

Addthenextbatchofcherriestothehotsyrupremaininginthepotandheatthecherriesthrough.Transfertojars,topwithsyrup,andsealthejars.

Whenallthejarsarefilledandthelidsareon,putthejarsintotheboilingwaterbathinbatches,asmanyaswillfitwithoutcrowding.Thewatershouldcoverthejarsbyabout1in/2.5cm,sotopoffwithmoreboilingwaterifnecessary.Boilfor5minutes,andthenretrievethejars(Danielusessiliconeovenmittstoliftandtransferthejars).Setthemonthecountertocoolandletthesealsformproperly.You’llhearanicepopasthevacuumformsandthelidissuckeddown.Tightentheringsofallthejarsthathavesealedproperly.Youcanstoretheseatroomtemperature,awayfromheatandlight,forupto1year.Ifyouhaveanyjarsthatdidn’tsealproperly,simplykeepthemintherefrigeratorandusewithin2weeks.

CherryPitter

Pittingcherriesisunfortunatelyapainstaking,messychore.Ifyou’renotplanningonpittingmorethanafewcherries,I’vefoundthatplacingthefruitonthemouthofacleanbeerbottleandthenrunningthepitthroughwithachopstickisaneatlittletrickandjustthekindIlike—simpleyeteffective.Dobecarefulofthejuice,however,whichislikelytosprayaroundyourworkarea,andontoyourshirt.Itstains,whetheryou’reusingthisimprovisedmethodoracherrypitter.

Forbiggerbatches,you’regoingtowantacherrypitter.Traditionalcherrypittersarenothingmorethanastainless-steelplungersuspendedoveracircularbase,throughwhichthepitisejectedwhileholdingthefruitinplace.Thesplatterfactorishighwiththeseguys,butfortunatelyourfriendsatOXOGoodGripsmakeahandylittlemodelthatofferssomelevelofspraycontrol.ThisistheoneIreachforeverytime.

OLIVES

Whocanimaginethaticonicimageofamartiniinneonlights—whichhasbecometheuniversalsignfor“CocktailBar”allovertheworld—withoutanoliveonapick?It’skindaironic,then,thatolivesaren’treallyusedinmorethanoneortwococktails:themartini,ofcourse,andmaybeaBloodyMary.Themartinistillreignssupremeamongclassiccocktailenthusiasts,though,soweneedtomakesomechoicesaboutourolives.

StuffedorNot

Thefirstissueiswhethertousestuffedorunstuffedolives.Thekhaki-greenolivewiththeredpimentopeekingoutis,ofcourse,theclassic;mostoftheseareimportedfromSpain.Thereareplentyoflowest-common-denominatorcocktailolivesaround,butifyoubuyagoodbrand,theycanbedelicious—brinyandmeaty,withjustatinyhitofsmokinessfromthepepper.

Recently,thepimentohasseensomecompetition,witholivesgettingstuffedbyeverythingfromanchoviestoMarconaalmonds,hotchiles,andevenbluecheese.Ifyou’regoingtostuffsomethinginyourolive,theflavorandconsistencyshouldharmonizewiththecocktail,andafilmofcheesegreasefloatingontopofmydrinkissomethingIfindtobenothingshortofrepulsive.Ileavethesecheese-stuffedolivesinthesnacktrayandoutofthedrinks.

Tohavethemostcontroloverquality,stuffyourownolives.Buysomegoodgreen—orevenblack—olives,suchasCastelvetrano,Cerignola,orkalamata.Pitthem,usingahand-heldolivepitter,andthenstuffwithawholeorhalfMarconaalmond,somefire-roastedsweetpeppersorhotchiles,orevenasliverofpreservedlemon.

PittedorNot

Ifyouprefertoserveunstuffedolives,youstillneedtomakeadecisionaboutwhethertopittheoliveornot.Whileanunpittedolivelooksfarmoreattractivethanapittedone,Ifeeltheexpectationofmostguestsisthatmartiniolivesarepitted,whichcouldresultinanawkwardsituationshouldyouleaveanunpittedoliveinsomeone’sdrink.Nottomentiontheotherawkwardsituation:wheretoplacethepitonceit’spluckedfromthemouth.

HowManyOlives

Thenextoptiontoconsideristhenumberofolivestouseperdrink.WheneverIthinkabouthowmanyolivestouse,IrememberaquotefrombartenderPaulHarrington,whosewritingisthefoundationforeverythingIknowaboutcocktailstoday.OnhisseminalcocktailwebsitePaulsaid,inthelate1990s,“Oneoliveoronioniselegant,twoisproper,andthreeisameal.”Ithinkthatjustaboutsumsitup.

ToSpearorNottoSpear

Thenextconsiderationiswhetherornottoemployatoothpick.Mysimpleruleisthatdroppedgarnishesinquantitiesoftwoormorealwaysneedatoothpick,whileasingleoliveorcherrysimplysitsinthebottomwithout.WhenIdouseapick,

however,Iliketokeepthegarnishesoffsetononeendofthepick,givingtheguestalittle“handle”withwhichtopickupthesnack.

Therearemanyoptionsouttherefortoothpicks,fromthesimpletotheridiculous.Cocktailpicksrangefrombeautifulbamboospearstogolfteesandplasticbuccaneer’sswords.Butmylong-standingchoiceofgarnishtoothpickhasalwaysbeenawoodsandwichpick,aperfectsizeforthelargerolivesandonionsusedmostoftentoday.You’llfindtheseatsupplierslikeCountryCleanPaperSupplies(www.wesellcoffee.com).

StoringOlives

Droppingaroom-temperatureoliveintoanice-coldmartinishouldbeunthinkable,butit’sdonemoreoftenthannot.Tosolvethisproblem,wekeepourolivesinthefridge,pre-spearedwithpicksandreadytobeused.Anothertrickweemployatmybarisremovingthemfromtheirbrineandsoakingthemindryvermouth.Thebrineisthenfinestrainedtoremoveanysolids,andbottledwithapourspout,readytobemeasuredoutbytheteaspoonfordirtymartinis.Theoliveswilllastagood6monthsinthefridge.

HOWDOTHEPIMENTOSGETINTOTHEOLIVES?

Youmaynothavespentalotoftimethinkingabouthowthatlittlesliverofredpeppergetsintoanolive,butit’saninterestingbitoffood-productiontrivia.Becausehugevolumesofthesegetproducedeveryyear,itwouldbecostprohibitivetohand-stuffeacholivewithanactualsliceofpepper.Mostmodernolivesarestuffedwitha“compositepepper”:Roastedpimentosarepureedandboundtogetherwithsomethinglikeguargumandthencutintostrips.Thestripsareinjectedintotheolivesasthepitsarebeingpunchedout.Neattrick,thoughdotakenotethatguargumcantriggerreactionsinpeoplewhohavepeanutallergies.

ONIONS

It’sunclearhowandwhentheGibson—adrier,moregin-forwardvariationontheclassicmartini—wasfirstgarnishedwithitsiconiccocktailonion.HistoryhasledustounderstandthatthedrinkwascreatedinSanFranciscosometimeinthelatenineteenthcenturyattheBohemianClubforoneofitsmembers,Mr.WalterD.K.Gibson.TheearliestaccountsoftheGibsondon’tindicatethattheonionwasthedrink’sdefiningcharacteristic,butratherthenearomissionofvermouth.Thatsaid,there’snochallengingthefactthatthemodernGibsonisgarnishedwithacocktailonion.

Acocktailonionissimilartoanoliveinthatit’salsopickledinasalty,tangybrineandbringssomeofthosesameflavornotestothedrink.That’sprobablywhyyoureallyonlyseeonionsinthesamedrinksinwhichyoumightencounteranoliveinstead:atthebottomofamartiniorperchedonthesideofaBloodyMary.

