WSBG Absinthe Forum!

   Ah, absinthe, the “green fairy”, I had no idea how little I knew…
   The Washington State Bartenders Guild put on a great event showcasing absinthe here in the Emerald City, including tastings of some of the best absinthes on the market and two great guest speakers.  The event took place at Zane Harris and Anu Apte’s Sodo district loft with sprawling white walls seeming to stretch up over 20 feet high.  It was reminiscent of a museum or gallery and with a fully stocked bar it was the perfect place to host the show.
   Gwydion Stone started it all off as we sipped on our first drink, Death in the Afternoon, which is simple enough combining just absinthe and champagne with a lemon twist.  As Gwydion talked about the history behind absinthe I realized everything I thought I knew about it was fiction and rumor.  I won’t get into the complete history of absinthe here, but you should check out the wormwood society website if you are interested.  As the presentation continued we were all served Marteau and water, Marteau being the absinthe Gwidion produces and is of course excellent.  Paul Clarke then took the reins with a very informative and funny presentation as he helped end the first part of the event on a high note. 

   The second half was a variety tasting including Taboo, St. George, Pernod and Pacifique (which has an amazing gin as well, Voyager.)

   This event showed how great it can be when people of a common interest get organized together and I for one am looking forward to the future of the Washington State Bartenders Guild… stay tuned for the Vermouth Tasting on February 22nd by checking wsbg.org and the newly designed forum.
       
       To enjoy absinthe historically DO:
       
       Buy a good quality absinthe, the new laws allow the use of the WORD absinthe pretty much regardless of what is in the bottle, so educate yourself and give your hard earned money to quality distilleries.
       
       Use ice water in your Absinthe Frappe’s, drip it in slowly in a 1:3-5 ratio.
       
       Sugar cubes are a matter of taste, remember, the best drink is the one you enjoy… period!  If you do use sugar cubes look for the longer European style as per tradition, but even more important most are not refined like American style (they can impart a chemical taste).
       
       Please, for the sake of humanity, DO NOT:
       
       Light your god damnit sugar cube on fire.  That is modern day marketing magic at work and will ruin the subtle flavor profiles of the absinthe.
       
       Take a shot of absinthe, most are in the 106 to 148 proof ranges (to preserve the color). Absinthe is to be truly enjoyed and sipped by those who enjoy the flavor profile.

Article by: Mark Sexauer

“Oogy Wawa!” and many other ways to say “Cheers!”

   As two men dressed in suits came into the bar the other night I didn’t think anything out of the ordinary about them.  Sitting down I handed them cocktail menus and with little deliberation they both ordered bud lights.
   I try hard these days not to be such a damn snob about what people order and served them the beers and went on with my night.  Half way into their bud lights one of the men ask me, in broken English, if they could have two shots of Grey Goose (what the hell is it with grey goose?) and I gladly obliged.  The two men stood up, and very loudly yelled out “Oogy Wawa” drank the shot and slammed the glass down, then sat back in their stools, going right back to quietly talking and being polite. 
   I’m not surprised I didn’t know this but “Oogy Wawa” is “Cheers” in the Zulu language.  According to good old Wikipedia, Zulu is the most widely spoken language in South Africa.  I respect the social science of the Toast, and wish I was more cultured in other Cheers/Toasts from around the world.  From what I understand the clinking of glasses tells the people you are drinking with that you trust them.  It stems from poisoning in the Middle Ages; the King would pour some wine into everybody’s glass in the room, ensuring the wine was poison free and of course, making a clinking sound with each pour as the glasses touched.
   Most verbal Toasts in general are saying the same thing, to good health, to good luck, to friendship.  Enjoying drinks with friends has evolved into seeing how drunk you can get and how fast, which is not enjoying drinking at all.  Next time you go out with a friend order a good drink from a good bartender, turn to your friend, clink your glasses and say Cheers, a simple, historical ritual to start your evening off with a smile.
   
