Alcademics.com

Flowers and Champagne

Here's something you already know: Sparkling wine + Floral liqueur = fun drink.

I hadn't realized until I started writing my latest Fine Cooking blog entry just how many new floral liqueurs have hit the market.

In recent years several new floral liqueurs have been brought to market, including St. Germain (elderflower), Esprit de June (grape vine flowers), Rothman and Winter Crème de Violette (violet), Crème Yvette (violet and berries), Fruit Lab Theia (jasmine), J. Witty Spirits Organic Chamomile, and Loft Liqueurs Organic Lavender.

So, here is the rest of the story.

Book Review: Champagne Cocktails by Jared Brown & Anistatia Miller

I recently received a review copy of Champagne Cocktails by Jared Brown & Anistatia Miller. The book was first published in 1999 and they've just released a 2010 edition. 

The book's description is:

Fancy the classic Champagne Cocktail that Esquire magazine called one of the "Ten Best Cocktails of 1934"? Lean toward something more daring like the creamy, frothy Soyer au Champagne crafted by 1840s celebrity chef Alexis Benoit Soyer? Looking for a modern elderflower-scented sparkler like the Waterloo Sunset or a Negroni Sbagliato? Or are you simply an unrepentant sipper of the bubbly in any way shape or form?

Then you'll love the revised and expanded 2010 edition of Miller's and Brown's 1999 classic, Champagne Cocktails. Among the 135 cocktails in this breezy tome, you'll find recipes, tips, wisdoms, witticisms, and  wacky quotes from such diverse sources as Voltaire and the British comedy hit Absolutely Fabulous. 

Whether you're pouring a Spanish cava, an Italian spumante, prosecco, or franziacorta, a German sekt, or something French this holiday season, you'll find a cocktail--an even a food accompaniment--to suit your taste in the pages of this classic Miller & Brown volume.

The book will soon be out in a Kindle/electronic edition, which will be great because that means it will be searchable. 

The book's recipes are grouped by drink category, rather than alphabetically. Each section lists a history of the main drink in the category, like the original Champagne Cocktail or the French 75, then list cocktail derivatives afterwards. More than the recipes, I loved the information and trivia before each drink. 

The book is available at Mixellany or on Amazon.com.

Sleeves are IN this Season with Moet-Hennessy

Sleeves! Sleeves! Sleeves! Everything in sleeves! 

Moet-Hennessy found the hot new look of the season by putting sleeves on all their products.

Perhaps they were inspired by the champagnes they put in sleeves a few seasons ago, like this attractive ice jacket for Veuve-Clicquot.  Sassy!

 

Then they did the same thing with flasks of Hennessy V.S. just this year.

So fresh!  SO funky!

Thinking ahead for fall, they knew it would get chilly, and said,  "SLEEVES FOR EVERYONE. EVERYONE GETS A SLEEVE!"

So they did one for Chopin vodka. It's the puffy jacket for potato vodka. FABULOUS.

Rickhouse Launches Summer Cocktail Menu

Starting this July, Rickhouse in San Francisco will offer a summer drink menu, because apparently the fifty cocktails on the regular menu are all seasonally inappropriate. (I kid!)

The regular menu isn't online, so those of you reading from out of town an get a glimpse of how it looks with its tiki bar-reminiscent descriptors (and low prices).

Note: Root beer and absinthe! Again!

Rickhouse Summer Cocktail Menu

Ginger’s Trois  $8

It’s as light and effervescent as the twinkle of a clouds silver lining.  Snappy and sparkling, this bubbly cocktail provides every minty answer you desire, and all without the trouble of having to ask a single question. 

Plymouth Gin, Sparkling Wine, Fresh Lime, Fresh Mint, Fresh Ginger and Bitters

Cherry Blossom Cobbler  $8

From the depths of the Orient, comes this sultry and seductive tigress that is heart-bent on sending a shock through your fingers and a chill up your spine.  We insist you proceed with caution, lest you lose yourself within its snowy abyss.

Yamazaki 12 year, Organic Cherry Blossom Jam, Fresh Lemon Juice and Seasonal Fruit

Sutter Street Swizzle  $10

Brazen and uninhibited, this beverage makes no apologies for its chilly disposition. For alas, even within the great depths of the Amazon will you find nothing quite as alluring and enticing as the subtle, yet untamed flavors of this exotic spiced beverage.

Cachaca, Falernum, Pineapple Gomme, Fresh Ginger, Fresh Lime Juice and Bitters

The Big Dig  $8

A delectable and enterprising adventure that is attractively saturated in the sweet taste of lost inhibitions.  Seasonal berries and sarsparilla sweetness unite to form an appealing combination that is one part carbonated fizz and one part summer bliss.

Beefeater Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Organic Raspberries, Artisanal Root Beer and a Dash of Absinthe

High-Plains Drifter  $8

Earthy and mean, this glass of bad attitude is known for providing courage to the brave, and a kick in the pants to the timid.  It’s just the curly wolf to have in your corner when you’re going through the mill and there’s trouble in the air.

Rye Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, Amaro Nonino and Celery Bitters

Berry O’Brien  $8

A drink that is as attractive to the ladies, as it is suitable for a diplomat.  Do not let its innocent flavor fool you, for this drink is precisely the right combination of Whiskey served tall with just a dash of Irish charm.

Jameson Irish Whiskey, Fresh Blackberries, Fresh Lemon Juice, Ginger Beer and Bitters

Glossy Booze: Early November Edition

Glossy Booze is a regular Alcademics round-up of booze stories in magazines.

Details (November) has a story on underappreciated red wines.