TODDTHRASHER’SPICKLEDONIONS

ByToddThrasher,courtesyofImbibemagazine

MAKESABOUTENOUGHTOFILLONE1-PT/480-MLJAR

Truthbetold,IwasneverafanofcocktailonionsuntilItriedtheonionsmyfriendToddThrashermadehimselfathisbarPXinAlexandria,Virginia.They’reafarcryfromthefoul-smellingspecimensavailableatyourlocalliquorstore.

1tbsppicklingspice

24oz/720mlwarmfilteredwater32oz/960mldistilledChampagnevinegar2cups/400gsugar

2tbspkoshersalt

1lb/455gpearlonions,peeledTiethepicklingspiceinasachetofcheesecloth.Combinethewarmwater,vinegar,sugar,andsaltinalargenonreactivepotovermediumheat;stiruntilthesugariscompletelydissolved.Putthepicklingspiceinthevinegarsolution.Addtheonions,makingsuretheyarecompletelycoveredwithliquid.Bringtoaboilandcontinueboilingforonly1minute(it’simportanttolimittheboil;otherwisetheonionswilllosetheircrunchytexture).Removefromtheheat,andtransfertheonionsandliquidtoaclean1-pt/480-mlglassjarandletcoolovernight,covered,atroomtemperature.Theonionswillkeepintherefrigeratorforupto2months.

VISUALGARNISHESTherearesomegarnishesthatweusesimplybecausetheylooksodamnpretty.AsIsaidearlier,ofallthegarnishes,theytrulyarethecatalogmodel:theylookpretty,theymightevensmellnice,buttheydon’treallydomuchelse—andattheendofthedaythey’rejusttheretomaketheproductlookgood.

FRESHHERBSANDFLOWERS

Atallsprigoffreshherbsrisingfromaglass,orsomedelicateflowerpetalsscatteredonthesurfaceofacocktailcanbestunning,intherightcircumstances.Butherbandflowergarnishesreallyareaboutlooksratherthanflavororfragrance.Ifit’sflavoryou’regoingfor,you’llneedtomuddlethemormakeasyrupwiththeminordertoincorporatethemintothedrink.Visualperfectioniswhatyou’relookingforhere,somakesurethat’sthekeytoyourselection.

ChoosingHerbsandFlowersforGarnish

Thefirstthingtoascertainiswhetheryourherborflowerisactuallyedible.Notallherbsareculinary,andsomeflowersaretoxic,andyoudon’twantanythingthat’sbeentreatedwithpesticides.Sodon’tjustplucksomethingfromafieldwithoutknowingexactlywhatitis.

Thebestscenario,ofcourse,istohaveyourowngarden,whereyoucangroworganicallytheherbsandflowersyouliketouse,andpickthemwhenthey’reinperfectcondition.Mostpeopledon’thavethespaceforthat,andothersaren’tquitesodedicatedtofreshherbs.(Me,Ifallintobothcamps.)So,secondtothat,findagoodorganicgroweratyourlocalfarmers’market.Developaworkingrelationshipwiththem,andplanyourmenuaroundtheavailabilityoftheiringredients.Aspecialtygrocerwilloftenhavefreshherbsandedibleflowers,butifallyoucanfindarethedrearyherbsfoldedintoaplasticclamshellpack,Iwouldseriouslyconsidermakingadifferentdrink.

TheherbsIseemostoftenincocktailsasgarnishesarespearmint,rosemary,lavender,cilantro,tarragon,lemonverbena,lovage(whichtastesabitlikecelery),sage,thyme,andevenborage,whichhasstrikingblueflowersonslightlypricklystemsandtasteslikecucumber.BoragewasthetraditionalgarnishforaPimm’scupbeforecucumbertookoverbecauseofitsmuchwideravailability.

Edibleflowersaregenerallyfloatedonthetopofadrink.Blossomsthatareappropriateforcocktailsincludenasturtiums,pansies,hibiscus,roses(thepetals),violets,andevensquashblossoms,whichIhaveseenbeautifullybalancedatopsomeverybaroqueBloodyMarysovertheyears.

Therearethreetechniquesforgarnishingwithherbsandflowers:

Composed

Hereyou’regoingfordelicacy,forexamplethreetarragonleavesarrangedinastarpatternonthesurfaceofthedrink,orafewtinyrosepetals,orafinechiffonadeofsageorbasil.Youneedacocktailwithenoughconsistencytoallowtheherbsorpetalstofloat,soinmostcases,thistypeofgarnishwillbeaddedtothetopofanegg-whitecocktail.

Sprig

Thistypeofgarnishisstraightforward.Chooseanattractivesprigthat’stallenoughtostandatleast2in/5cmabovetherimoftheglass.Goodchoicesforthistypeofgarnisharestalkierherbs,suchasrosemary,lavender,orsomethingalongthelinesofachiveblossomoranotherbloomingherb.

Bouquet

Iusethismethodmainlyforspearmint,thoughthetechniquecouldalsobeusedforbasil,cilantro,parsley,orotherleafyherbs.Ifusingmint,pickthetoplengthsfromabout8sprigs,gatherthemtogetherbythestemsintoatightbunch,andgentlysqueezetheleavestolightlycrushthemandreleasetheirfragrance.Theninsertthebunchintothedrinksothatthestemsstaysecurelylodgedinthecocktail.Ifyou’reusingcrushedice,pokeaholeintheicewithachopstick,nestlethebouquetintothehole,andtheninsertyourcocktailstrawrightthroughthemiddleoftheherbs.Thisgenerousbouquetlooksgreatandalsoprovidesawonderful,fragrantexperienceasyoubringthestrawtowardyourlipstotakeasip.

KeepingHerbsandFlowersFresh

Youshouldgiveyourherbsaquickrinseandtheneitherpatdrygentlywithpapertowelsorspininasaladspinner.Storingfreshherbscanbeachallenge,thoughrosemaryandthymearefairlyhardy.Iliketowrapherbslooselyinabarelydamppapertowelandthentuckthatintoaplasticstoragecontainerandkeepitinthe

fridge.Flowersareevenmoredelicatethanherbs.Becauseyou’reusingflowerthathavenotbeensprayedwithpesticides,youdon’treallyneedtorinsethem.Justkeepthemcoolandmoistbystoringthemasyoudoherbs.

CITRUSTWIST

Lookingsomethinglikeastubbyshoestring,thecitrustwistisusuallycurledoverthelipofaglass,suchasahighball;tiedintoaknotanddroppedintothedrinkitself,asinamartini;or,lessfrequently,stretchedoverthetopoftheglass,lookingsomethinglikethesquiggleonaHostesscupcake.

Twistsareattractive,buttheydon’treallyaddmuchinthewayoffragranceorflavor.Forspirit-drivendrinks,includingamartini,Itendtopreferthewidercitruspeel(seepage274),soIcanIexpresstheoilsoverthesurfaceofthedrink.Thetwistismainlyaboutlooks.Choosefruitwiththick,pebblyskinforyourtwists.

ToolsforCuttingCitrusTwists

Tuckedawayinakitchendrawer,youmightfind—andbetemptedtouse—atoolcalledazester,whichhasarowofsmallholesalongtheendofabluntblade.Draggingthebladeacrossapieceofcitruswillproducethinstripsofzest,buttheywon’tberobustenoughorshapedrighttouseasatwist.Thecorrecttoolforthisjobiscalledachannelknife,availableforcheapatjustaboutanykitchensupplystore.Achannelknifehasonedeep,V-shapednotchonthebluntblade,anditproducesatruejuliennestripofcitruspeel,whenusedcorrectly.

MyfavoritechannelknifeisthePro-Touch,withaplastic-handle,madebyMessermeister,althoughVictorinoxmakesagoodmodelwithawoodhandleaswell.

HowtoCutaTwist

First,cutoffoneendofthefruittoexposethewhitepithlayer,sotheknifecangetagoodpurchaseonthepeel.Placethenotchofthechannelknifeattheexposededge,digthebladeintothepith,andbegintoturnthefruit.Aimtheknifesothatyou’reworkingaroundthe“latitude”ofthefruit,nottiptotip,asyouwouldwhencuttingawidestripofpeel.Peelthelengthoftwistyouwant,andthentrimtheendsneatlywithaparingknife.Withpractice,youcanremovetheentirepeelthisway,slowlyturningthefruitlikealatheasthepeelemergesfromtheslottedbladeinonelong,continuousspiral.