   Here is a list of Toasts from around the globe, feel free to add any others you may know of, and of course… Cheers.
       Arabic – Shucram or Fisehatak
       Australia – Bottoms Up or Cheers
       Basque – Topa
       Brazil, Portugal – Tchim Tchim or Sauté or Viva
       Chinese – Nien Nien ne
       Costa Rica – Pura Vida
       Danish – Skal
       Dutch – Proost
       Finnish – Kippis
       French – A votre santé
       German – Prost
       Greek – Eis igian
       Hawaiian – Okole maluna
       Irish – Slante
       Israeli – L’chaim
       Italian – A la salute
       Japanese – Kampai
       Russian – Na zdrovia (apparently nobody says this, in fact, there really isn’t much toasting that goes on in Russia, but you might hear Budem)
       Spanish – Salud
       Tagalog – Mabuhay
       Thai – Chayoo
       Ukrainian – Budmo
       Vietnamese – Chia
       Welsh – Lechyd da
       Zulu – Oogy Wawa

How to Make Sweet Vermouth

   I’ve been messing around with dry vermouth for a couple months now and figured it was time to move on to sweet vermouth.  I will also be participating in a vermouth tasting event in February and it will be very interesting to see how some house made vermouths stand up to the mass produced brands.  If you would like an extremely short history of vermouth check out my post on dry vermouth.
   Sweet vermouth is pretty fun to mess around with and like dry vermouth, the possibilities are endless.  You can add pretty much whatever you want, try switching out the base wine, use a different liquor to fortify, or try using different herbs and spices.  Here is a base line recipe to follow in making your own house made sweet vermouth.
       
       Sweet Vermouth
       2 oz brandy (try other liquors)
       1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped ginger
       1/4 pure vanilla extract
       1/4 teaspoon coriander
       1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
       1/8 teaspoon wormwood
       1/8 teaspoon gentian
       4 whole cloves
       4 whole peppercorns
       Zest of half a naval orange (try other fruits!)
       Zest of half a lemon
       3/4 cup caramelized sugar (try brown, muscado, or white sugars)
       1 bottle dessert/sweet wine (I used Egri Muskotaly) (try any base wine)
       Combine all but the brandy into a pot and slowly bring to a boil.  Boil only for a couple minutes then bring down to a warm/simmer.  Add the brandy, let sit for about twenty minutes to infuse everything into the wine, strain and refrigerate overnight.
   
   If you use cheap wine (no reason to use pricey wine) and inexpensive ingredients, offering a house made vermouth can be cost effective and practical for your bar.  I find that refrigerating over night “finishes” the infusion by letting everything sit together.  There is a noticeably richer taste after a day or so.

By: Mark Sexauer

World Whisky Index

   For those of you who are interested in investing, why not invest in what you love… Whisky!  Just like the stock market, there is a whisky market and a whisky “stock” index to boot.  At the World Whisky Index you can check how much your bottles are worth and see what kind of return your Bowmore 21 year is gaining (60% by the way.)  The most expensive bottle in the index is a 1943 bottle of Glenlivet going for € 3.650,00 (about $50,000.)  Investing in wine is not new and whiskey is a similar climate which is becoming a very serious part of some investor’s portfolios.
   In the 1990’s the industry really started to see increased demand for premium Whisky’s.  Surprisingly, the biggest markets have been Japan, Russia, China and India.  The demand is growing so fast and the aging process is so long that some experts expect a Scotch shortage in the coming years. 
   With over 4,600 bottles in the index and a total value of over $2.5 million the WWI is an interesting site to navigate around.  You can buy, sell, trade and check the value of any whisky you may have.  Register for the site and you will receive updates about newly added bottles and values.  There’s only one problem with investing in whisky, you can, of course, drink your investment away!!!  Cheers.

By: Mark Sexauer

Caramelized Sugar

   A craft bartender is many things and part chef is a large piece of the pie.  Caramelizing sugar is a very useful skill to know but can take a little practice.  I use caramelized sugar in my vermouths, bitters, and various other bartending experiments.  Not only does is it impart a great flavor profile but it is also the same technique that pre-prohibition bartenders where utilizing.  Using a pan with a very thick bottom or just an all around thick pan will prevent any hot spots.

       Caramelized Sugar
       3/4 cup cane sugar, dry
       Put into a cold pan then start heat, turn up to medium (medium-low) and wait.  After a couple minutes the sugar will begin to melt a little, stir often.  Keep stirring until the all the sugar dissolves into one uniform brown color.  Use as needed.

   The 3/4 cup sugar will end up being about a half cup when you are done.  If you are using this in a liquid make sure the liquid is hot so as to dissolve the caramelized sugar.  If you let this cool down it will turn into a hard sticky mess.  A tip on clean up, boil water in the pan or a large pot to dissolve any sugar, do not wait to clean up!