Imbibe (Nov/Dec) has recipes for homemade eggnog, drinks with figs, and party drink recipes, a comparison of witbiers, a story on Greg Boehm of CocktailKingdom.com,  one on barleywine, another on bargain sparkling wine, fancy hot chocolate, and a travel piece on drinking in Hawaii.

Malt Advocate (Fall 2009) has stories on Japanese Whisky, Australian whisky, water in whisky, GlenDronach, and drinking in Bardstown, KY.

Men's Journal (November) has stories on California blended wines and good Canadian Whisky.

Food & Wine (November) has stories on ten Thanksgiving wines, new wine books, a recipe for mulled wine (to use with leftover bottles), American ciders, and $10 holiday wines.

Delta's in-flight magazine Sky's October issue has a round-up of wine and food festivals, and a big feature on visiting the world's best wine regions. 

Sunset (November) has a round-up of spirits new spirits distilleries in the west, lists their annual Wine Awards, and lists a recipe for kumquat digestif.

Everyday With Rachael Ray (November), in addition to the story I wrote on avoiding hangovers, has a few recipes for simple cocktails.

GQ (November) has a recipe for a 2:1 Martini.

Esquire lists recommended single-malts from Scotland's islands, Highlands, and Lowlands, and adds two new bars to its best bars list: One Flew South in the Atlanta airport, and Dutch Kills in Queens.

In ReadyMade (November/December) Alex Day shares sherry knowledge and there's a project on making a rolling bar out of an old trunk.

And the winner for best booze coverage this month goes to Conde Nast Traveler (November), with its this huge round-up of 38 bars in New Orleans' French Quarter. 

Glossy Booze: Late June Edition

Glossy Booze is regular Alcademics feature; a round-up of spirits stories in magazines.

Details (June/July) has a story on punch and places to get it around the country, plus a small feature on Hauz Alpenz products. 

ReadyMade (June/July) has another story by Alex Day, this one on ice. Looks like some good advice on how to freeze and split a pan of ice.

Town and Country  (July) has a feature on new food and drink cookbooks for summer.

GQ (July) has three fizz recipes: the Ramos Gin Fizz, the Rum Fizz, and the Gin Fizz.

Mutineer (June/July) has a story on the movie Beer Wars, a feature on craft distillers of the Pacific Northwest, a big story on absinthe, a tour of Maker's Mark, and an interview with Max Riedel of Riedel glass.

Bon Appetit (July) has some recommended blanco tequilas, lists a recipe for the Strawberry Muddle (recipe: muddle strawberries. add prosecco),and a story on IPA beers. 

In Esquire (July), David Wondrich takes a break from writing about cocktails to tell us we don't drink enough champagne.

In Food and Wine (July), we have a recipe for Peach Sangria, a story on creating a wine list, a story on texture as a wine pairing guide, one on Argentinian wines, some recommended restaurants in which to drink wine, and the best beers for wine lovers.

Men's Journal (August) has a ton of booze coverage: recommendations for High West whiskey, Sam Adams Imperial White, and Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, plus a story on four summer classic cocktails with a twist with recipes by Sean Muldoon of Belfast's Merchant Hotel, Chris Hannah or Arnaud's, Jamie Boudreau of Tini Bigs, and Jeffrey Mortenthaler of Clyde Common. There is also a recipe for an Heirloom Bloody Mary, and Jimmy Buffet recommends a drink that's just rum, coconut water, and a slice of lime.

Glossy Booze: Early February Edition

 Glossy Booze is a round-up of drinking stories in magazines.

ReadyMade February/March has a short story on how to throw a cocktail party.

GQ (January) lists some tasting notes on football player-branded wines.

In Details (Feb), Rob Willey has a story on some new versions of the Bloody Mary with an endorsement for the Bitter Truth celery bitters. He lists five places doing interesting things with their Bloodies- Sepia in Chicago, Florida Room in Portland OR, Prune in New York, Bobo in New York, and Absinthe in San Francisco.

Playboy (February) mentions the Cointreau molecular mixology kits that you can't buy, lists a few recipes for hot cocktails, and in The Playboy Advisor recommends a few brands of bottled Dirty Martini mixes. Say No to Brine!

Sunset (Feb) has a story on the new Fillmore jazz district in San Francisco, one on a trip to visit sparkling wineries in California, and a third on aphrodisiac wines.

Glossy Booze: Mid-January Edition

Glossy Booze is a round-up of stories appearing in magazines sent to my house.

In Playboy (January), Scott Beattie continues his media onslaught with a recipe for his Pelo de Perro (that's hair of the dog) from his book. There's also a nice two-page spread on champagne, including a few cocktails.

 Sunset has a story on how to pair wine with vegetables, which is a nice change from the meat/fish thing.

Men's Journal also has a Scott Beattie cocktail recipe, this time the the Huck Yu. Beattie's book may have been listed in every single magazine I subscribe to.

In the February issue of the same magazine, there's a blurb about rye whiskey and (ri)1 in particular, as well as three beers to pair with chili.

Best Life (February) has a big story on the Fountain Jet soda maker. I have one that I love, and now they come in festive colors!

In Bon Appetit, Andrew Knowlton lists a Hot Toddy recipe called The Laureate from Daniel Hyatt of The Alembic. Here is the recipe online. There is also a large feature on natural wines.

Oh, and another San Francisco drink recipe is here as well. I'm pretty sure the Catch-22 cocktail was not actually created by Elizabeth Faulkner who is credited indirectly the story (and directly online), but by bartender Jackie Patterson.

In Esquire (February) David Wondrich lists the best cheap booze in several categories- brandy, rum, blended scotch, gin, and bourbon. I'm sure it will be online in a week or two so I'll link to it then.