HORSE’SNECK

Anotherspiraledcitrus-peelgarnishinthebartender’srepertoireisthenearlyextincthorse’sneck.Originallydesignedasthegarnishforthedrinkofthesamename,it’sessentiallythelong,widespiralpeelofawholelemon,wrappedaroundtheinsideofacollinsglassandfinishedwitheitherbrandy,bourbon,orryeandgingerale.It’snotreallythatexcitingadrink,butthegarnishiswhatmakesorbreaksit.

Unlessyou’reparticularlypassionateaboutdrinkingyourliquorwithgingerale,you’reprobablygoingtousethehorse’sneckasagarnishinotherlongdrinksinstead.Itworksparticularlywellwithorangepeel,andIloveitintalltiki-styledrinkspouredovercrushedice,and,ofcourse,CafeBrûlot.

HowtoMakeaHorse’sNeck

Tomakethehorse’sneck,startbytrimmingeitherend(stemorstylar)ofacitrusfruitwithyourknife.Usingahorizontal,orY,peeler,carefullypeelawidespiral,startingatthetrimmedend,aroundtheentirefruit,sparingnopeel.Youshouldbeleftwithabarelemoninonehandandanentirespiralpeelintheother.

Therearetwooptionswhenitcomestogettingthepeelintothedrink.Youcancurlthepeelaroundtheinsideoftheemptyglassandslowlyfillwithicewhilemaintainingthepeel’splacementwithachopstickorbarspoon,oryoucanslowlyguidethepeelintothedrink,carefullyworkingitbetweenthecocktailandthesideoftheglasswithyourchopstickorbarspoon.Besuretoleavethelast1in/2.5cmofpeelexposed,andtryyourbesttohookitaroundtherimoftheglass.Ifpossible,cutasmallnotchintotheendofthepeeltofacilitatethis.

CITRUSWHEEL

Ironically,theleastpracticalofthecitrusgarnishesaretheonesyouseemostofteninglossymagazinesandcoffeetablecocktailbooks.Wheelsareprettyandmakeanimpact,buttheydon’treallyaddmuchtothedrink.

Therearetwotypesofcitruswheel:thickandthin.Athickwheelsitsperchedontherimoftheglasslookingverypretty,butgenerallytooawkwardtobepickedupandsqueezed.ThisiswhyIthinkofwheelsasvisualgarnishesandnotutilitarian.Nobodywantstodealwiththemessonceawheelhasbeensqueezed.Athinwheelisdesignedtobeadelicateelementthatfloatsonthesurfaceofablendeddrink.

ToolsforCuttingCitrusWheels

Fornormaluse,Ialwaysrelyona4-in/10-cmserratedparingknifemadebyKuhnRikon.Itcomeswithaplasticsheath,soIcantossitinmytoolbagwithoutworryingaboutitgettingdullordamagingmyotherequipment.Plusitcomesinavarietyofbrightcolors,soI’musuallyfairlycertainaboutwhichoneismineattheendofthenight.

Forbiggerjobs,orfortrimmingotherlargefruit,suchasgrapefruitsandpineapples,IrelyonwhatwerefertoastheSandwichSword:a9-in/23-cm,serrated,offsetbreadknifewithaplastichandle,liketheonesusedtohalvesandwichesinjustaboutanydeliintheworld.They’recheapandmadebyavarietyoffood-servicecompanies.Onceyou’vehandledoneforawhile,itcanbequitenimbleandyoumightbesurprisedattheaccuracyyoucaneffectoneventhemostdelicateofgarnishes.

HowtoCutCitrusWheels

Forathickwheel,trimoffbothendsofthefruitandthencutthewholefruitcrosswiseinto1/4-in/6-mmslices.Cutonesmallslitjustthroughtherind,butnotallthewayintotheinterior.Thisiswhereyou’llattachthewheeltotherimoftheglass.Ashallowcutlikethisallowsthewheeltositproudlyontherim,whereasadeepercutwouldmeanthewheelslidesfartherdownontherim,asloppyanddepressinggarnish.

Tomakeathinwheel,cutthefruitcrosswiseintoverythinbutevenslices.Inthiscase,youdowanttocuttheslitallthewaythroughtothecenteroftheslice.Pullonesideoftheslitforwardandtheothersidebackwardtocreate“feet”sotheslicecanbalanceupright—itshouldlookabitlikealooponarollercoaster.

Forallcitruswheels,aswellaswedges(seepage266),itgoeswithoutsayingthatyouneedtoflickoutanddiscardalltheseeds.

PINEAPPLEGARNISHES

Eventhoughapineapplespearortriangleistheoreticallyedible,itsmainfunctionistoaddvisualdramatothedrink.Forthatreason,wealwaysleavethepeelon.

HowtoCutPineappleTriangles

Cutoffthebaseandtopleavesofyourpineappleanddiscardthem.Cutthepineapplecrosswiseinto3/4-in/2-cmslices,tocreatedisks.Cuteachdiskinhalf,andthencutthehalvesintoquarters,andthequartersintoeighths.

Youthenneedtonotchthetrianglessothattheysitontherim.Tomakethetrianglesitinplanewiththesideoftheglass,cutyournotchstraightinfromthepoint.Toallowthetriangletositatanangleontheglass,makeyourcutpartwayuponeside,ratherthandirectlyatthepoint.Thechoicedependsonthesizeandshapeofglass,andthevisualpresentationyou’regoingfor.

HowtoCutPineappleSpears

Cutoffthebaseandtopleavesofyourpineappleanddiscardthem.Cutthepineappleinhalflengthwise.Layonehalf,cut-sidedown,onthesurfaceandcutinhalflengthwiseagain,tomakequarters.Cuteachquarterinhalflengthwise,togiveyoueighths.Ifyou’vegotalargepineapple,makeonemorecutsothatyouhaveaslenderspear.

Toputanicefinishonthespears,cutoff1/2to3/4in/12mmto2cmoftheinneredgeofthespear,toremovethehardcore.Thespearwilllookmorepolishedandwillbemuchmoreenjoyabletoeatifyourguestdecidestotakeabite.

StoringPineappleGarnishes

Trynottocutpineapplemorethan1hourahead,oritwilldryout.Storethegarnishesinanairtightcontainerinthefridge,andjustpullthemoutasyouneedthem.

UTILITARIANGARNISHESThisthirdcategoryofgarnishisalittlemorehard-workingthandroppedgarnishesandvisualgarnishes.Notonlydoesthisgarnishneedtolookappetizing,italsomightpotentiallybecomeintegratedintotheflavorofthedrinkatsomepoint,soyou’rereallyworkingitfromtwoangleshere.

CITRUSWEDGES

Thereisn’tmuchintheworldIfindlesssatisfyingthanorderingaginandtonic,andreceivingahealthydoseofbracinggin,asolidglugoftonicwater,andatinylimpchunkoflimefloatingontop.You’remostlikelytobeservedthis“garnish,”roughlythesizeofababy’sthumb,atballgames,aboardairplanes,andatjustaboutanybarfeaturingmorethanonetelevision.

Apropercitruswedgeisfreshlycut,glisteningwithjuices,and,withanyluck,perfectlybalancedontheedgeoftheglass.Itisanoption,anaccoutrement,aflavorfulaccessory.Thedrinkerishopefullygoingtotastethedrinkbeforemakingthedecisiontouseordiscardthecitrusgarnish,butifit’sgoingtobethere,thenplease,let’smakeitanattractiveoption.

You’refinishingyourcocktailwithabig,juicywedgeoflime,andit’sjustbeggingtobesqueezedintothedrink—orisit?Therearetwowaystogowiththis,andyoujustneedtodecidewhichwaymakessensetoyou.Evenmorethanacocktailflavorissue,squeezingisaserviceandhospitalityissue.Squeezingthewedgeforyourguest,andthendroppingthespentfruitintothedrinktoreleaseabitmoreflavorandtosignaltheflavorsinthedrink,meansyou’redoingtheworkfortheguest,andyouaretheonewhosefingersgetmessy.