Article By: Mark Sexauer

Alchemy Consulting Class

   I had the pleasure of attending a class the other day put on by Alchemy Consulting out of New York.  Toby Maloney is very well known and has been lead bartender at Milk & Honey, Pegu Club, and currently a managing member of The Violet Hour in Chicago.  Toby and his partner Jason Cott put on a presentation for bartenders at Daniels Broiler and Chandlers.  I hate to be judgmental, but I was the only one of about 10 who had tasted Elderflower, Maraschino, or even heard of a Dark and Stormy.  This makes me feel that these classes are doing a lot of good, by summarizing the bigger picture of the cocktail world today and sparking an interest in people who might not otherwise be exposed to cocktail blogs and craft bartending books.
   The class was put on by Diageo Reserve Brands, but Toby and Jason did a good job of just talking about drinks and cocktails mostly leaving marketing out of it.  They went over the history of the cocktail, and all the basics of today’s cocktail world like fresh juices, using a jigger, bitters, and even ice.
   The cocktail menu was two drinks of each spirit and featured The Violet Hours signature cocktail, the Juliet & Romeo.  It’s made by muddling cucumber with salt, mint, rose water, and Tanqueray 10.
   Toby Maloney went on to guest bartend at Vessel that night, which I was unable to attend, but I did get a chance to talk to him a little after the class.  A great bartender who loves what he does and it shows.  I learned a lot and my next project is to try and emulate (rip-off ) his “summer” bitters and “winter” bitters…

Doesn’t Jason Cott look like he could be Robert Hess’s younger brother?

Article By: Mark Sexauer   

Orange-Cut Fizz

   My last entry for the Mixology Summit was a fizz type drink.  By using heavy cream and coconut milk it’s not for the faint of heart.  Of the four drinks, this was the one I kept coming back to try and perfect.  Perfecting a fizz is like perfecting a Bloody Mary; its to open to adding things but thats why its fun to try.  I got great feedback from the testers who liked fizzes and creamy drinks.  The testers not on the fizz/cream bandwagon didn’t hate it but would not order another.  Whip one of these babies up and let me know what you think.

       Orange-Cut Fizz
       1 1/2 oz Brandy
       1 1/4 oz Grand Marnier
       1 oz Coconut Milk (I used Chaokoh)
       2/3 oz Heavy Cream
       1/2 oz Orange Juice
       1/2 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
       2 bar spoons Egg White
       Combine all into a mixing glass with cracked ice and shake very very hard, then shake again.  Strain into a white wine glass and top with soda water.  Zest some orange on the top for a garnish.

Article and Drink by: Mark Sexauer

Sassafras

   This was my favorite cocktail for the Mixology Summit and also got the most praise from my testers.  The nose is subtle and slightly orangey with it getting ever gingerier into the backend, but not over powering.  This would made a great “spring menu” drink and I’ll be bugging management to put it on.  If you have a crappy, bent strainer with coils missing, then double strain.  I made a handful of these and didn’t double strain leaving a little pulp and ice on the surface, a turn off for some bartenders.  This is easy, mix one up and let me know what you think; watch your ginger content, it is easy to have it over power.

       Sassafras
       1 ½ oz Grand Marnier
       1 oz Chardonnay
       1 Lemon Wedge
       1 Orange Wedge
       1 inch square (approx.) thinly sliced ginger
       Combine ginger, lemon, and orange into a mixing glass and muddle.  Add cracked ice, chardonnay and Grand Marnier, shake.  Strain (or double strain) into a cocktail glass and garnish with ginger slice and cherry.

Article and Drink by: Mark Sexauer

Happy Repeal Day!!!

   Check out repealday.org and celebrate by going down to your favorite bar and enjoying the drink of your choice.  Doing just this was illegal on January 16, 1919 and went for as long as 33 years in some states.  Being a bartender and being as enamored with the art and science of creating cocktails as I am I can’t imagine a time where enjoying a drink would put you in jail.  Please take a minute to check the above site and brush up on the short history of prohibition, but above all, enjoy a drink today just because you can.

Temos Tanta Marmelada

   Marmalade is a very fun ingredient to use when making cocktails.  There are a variety of flavors and it adds a sweet (or bitter) profile with a great texture.  A bottle caught my eye when experimenting for the Mixology Summit so I went looking for a drink to use it in.
   A Cadillac Margarita is of course a popular drink that uses Grand Marnier, so I essentially just added orange marmalade to the mix with fantastic results, My Guiney Pigs for these experiments praised this as one of the best tequila cocktails they have had in a long time.

       Temos Tanta Marmelada
       1 heaping bar spoon Orange Marmalade
       1 1/2 oz Cazadores Reposado (I love this Tequila)
       3/4 oz Grand Marnier
       1/3 oz Lime Juice
       2 bar spoons Egg Whites
       Add all into mixing glass with cracked ice, shake hard and long to emulsify.  Strain into a cocktail glass half salted and a lime wedge.

Article and Drink by: Mark Sexauer