An online speakeasy of potent potables and other pabulam.

I went out to Ace Beverage today looking for some Centenario Rosangel.? I had a great conversation with Joe and found some other tasty things to pick up, namely the Tuthiilltown Spirits 4 Grain Whiskey and Manhattan Rye.? (Be on the lookout for reviews of each in the coming days!)? I also found the Rosangel and I’m excited to give that a try too.

Anyway, while there, I was talking with Joe and he mentioned having a mezcal margarita made with the Del Maguey Chichicapa.? Although he couldn’t remember the exact proportions, I think a basic 3-2-1 ratio would be a great place to start.? If you aren’t familiar with the Del Maguey brand of mezcals you really are missing out on a fantastic spirit!

Del Maguey (pronounced: ma-gay) imports their mezcals from single villages produced by individual family producers.? They truely are small batch local products.? Del Maguey has several bottlings including the Chichicapa that graces my bar.? The mezcal has a strong smokey flavor and nose, not unlike a smokey scotch, with a deep agave flavor.? If you’re not expecting the smokiness, it certainly can catch you off guard.

For the Chichicapa Margarita, you get the sweet tart flavor of a traditional margarita combined with a hint of orange (Cointreau) and the smoke of the mezcal.? For someone who doesn’t like a big hit of smoke or thinks the mezcal is a little too strong, you can always vary the amount of mezcal by adding regular tequila.? Start with a 3:1 ration of tequila and mezcal and alter from there until you get the amount of smoke you like.? However, the as-is recipe is a combination that is perfect for an overcast, cold March day when you’re really looking forward to Spring.

Chichicapa Margarita
2oz Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal
1oz fresh lime juice
.5oz Contreau
1 Tbls agave syrup

Shake everything with ice and strain into a chilled glass.? Or if you want, strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.

Cheers!

I know that The Den has been a little quiet as of late.? Things have been hectic for the last couple of weeks, however life seems to have slowed back to a normal pace and I’m confident you’ll be seeing much more activity from your two Scofflaw’s.

With that said, Mixology Monday is again upon us and the lovely ladies of LUPEC Boston are hosting. ? The chosen theme this month is “First Time.”? The theme is inspired by a past experience Ms. Pink Lady had with a cocktail newbie.? She states,

“What drink do you suggest for the delicate palate of the cocktail neophyte? Something boozy and balanced, sure – but one wrong suggestion could relegate the newbie to a beer-drinker?s life. To which go-to cocktails do you turn to when faced with the challenge?”

It is a very interesting conundrum.? I have a few friends who definitely fall into the “cocktail neophyte” category.? Either they “don’t like gin” or are strictly beer or wine drinkers, and one, amazingly, “can’t drink brown spirits.”? To be honest, it is very difficult to make drinks for these folks.? It seems they have preconcieved biases towards certain spirits that is seemingly all mental.? The trick for me is making cocktails that are flavorful, complex, balanced and uses the ingredient they supposedly don’t like.? I’m completely up front with what I’m serving them, and in most instances they have enjoyed the drinks.

One of my favorite cocktails, which is also one I like to give people new to gin or new to cocktails is the Shanghai Gin.

Shanghai Gin
Gin
Yellow Chartreuse
Benedictine
Lemon Juice

Shake equal measures of the four ingredients until ice cold.? Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.? For a small extra kick, flame the peel.

The Shanghai Gin combines a sweet, savory, tart profile all in one little gin cocktail.?? Everyone I’ve made the cocktail for has enjoyed it.

On the other hand, in order to introduce a neophyte to the wonderful world of cocktails, I think a well made highball can be just what the scofflaw ordered.? A gin and tonic, rum and coke, ginger beer and anything, all are good examples as long they are well made and balanced.? In each highball you can vary the type of spirit (london dry v. old tom; silver rum v. gold v. demerarra v. crap-there-are-a-lot-of-rum-types; etc.) or add modifiers such as a splash of lime, a flavored syrup or a muddle of herbs.? Many different variations can teach the new imbiber the importance of balance, creativity and variety.? Just the tools someone needs when walking down the path of potent potables.

Thanks again to Pink Lady and the women of LUPEC – Boston for hosting this installment of MxMo.

Cheers!

This month’s Mixology Monday with brought to us by Matthew Rowley of Rowley’s Whiskey Forge.? Matt’s topic seems very a propos with the current state of the United State’s economy, massive bail-outs every where you look and all around belt tightening when it comes to finances.? For this topic I really had to sit down and decide what to write about.

I could write about brands of spirits and liqueurs which offer the best quality and variety of purpose for your dollar.? Or, I could write about what I drink when the financial belt tightens.? Or I could just make something up as I go along.? Yeah, I’m pretty much doing that last one if you haven’t guessed.