Butleavingthewedgeforyourguesttosqueezeallowshertomakethechoice,hopefullyaftertastingthedrink.Formanyyears,Isqueezedasacourtesy,butI’dalsousedtheothermethod,andI’dseensomanyguestsremovethewedgeandnot

addittothedrinkthatI’vechangedmyapproach.Inowbalancethewedgeontherimandleaveittotheguesttofinishthejob,thoughtfullyprovidedwithacocktailnapkin,ofcourse.

HowtoChooseCitrusFruitforWedges

Whileyoudowantyourwedgetohaveashiny,colorfulskin,themostimportantpartofacitrusthatisintendedforawedgeisitsinterior.Plump,juicy,andeasytosqueezewinoutoverthick-skinnedandpebbly,andoftenareatodds;it’sraretofindalimeorlemonwiththickskinthat’sextremelyjuicy.Choosefruitthatfeelsheavyforitssize,doesn’tgivetooeasilywhenyousqueezeit,yetfeelslikethere’snottoomuchskinandpithhidingunderneaththesurface.

HowtoCutaLengthwiseCitrusWedge

Alengthwisewedgetakesadvantageofalargesurfaceareaofskin,makingithospitabletothedrinkerwhoisabouttogiveitasqueeze.It’skindoftheultimateutilitariangarnish—fairlyeasyontheeyes,buteveneasieronthefingers.Youknowwhatit’sfor,anditmakesnopretenseaboutbeingotherwise.IfinditsuitablefordrinkssuchasrumandCokes.

Trimanyexcessoffofthestemandstylarends.You’renotactuallycuttingintothefruit;youjustwanttoroundtheends,followingthenaturalcurveofthefruit.Youtrimoffjusttheactualstemandthenippleontheotherend.Next,cutthefruitinhalflengthwise.Usingthepointofyourknife,scoretheinsideofeachhalfabouthalfwaythroughrightinthecenter,cuttingallthewaythroughtheflesh,butstoppingatthepeel.Thiswillendupbeingthenotchineachgarnish;doingitonceoneachhalfmeansyoudon’thavetoscorethewedgesindividually.Cuteachhalflengthwiseinhalfagain,orforlargerfruit,cuteachhalflengthwiseintothirdsorquarters.Smalllimeswillyieldfoursegments,andlargelimes,lemons,andorangeswillyielduptoeightperfruit.

HowtoMakeaCross-CutWedge

Across-cutgarnishisessentiallyafathalfwheel,anditputseachwonderfullytranslucentcitrussegmentondisplay.Tobegin,halvethefruitlengthwise.Layeachhalfcut-sidedown,andtrimofftheendstoneatentheshape.Cutcrosswiseintothickslices.Ifyou’reusinglargeorangesorgrapefruits,awedgefromahalffruitwillbetoobig,socutthefruitintoquarters,andthencutonecrosswiseintowedges.Cuta1/4-in/6-mmnotchinthecenterofeachwedge,foralignmentinlinewiththeplaneoftheglass,oratanangleforanoffsetperch.

WHIPPEDCREAM

Whippedcreamisabeautifulandelegantgarnishusedtofinishcoffee-basedcocktails,mostfamouslyIrishcoffee.Tolearnhowtowhipcream,seepage148.

RIMMEDGARNISHES

NosportsbarorchainMexicanrestaurantwouldbecompletewithoutoneofthoseglass-rimmercaddies.YouknowwhatI’mtalkingabout;it’saroundblackplasticthingthatfoldsouttorevealthreecompartments:oneforsalt,oneforsugar,andonethatholdsakindofplasticspongethatyousoakwithRose’sSweetenedLimeJuice.Thebartendermashesthemouthoftheglassintothestickysponge,removesanyfruitfliesfromtherim,andthenpoundsitintothecrustysaltorsugaruntilthe

lipiscoatedinakindoflimey-saltyorlimey-sugarygoo.WehadoneatthebarIworkedinrightaftercollege,andIcanguaranteeyouithasn’tbeenwashedsinceIleft.

Gettingaperfectsaltorsugarrimonthelipofaglassrequirescarefulattentiontotechnique,butonceyou’vemasteredit,theprocessisasnap.Theordergoessomethinglikethis:

1.Invertglass.

2.Moistenrim.

3.Applysaltorsugar.

4.Taptodislodgeexcess.

Tohelpgivesomesenseofordertothemethod,herearesomedo’sanddon’tsofpreparingrimmedglassware.

DO DON’T

usefreshlycutcitrustomoistentherimoftheglass.

prepareashallowdishofsimplesyruporlimecordial,assomebookswillinstructyoutodo.

chooseacomplementaryflavorofcitruswhenmoisteningtherim.Forexample,alimerimforamargarita,lemonororangeforasidecar.

betemptedtousegrenadineoranyothersyrupformoisteningtherim.Thiswillresultinadrippymess.

bemeticulousinmoisteningtherim;anyareastouchedbycitrusjuicewillbecoatedinsaltandsugar,whileanyareasnotcoatedwillbebare.

useanythingbutperfectlydriedglassware,asanymoistureontheglasswillpickupsaltflakesorsugarcrystalsinplacesnotintendedtoberimmed.

usekoshersalt,seasalt,oranyothersaltwithlargeflakes.

useordinarytablesaltorso-calledmargaritasalt,whichisnothingmorethanoverpricedkoshersalt.

usetablesugar,unbleached usebrown,muscovado,superfine,

usetablesugar,unbleachedsugar,oranyotherdrysugarwithlargecrystals,suchasturbinado.

usebrown,muscovado,superfine,orpowderedsugar.

bevigilantaboutkeepingtherimawayfromthecontentsofthedrink.

allowsaltorsugarontheinterioroftheglass;onlytheverytopoftherimorinabandaroundtheoutside.

Thereareessentiallytwotypesofclassicrims:onewherethesaltorsugarareperfectlybalancedontheverytipoftheglass,whichwecallalip;andonewheretheexterioroftheglassiswrappedina1/2-to3/4-in/12-mmto2-cmbeltofsaltorsugar,whichwerefertoasaband.Theformerisbestsuitedtodrinksservedwithoutice,asitiseasilydisturbed;thelatterisourdefaultfordrinksservedontherocks.

Foreach,you’llneedashallowbowloraplate(Ipreferabowl)filledwithatleast1/2in/12mmofsaltorsugar.Afterpouringthesaltorsugarintothebowl,shakeitgentlytoevenlydistributethecontentssothatit’scompletelylevel;dothiseverytimeanewrimistobeproduced.Oncethesaltorsugarbeginsclumpingtogetherandanevendistributionisnolongerpossible,discardandstartoverwithacleanbowl.

HowtoRimaLip

Forthisyou’llneedanopenpieceofcitruscutalongtheequator.Inverttheglass,holdthecutcitrusinonehand,andspintheglasssothejuiceringsjusttheveryedgeoftherim.Gentlydiptheedgeoftheglassintothedishofsaltorsugarandtap.Turnandtap,turnandtapuntilyou’veworkedyourwayaroundtheglass,achievinguniformcoverage.Nowholdtheglassoverthesinkandtapitwithyourhandtodislodgeanyexcess.Youwantarimthat’sjustafewgrainsdeep,withanythingbelowtheedgeoftherimfreeofsaltorsugar.

HowtoCreateaBand

Thegoalhereistocreatearimthatwon’tbedisturbedwhenyouaddtheiceddrinktotheglass—justalittleflavoringandtextureontheguest’slowerlipasshesipsthedrink.Wewanttoavoidintroducingsaltoradditionalsugartothecocktailitselfatallcosts.

Slipaslitwedgeofcitrus(seepage266)overtherimandturntheglass,inessencewipingabandofmoistureontheinsideandoutsideoftheglass;thebandwillbeaswideasthewedgeisdeep.Nowrolltheglassinadishofsaltorsugarsoyoucreateawell-definedbandontheoutside;taptoreleaseanyexcess.

MARGARITA

Tosaltornottosalt,thatisthequestion.It’sbelievedthatoriginally,thesaltedrim,whichisindeliblylinkedwithtequila,wasprovidedtomaskthetasteofinferiorspirits.Whilemanybartendershavebeguntoshowdisdainforthesaltedrimaswe’vediscoveredthebeautyofhandmadeartisantequilas,thefactstillremainsthatthevastmajorityofmargaritadrinkersdemandasaltedrimwiththeircocktail.Andifthat’sthewayit’sgoingtobe,youmightaswellgivethemaperfectlysaltedrimandaperfectlymademargaritatogowithit.

MAKES1DRINK

Saltforrimmingtheglass11/2oz/45mlsilvertequila3/4oz/22.5mlCointreau3/4oz/22.5mlfreshlimejuice1tsp/5ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)

IcecubesforshakingCrackediceforserving

OLD-FASHIONEDGLASS

Rimthelipoftheold-fashionedglasswithsalt(seepage269).Shakethetequila,Cointreau,limejuice,andsimplesyruptogetherinacocktailshakerfilledwithicecubes.Strainintotheglassfilledwithcrackediceandserve.

AROMATICGARNISHESThemostsubtleandcomplexgarnishessitlightlyonthesurfaceofthedrink,providinganenhancedolfactoryexperience,butoftenlittletonothinginthewayofvisualpresentation.Thesearetheblackdiamondgarnishes,theadvancedlevelofgarnishingthatrequiressomethoughtand,asalways,attentiontodetail.

CITRUSPEEL

Whenyougentlysqueezeawideswathofcitruspeeloverthesurfaceofthedrink,youexpressitsoilsoverthesurfaceofthecocktail,addingsomeperfumetothedrink.Therearefewcocktailsthatdon’tbenefitfromalayeroflight,aromaticcitrusoilontheirsurface—especiallyspirit-drivencocktails.Sothisisoneofthemostessentialgarnishingtechniquesoutthere.

ChoosingFruitforMakingPeels

Lookforlargerfruit—whichhasmoresurfacearea—witharough,pebbledsurface(asopposedtosmaller,smooth-skinnedfruit).Thiscolorfulouterskiniscalledtheflavedo,whichcontainsessentialoils,wax,fattyacids,andlimonene,afragrance-producingcompound.Incookingterminology,thispartoftheskiniscalledthezest.Thisiswhatwe’llbesqueezingoverthesurfaceofthedrink.Whenselectingfruit,squeezeitgently;itshouldfeelfirmandtheskinshouldfeelthick.Anddefinitelychooseorganicifpossible;inanycase,rinsethefruitwellbeforecuttingyourgarnish.

ToolsforCuttingPeels

Therearetwotypesoffruitandvegetablepeelersonthemarket:verticalandhorizontal.Theverticalpeeleristhetraditionallong-handledpeeleryou’veundoubtedlyencounteredatsomepointinyourlife,anditsorientationmakesitperfectlysuitedtopeelinglongvegetablesandfruits,suchascarrotsandcucumbers,asitplacesthearmsandhandsintoanaturalpositionfordoingso.

Thehorizontalpeeler,sometimescalledaYpeeler,isdesignedtocomfortablypeelroundfruitsandvegetables,suchaspotatoesand,inourcase,citrusfruits.Thehandle’sorientationplacesthearmsinamorenaturalpositionforpeelingfruitsandvegetablesofthissizeandshape.

MyfavoriteYpeelerismadebyOXOGoodGrips.Theyalsomakeaso-called“Pro”versionofthispeeler,availableforafewextrabucks.ButI’vefoundittobelessergonomicallycomfortablethanthestandardversion,whichistheoneIuse.

Somechefslikeusingapeelerwithaceramicblade,butnotme.They’reextremelysharp,andthebladeisshallow,whichmakesithardtocontrol.Beingabletomaintainprecisecontroloverthebladeisimportantnotjustfortheappearanceofyourpeels,butalsoforthesafetyofyourfingertips.Nottofreakyououtoranything,butifyoupeelenoughfruit,theoddsaregoodthatonedayyou’regoingtolopoffthetopofoneofyourfingers.Ifindthatthishappensmorefrequentlywithceramicpeelers.Nottomentionthatceramicbladesarefairlyfragileandcan’tstanduptobeingfrequentlytossedinabarbag.

HowtoCutaCitrusPeel

Yourgoalistocreateagenerous,evenribbonofpeel,withoutjaggededgesandwithenoughofthewhitepithunderneathtogivethepeelsomestructureandfirmness.Holdthefruitfirmlyinyournondominanthandandfirmlydragthepeelerlengthwise—fromstemtostylar—inonefirmstroke.Trynottostopandstart,whichcancreateripplededges.Peelingtiptotipgivesyouthelongestpeelsandalsousesthefruit’ssurfacemoreefficiently,formaximumyield.

HowtoGarnishwithaPeel

Simplydroppingapieceofparedcitruspeelintoadrinkdoesnothingbutaddaspotofcolor—itsoilneedstobeforcedoutsothattheoilcoatsthesurfaceofthedrink.Positionthepeeloverthedrink,colored-sidedown.Squeezetheshortendstogetherbetweenyourthumbandmiddlefinger,rollingthepeelslightlyto

intensifythecurvealongitsfulllength.Ifyoulookcloselyandcatchtherightamountoflightonthesurfaceofthedrink,youcanseeexactlyhowmuchoilyou’reexpressingwhileyoudothis.

Iliketousetheleftoverpeeltowipetherimoftheglassforanaddeddimensionofflavorastherimtouchesthelips.Holdingthebaseoftheglasswiththenondominanthandtopreventspillage,simplyrubthecoloredsideofthepeelaroundthelipoftheglassseveraltimesuntilit’swellcoatedwithoil.

Atthispoint,you’vereachedthatage-oldbartender’sdilemmaagain:todropordiscard(thiscomesupwhengarnishingwithwedges,too;seepage266).Somedrinksbenefitfromthepeelsittinginthecocktailandcontinuingtoprovidefurtherdepthandflavorasthedrinksits.Ifindthattheold-fashioned(seepage82)isoneofthosedrinks.

Forothers,abigswathofpeelisonlygoingtogetintheway,clutteringtheotherwiseclean,neatpresentationofthecocktail.IfindthattheSazerac(page278)fallsinthatcategory,andsoforthatdrink,Ileaveitout.Whichevermethodyouchoose,bepreparedtoexplainyourreasoningtoyourguests,asthesecanbeverypolarizingchoicesinthecocktailworld.

THEFLAMEDORANGEPEEL

Onepopulartrickbehindthebartodaydatesbackto1970inLosAngeles,wasrevivedbyDaleDeGroffinNewYorkinthe1980s,andcontinuestobepopularamongbartenderseverywhere,andthat’stheflamedorangepeel.ReportedlyinventedbybartenderPepeRuizfortheflameoflovecocktailcreatedforDeanMartin,thetrickinvolvesholdinganorangepeelclosetoanopenflameandbrieflyignitingthevolatileoilsoverthesurfaceofthedrink.

Beginwithalarge,thickswathoforangepeel,about1in/2.5cmby21/2in/6cm.Holdingalitmatchorlighterbetweenthepeelandthesurfaceofthecocktail,squeezetheoilssotheypassthroughtheflameandontothedrink’ssurface.Fromthereit’sbusinessasusual,wipingtherimoftheglasswiththeorangepeelanddecidingwhethertodropordiscard.

You’lloftenseebartenders“warmingup”thepeelbyheatingitfirstwiththefiresource,butIsuspectthat’salotofshowandnotmuchscience.Thewarmingisamysterytome.Flamingtheorangepeelshouldbeabitofbarmagic—itmustcatchtheguestcompletelybysurprise.Thebartenderhastoexecuteitinonefluidmotion.Whendoneproperly,theguestjustcatchesitoutofthecorneroftheireye;thentheysmelltheorangeoil.Warmingturnsitintoascienceprojectandmakestheguestnervousanduneasyaboutwhatshouldbesleightofhand.

SPICES

Whilemanyspicesmaketheirwayintovariousingredientsofcocktails—suchasliqueurs,syrups,andtinctures—forgarnishing,thetwomostcommonspicesyou’llusearenutmegandcinnamon.

Itshouldgowithoutsayingatthispoint,butI’lljustmentionitagaintodrivehomethepoint:Anyspiceyouuseinacocktailneedstobefreshlygratedorground,inordertodeliverthefragranceandflavoryouwant.Never,everbuypregroundspicesfromthegrocerystore,andalwaysbewareofthelittlesaltshakerfullofthree-year-oldpregroundnutmegthat’skeptunderbarsallovertheworld.

Nutmegiseasy.Thehard,roundwholenutmegsstayfreshforalongtime,andgratingthemiseasyaslongasyouhaveaMicroplanegrater.

Forcinnamon,IusetheCeylonsoft-stickcinnamon,whichisverycrumblyanddelicate,unliketherock-hardrollsofcassiacinnamon,whichisfromadifferentplantaltogether.Ceylonistruecinnamon;ithasapotentfragranceandsweet-spicyflavor.Togarnishwithcinnamon,Ijustgrateitdirectlyoverthedrink.

Whenusingbothofthesespices,Iliketogratesothatthespicefallsinoneconcentratedspotonthesurfaceofthedrink,ratherthancreatingamorewidespreadlightdusting.Youcanmakeanattractivepatternifyousimplyholdthegraterclosetothesurfaceofthedrinkandgrateinshortstrokes.

Microplanemakesanactualnutmeggrater,whichhasaslimcurvedplate,againstwhichyougratethenutmeg.Ipersonallydon’tcareforthese,becauseyouenduphollowingoutalittlegroove,eventuallymakingthenutmegdifficulttouse.Anyofthefine-gaugeflatgratersworkwell;youjustgratethroughthewholenutmeg.Forcinnamon,thisbasicgraterworksbestaswell.

SPRAYS

Perhapsthemostesotericandcomplexgarnishisaspritzofsomethingsprayedoverthesurfaceofthecocktail.Absinthe,vermouth,bitters,IslayScotch,mezcal,orangeblossomwaterandrosewater,andherballiqueursareallbeautifulaccompanimentsandinterestingwaystogiveafragrantfinishtoadrink.

Forallofyoursprays,justuseagenericatomizerbottle—onethat’sneverheldanythingnonpotable,suchasperfume—andfillwiththeliquidofyourchoice.Besuretolabelthebottle.

MostatomizersareinexpensiveandreadilyavailableontheInternet.Sinceonebrandisn’tmuchbetterthananother,Irecommendsimplyfindingonethatmatchesthelookofyourbar.

SAZERAC

Sometimesit’shelpfultothinkofagarnishinanuncommonway.IliketothinkoftheabsintherinsefoundinatraditionalSazeraccocktailasanaromaticgarnishthat’splacedunderneaththedrink.Itincorporatesintothefinishedproductbutalsoretainssomearomaticsalongtheinsidecollaroftheglass.

Theclassicmethodologyistopourasmallmeasureofabsintheintotheglass,swirlit,andthendumpitout,whichcoatstheglassevenly,butisalsoawasteofabsintheandisslightlymessy.Atourbarsweliketouseanatomizerfilledwithabsinthetoneatlyandevenlycoattheinsideoftheglass.

MAKES1DRINK

2oz/60mlryewhiskey1tsp/5ml2:1simplesyrup(seepage78)

3dashesPeychaud’sbitters

1dashAngosturabitters

Icecubes

Absinthe(inanatomizerbottle)forgarnish

1lemonpeelforgarnish

FROZENROCKSGLASS

Stirthewhiskey,simplesyrup,andbitterstogetherinamixingglass.Addicecubesandstiruntilchilled.Inthefrozenrocksglass,sprayabsintheuntiltheentireinteriorsurfaceisevenlycoated.Strainthecocktailintotheglass,twistthelemonpeeloverthesurface,anddiscardthepeelbeforeserving.

BITTERSDROPLETART

Ifasprayofbittersoverthesurfaceofadrinkisabeautifularomaticpresentation,afewdropscanbebotharomaticandvisuallyappealingatthesametime.Thisisanadvanced-levelgarnishingtechnique,alongthelinesofsomethingapastrychefmightemploy.

Reservethistechniquefordrinksthatcontaineggwhites,asthefoamonthedrink’ssurfaceistheonlythingthatwillsupportafewdropsofbitterssotheydon’tquicklydissipateintothedrink.

HowtoMakeDecorativeBittersArt

Despitethefactthatbittersbottlesareoutfittedwithatinypourspout,youdon’teverwanttopourdirectlyfromthebottleunlessyou’relookingforasloppymess.It’simpossibletocontroltheexactamountofbitters,orwhereitwillland,astheforceofthetippingcontentscancausethebitterstosquirtoutinanarc.I’veseenbartenderssuccessfullyemployafree-pourbittersbottletoachieveabeautifulstraightlineacrossthetopofanegg-whitecocktail,butthefollowingistheonlywaytoconsistentlyplaceprecisedropletsinthefoam.

Transferyourbitterstoasmalleyedropper,availableatanycosmeticsorcraftsupplystore.They’recheapandreadilyavailable,andmuchlikeatomizers,I’veneverseenoneparticularbrandthat’sheadandshouldersabovetherest.

Carefullyplaceyourdropsonthedrink,andthendragatoothpickorthepointofasharpknifethroughdrop.Movingfromthecenterofadropoutwardwillmakea“tail”;draggingallthewaythroughwillmakeaheartshape;anddraggingthroughseveraldotswillconnectthemintoalittlegarland.

INDEXA

absinthe

glassesfor,238

historyof,238

Sazerac,278

serving,238

asspray,278

Vesper,195–96

Adkins,Erik,88,107

agavesyrup,76,77

aging,barrel,132

AlexanderCocktail,146

Allen,Ethan,32

Amco,19

Angosturabitters,137

Antoine’s,241

applebrandyandapplejackAutumnLeaves,135

JackRose,100

PhiladelphiaFishHousePunch,111applecider

appleseedsand,39

choosingapplesfor,38–39

equipmentfor,38

FlannelShirt,40

pasteurized,38

storing,39apricotbrandy

HotelNacionalSpecial,107

atomizers,278

AutumnLeaves,135

B

Baker,CharlesH.,107,122

baker’ssugar,75

Bamboo,118

band,creating,268,269

Barnard,W.G.“Papa,”228

barrelaging,132

barspoons,189,203–4bartending

ascraft,185

physicalityof,190

speedand,191,193

batching,196–97

BeachcomberBar,229

Bellini,49

binLaden,Osama,91bitters

commercial,136–37

definitionof,136

dropletart,281

historyof,136

HouseOrangeBitters,138

measuring,188

nonpotabilityof,136

asspray,278

blending,227–28

BlueBlazer,239–40

BohemianClub,256

Bolívar,Simón,137

Bond,James,195

Bonzerjiggers,189Bostonshaker

choosing,213–14

dryshakealignmentfor,158

opening,215,218bourbon

DanielShoemaker’sBrandiedCherries,252–53

HouseOld-Fashioned,82

MintJulep,176

Revolver,140

Bourbon&Branch,140brandy.Seealsoapplebrandyandapplejack;apricotbrandy;cognacDanielShoemaker’sBrandiedCherries,252–53

BrevilleJuiceFountainElite,33

Brooke,Joseph,241

brownsugar,75,77

Buck’sClub,71

Buddha’shand,27

BuenaVistaCafe,150

buildingintheglass,225

C

cachaça

about,237

Caipirinha,237

CaféBrûlot,241–42

Caipirinha,237Canadianwhisky

MapleOld-Fashioned,83

carbonation,53–55,57

CaribeHilton,229

castersugar,75

Cavendish,Henry,53

channelknives,260,262

Chapman,John,32cherries

DanielShoemaker’sBrandiedCherries,252–53

asgarnishes,250

improvingonjarred,250–51

pitting,253

chiles,infusingwith,124

ChineseFive-SpicedDarkRum,128cinnamon

CinnamonTincture,134

asgarnish,277

Cipriani,Giuseppe,49citrus.Seealsoindividualfruits

bulk-buying,16–17

choosing,16–17

historyof,14–15

horse’sneck,262

juice,17,22–25

muddling,235

peels,274–75,277

twists,260,262

varietiesof,27–28

wedges,266–67

wheels,262,264

ClinebellEquipmentCompany,170

ClydeCommon,154,193

ClydeCommonEggnog,154

cobblershaker,213

CocktailKingdom,172,204,206,208,213,235,240cocktails

historyof,81

sugarsyrupsin,81

threeelementsofgood,10

CocoLópez,229coconutcream

PiñaColada,229coffee

CaféBrûlot,241–42

IrishCoffee,150

SpanishCoffee,243,245coffeeliqueur

Revolver,140

SpanishCoffee,243,245cognac

CaféBrûlot,241–42

JapaneseCocktail,113

PhiladelphiaFishHousePunch,111

Sidecar,220Cointreau

Margarita,272

Sidecar,220

Thyme-InfusedCointreau,127

WhiteLady,161

Colliau,Jennifer,88–89,112

Collins,John,54compoundsyrups

advantagesof,89

fruitin,97

GingerSyrup,103

Grenadine,98,100

GumSyrup,90–91,93

herbsin,94

MintSyrup,96

OleoSaccharum,108

orgeat,112

PineappleSyrup,103

QuinineSyrup,59

RaspberrySyrup,102

confectioners’sugar,75

Conigliaro,Tony,132

Cook,James,54

CountryCleanPaperSupplies,255

Craddock,Harry,161,185cream

choosing,145

sell-bydatefor,147

storing,147

typesof,146

whipped,147–48,267

creamwhipper,infusingwith,127crèmedecacao

AlexanderCocktail,146crèmedepêche

PhiladelphiaFishHousePunch,111

Cuffs&Buttons,157

CynarFlip,153

D

DaiquiriNo.3,28

dairyproducts.Seealsocreamchoosing,145

roleof,incocktails,144

sell-bydatefor,147

storing,147

typesof,146

DanielShoemaker’sBrandiedCherries,252–53

DarkandStormy,68

dashes,186,188

Death+Company,83

DeGroff,Dale,277

Demerarasugar,75–76,77

dilution,201–2

dissolution,119

dram,186Drambuie

KingstonClub,42

drops,186

dryice,168

dryshake,157,158

E

eggs

choosing,145

ClydeCommonEggnog,154

cracking,152–53

CynarFlip,153

freshnessof,152

measuring,152

raw,152

separating,154,156

WhiteLady,161

whites,preparingandstoring,156–57

Estopinal,Kirk,136

Exacto-Pourtestingset,193

F

fatwashing,120

FizzGiz,57flamingdrinks

BlueBlazer,239–40

CaféBrûlot,241–42

withorangepeel,277

SpanishCoffee,243,245

FlannelShirt,40

flavor,complexitiesof,119–20

Fleming,Ian,195flips

CynarFlip,153

historyof,153flowers

asgarnishes,259–60

storing,260

foodmills,33

foodprocessors,33

Franklin,Benjamin,53

freepouring,191,193–94

French75,71fruit.Seealsojuices;individualfruits

incompoundsyrups,97

muddling,235

purees,46

G

Galatoire’s,241

garnishes.Seealsoindividualgarnishes

aromatic,274–75,277–78,281

dropped,250–56

rimmed,268–69

roleof,248

utilitarian,266–67

visual,259–60,262,264–65

Gibson,256

Gibson,WalterD.K.,256

gill,186gin

AlexanderCocktail,146

CloverClub,102

French75,71

GinandTonic,58,62

ImprovedHollandCocktail,196–97

Martini,210

TomCollins,54,56

Vesper,195–96

WhiteLady,161ginger

DarkandStormy,68

GingerBeer,65–66

GingerSyrup,103

juice,45

storing,45

glass,asunitofmeasure,185glasses

forabsinthe,238

forIrishCoffee,150

formartinis,195

mixing,204,206

oversized,195

rimmed,268–69

Gonzalez,Giuseppe,136

Gracia,Ricardo,229GrandMarnier

CaféBrûlot,241–42

granulatedsugar,75grapefruits

choosing,16–17

DaiquiriNo.3,28

juice,17,24

varietiesof,27–28

Grenadine,98,100

JackRose,100

GumSyrup,90–91,93

H

HamiltonBeach,20

Harry’sBar,49

Hawthornestrainer,208,219

hemicellulose,132

Hemingway,Ernest,28herbs

incompoundsyrups,94

asgarnishes,259–60

infusionswith,126–27

muddling,230

storing,260

tinctureswith,133,134

honey,76,77

horse’sneck,262

Hoshizakiicemachines,172

HotelNacionalSpecial,107

HouseOld-Fashioned,82

HouseOrangeBitters,138

Huber’sCafe,243

I

ice

behaviorof,165

forblendeddrinks,227–28

block,170

carbonationand,55

clarityof,165–66

cracked,172,174

crushed,174

cubes,170,172

dilutionand,201–2

dry,168

handling,168,170

historyof,164

importanceof,164

large-format,170,172

making,166,168

obtaining,166,168

forpunch,178

roleof,165

spears,172

spherical,181

storing,168

transporting,168

typesof,170,172,174

ImprovedHollandCocktail,196–97infusions

withchiles,124

ChineseFive-SpicedDarkRum,128

choosingingredientsfor,120–21

fatwashingand,120

flavorand,120

goalof,120

withherbsandspices,126–28

Limoncello,130

making,121

Nocino,129

processesinvolvedin,119

storing,122

straining,122

TequilaporMiAmante,122

Thyme-InfusedCointreau,127

tincturesvs.,133

wood,132

ingredients,importanceof,10Irishwhiskey

IrishCoffee,150

J

JackRose,100

JapaneseCocktail,113

jiggers,185,188–89

juicers,19–20,33juices

apple,38–39

citrus,17,22–25

ginger,45

pineapple,42

pomegranate,44

techniquesfor,22–23,34,36

tomato,43

Julep,Mint,176

julepstrainer,208

K

Kahlúa

SpanishCoffee,243,245

KingstonClub,42knives

channel,260,262

paring,264

serrated,264

Kold-Drafticemachines,172

KuhnRikon,264

kumquats,27

L

lemons.Seealsocitruschoosing,16–17

CloverClub,102

FlannelShirt,40

French75,71

GingerBeer,65–66

JackRose,100

juice,17,24–25

Limoncello,130

OleoSaccharum,108

PhiladelphiaFishHousePunch,111

Sidecar,220

TomCollins,54,56

varietiesof,27

WhiteLady,161

Lewisbags,174Lilletblanc

Vesper,195–96

limes.SeealsocitrusCaipirinha,237

choosing,16–17

DaiquiriNo.3,28

HotelNacionalSpecial,107

juice,17,24

KingstonClub,42

Margarita,272

Mojito,233

Queen’sParkSwizzle,226

varietiesof,27

Limoncello,130

lip,rimming,268,269

Luxardo,250

M

MacElhone,Harry,71

mandarins,28maplesyrup

caloriesin,77

gradesof,77

MapleOld-Fashioned,83

insimplesyrup,77

maraschinoliqueurDaiquiriNo.3,28

ImprovedHollandCocktail,196–97

Margarita,272

MarreroPérez,Ramón“Monchito,”229

Martin,Dean,277

Martini,210

Mayahuel,83

McGarry,Malachy,71

measuringAmericansystemfor,186–87

eggs,152

historyof,185–86

importanceof,185

metricsystemfor,187,195–96

speedand,191,193

toolsfor,188–91

Messermeister,262

metricsystem,187,195–96mezcal

OaxacaOld-Fashioned,83

Microplane,277mint

MintJulep,176

MintSyrup,96

Mojito,233

Strawberry-MintShrub,114

MisterMojito,235

mixers,52

mixingglasses,204,206

Mojito,233

muddling,230,235

muscovadosugar,76,77

N

Nepove,David,235

Nocino,129

Norpro,19,219

nutmeg,277

O

OaxacaOld-Fashioned,83old-fashioned

historyof,81

HouseOld-Fashioned,82

MapleOld-Fashioned,83

OaxacaOld-Fashioned,83

RumOld-Fashioned,82

OleoSaccharum,108

PhiladelphiaFishHousePunch,111

olives,254–55onions

asgarnishes,256

ToddThrasher’sPickledOnions,256

oranges.Seealsocitrusbitters,commercial,137

choosing,16–17

HouseOrangeBitters,138

juice,17,24

peel,flamed,277

varietiesof,27–28orgeat

about,112

JapaneseCocktail,113

osmosis,119

OXO,189,213,219,253,274

P

Parisianshaker,214

Pazuniak,Maks,136

peaches

Bellini,49

puree,46

Pearl-Kimmel,Stephanie,118

peelers,274

peels,citrus,274–75,277

PeguClub,157

Pépin,Jacques,152

PerlageSystem,70

Peychaud,AntoineAmédée,137

Peychaud’sbitters,137

Pike,Justin,193–94

PiñaColada,229pineapple

choosing,42

garnishes,265

HotelNacionalSpecial,107

juice,42

KingstonClub,42

PiñaColada,229

PineappleSyrup,103

Plinth,Charles,54pomegranates

choosing,44

Grenadine,98,100

juice,44

storing,44

pony,185

pouring

free,191,193–94

overhandedvs.underhanded,189–91

powderedsugar,75

Priestley,Joseph,53–54

ThePrizefighter,140punches

historyof,14–15

icefor,178

PhiladelphiaFishHousePunch,111

PX,256

Q

Queen’sParkHotel,226

Queen’sParkSwizzle,226quinine

historyof,58

QuinineSyrup,59

QuinineTincture,59

R

RaChand,20

RaspberrySyrup,102

CloverClub,102

rawsugar,75–76recipes

choosing,10

scalingup,196–97

Regan,Gary,136,224

Revolver,140

Reynolds,Blair,112

Reynoso,Henry,146

Ricket,E.,90

rimmedgarnishes,268–69

rolling,225

Rösle,213

Ruiz,Pepe,277rum

ChineseFive-SpicedDarkRum,128

DaiquiriNo.3,28

DanielShoemaker’sBrandiedCherries,252–53

DarkandStormy,68

HotelNacionalSpecial,107

HouseOrangeBitters,138

Mojito,233

PhiladelphiaFishHousePunch,111

PiñaColada,229

Queen’sParkSwizzle,226

RumOld-Fashioned,82

SpanishCoffee,243,245ryewhiskey

AutumnLeaves,135

Sazerac,278

S

saltrim,268–69

Sandrof,Ben,153

Santer,Jon,140

Savoy,185

Sazerac,278

Schweppe,JohannJacob,54Scotch

BlueBlazer,239–40

FlannelShirt,40

Scovillescale,124

Seattlemuddle,224

seltzerwater,54shaking

dilutionand,201–2

foregg-whitecocktails,157–58

equipmentfor,213–14

goalsfor,213

stirringvs.,200

strainingand,219

techniquefor,214–15,218sherry

ClydeCommonEggnog,154

Shoemaker,Daniel,252shrubs

historyof,114

making,114

Strawberry-MintShrub,114

Sidecar,220

Siegert,JohannGottliebBenjamin,137

simplesyrups

choosingsugarfor,75–77

incocktails,81

goalof,74

making,78,80

measuringingredientsfor,78

storing,80

strengthof,78

SlantedDoor,88,107

SmallHandFoods,89,112

Sodastream,57

sodawater,54,57

Solomon,Chad,157

SpanishCoffee,243,245spears

ice,172

pineapple,265

speedpourers,191spices

asgarnishes,277

infusionswith,126,127–28

tinctureswith,133,134

Spill-Stoppourspouts,191

sprays,278

Stenson,Murray,193–94stirring

barspoonsfor,203–4

dilutionand,201–2

goalsof,203

mixingglassesfor,204,206

shakingvs.,200

strainingand,208

techniquefor,206,208

straining,122,208,219strawberries

Strawberry-MintShrub,114

TequilaporMiAmante,122Stregaliqueur

AutumnLeaves,135

subsidence,121

sugar.Seealsosimplesyrupsrim,268–69

typesof,75–77

Sunkist,20

superfinesugar,75

Swissmarbarspoon,204

swizzlesticks,226

swizzling,226

T

tangerines,28

TeardropLounge,252

technique,importanceof,10tequila

ClydeCommonEggnog,154

infusing,withchiles,124

Margarita,272

OaxacaOld-Fashioned,83

TequilaporMiAmante,122

Thomas,C.,90

Thomas,Jerry,56,81,82,112,153,185,239,240

Thoreau,HenryDavid,164

Thrasher,Todd,256

Thyme-InfusedCointreau,127tinctures

choosingalcoholsfor,133

CinnamonTincture,134

infusionsvs.,133

intensityof,133

making,134

QuinineTincture,59

TinyTavern,8

ToddThrasher’sPickledOnions,256

tomatojuice,43

TomCollins,54,56tonicwater

GinandTonic,58,62

historyof,58

making,58

toothpicks,255

Tovoloicetrays,170,172

triangles,pineapple,265TripleSec

SpanishCoffee,243,245

Tudor,Frederic,164

turbinadosugar,75–76,77

twists,citrus,260,262

U

ultrapasteurization,145

V

vermouth

AutumnLeaves,135

Martini,210

asspray,278

Vert,ConstantinoRibalaigua,28

Vesper,195–96

Victorinox,262

Vitamix,228vodka

CinnamonTincture,134

infusing,withchiles,124

infusing,withherbs,126

Limoncello,130

Nocino,129

Vesper,195–96

W

walnuts

Nocino,129

Ward,Phil,83

Waring,Fred,229

Waringice-crushingmachine,174

wedges,citrus,266–67

wheels,citrus,262,264

whippedcreamasgarnish,267

making,147–48whiskey.Seebourbon;Canadianwhisky;Irishwhiskey;ryewhiskey;ScotchWhite,Neyah,114

WhiteLady,161

whitesugar,75,77wine

Bellini,49

French75,71

Nocino,129

sparkling,70

wineglass,asunitofmeasure,185

WMF,213,214

Wondrich,David,111

Y

Yaraimixingglass,206

Ypeelers,274

yuzu,28

Z

zesters,260

ZigZagCafé,194

JEFFREYMORGENTHALERisanaward-winningbartender,workingsince1996ineverythingfromneighborhoodtavernsandcollegenightclubstofinerestaurantsandtrendylounges.HeiscurrentlybarmanageratPortland’sbelovedClydeCommon.HiswritingandrecipeshaveappearedintheNewYorkTimesandtheWallStreetJournal,aswellasWineEnthusiast,Playboy,Wired,andImbibemagazines.Hisblog,www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com,iswherehewaxeseloquentonbartendingandmixology.

MARTHAHOLMBERGisanaward-winningfoodwriterandeditor,formerpublisherandeditorofFineCookingmagazine,and,mostrecently,foodeditoroftheOregoniannewspaper.SheisalsotheauthorofModernSauces,Crêpes,andPuff,allpublishedbyChronicleBooks.ShelivesinPortland,OregonALANNAHALEisaSanFrancisco–basedfoodandlifestylephotographerwhoseworkhasappearedintheNewYorkTimes,BonAppétit,GQ,andFood&Winemagazines.Sheis,byherownadmission,obsessedwithallthingsfood-anddrink-related.

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