Now don’t get me wrong.? Articles about the best bang for your buck on the spirit shelf are great and generally contain lots of useful information.? I just feel I’ve read this same story a hundred times since the word “recession” became ensconced in everyday vernacular.? With that said, I can certainly see me writing the same kind of story for Scofflaw’s Den because I feel like it.? Oh well . . .?? As far as what I drink when the financial belt tightens, well that’s easy.? I drink the same things I do when I’m not concerned so much about my finances.? Rather, I cut back on purchasing booze and limit my trips to bars/cocktail joints.? I love buying random ingredients and spending an hour or two bellied up at one of my favorite bars having great conversations with the bartenders and friends, new and old alike.? But both of these activities tends to eat into my bank account and by curtailing both, I feel much on much more stable financial footing.

So for this Mixology Monday, I decided to page through some cocktail books and give you two drinks on different ends of the “hard times” continum.? First, we have a cocktail that would perfect for those times when you’re very concerned about your next paycheck.? When your job may fall victim to a lay-off or go to the ATM to check your accounts and the machine laughs at you, I give you;

Gloom Chaser Cocktail
1/4 lemon Juice (.5 oz)
1/4 grenadine (.5 oz homemade grenadine)
1/4 Grand Marnier (.5 oz homemade tangerine ratafia)
1/4 Curacao (.5 oz Cointreau)

-Shake everything until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
(The Savoy Cocktail Book, p. 76)

The Gloom Chaser is one sweet cocktail.? Literally.? I was a little surprised at how sweet this came out considering it only has half an ounce of grenadine.? The Cointreau also adds some sweetness but I’ve never considered Cointreau to be a “sweet” liqueur.? The homemade tangerine ratafia is brandy based, like the called for Grand Marnier.? I’ve found the ratafia works admirably well as a replacement liqueur. ? Regardless, the drink isn’t bad, just a little sweet.? Then again, I think that is precisely the point for a cocktail called the Gloom Chaser.? The orange reminds you of brighter sunnier days and the sweetness is like a reminder of childhood sweets.? Certainly a drink that would provide an uplifting step during a hard time.

Of course, the old saying goes “it’s always darkest before the dawn.”? Or “every dark cloud has a silver lining.”? The point is even though many of us are weathering this troubling financial storm, eventually things will look up.? When they do, our worry and dread will seem like a distant memory.? Who knows, maybe it will lead you to greener pastures and brighter skies.? Maybe, you’ll even find yourself as . . .

The CEO Cocktail
2oz Brandy
.5oz Chambord or creme de cassis (.5oz Massenez Creme de Cassis)
1oz Lillet Blanc
2 dashes orange bitters (Angostura Orange)
a lemon twist for garnish

-Shake (stir please) with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass
The Joy of Mixology, p. 237

A nice brandy cocktail that isn’t too sweet.? The cassis adds just a touch of sweetness and really mellows out the brandy.? I was afraid the brandy and cassis would fight in the glass but the Lillet plays mediator really brings the two together.? I wonder how Chambord would change the outcome of the drink.? Seeing as I don’t have chambord, nor am I inclined to go buy a bottle, I’ll just have to wait until these economic waters even out a bit.

Thanks again for Matthew Rowley for hosting MxMo this month.

Cheers!

Normally I don’t write about things which I’ve read elsewhere but I just finished something that struck quite a chord.? The New York Times has a blog titled Proof written by several authors with the subject matter, you guessed it, alcohol.? The tag line is “Alcohol and American Life.”? The articles range from humorous anecdotes about working in a bar to stories of over-indulgence and addiction.? It’s also amazing to read the comments to the articles which range from understanding, sympathy, and desire to learn more to sanctimonious moral-chastising against any form of spirituous libations.

One of the contributors to Proof is Paul Clarke of The Cocktail Chronicles.? Paul’s latest contribution titled Why (and How) I Drink, is a wonderful read and very eloquently describes his drinking philosophy and its role in his life.? It is a sentiment that I feel very closely mirrors my own drinking philosophy.? Some of his points about growing up in a household where alcoholic consumption was moderate compared to households which were abstemious (or less than moderate) are spot on in my opinion.

I grew up in a house where my parents had a small liquor cabinet, which I never, ever saw them open.? Maybe they did before I was born, but to this day, I still don’t think it has been used.? My father drank an occasional beer on a hot summer afternoon or when out to dinner.? Neither of my parents drank wine and we never had any in the house, save for when my mom wanted some for cooking.? Apparently my dad tried making wine with the grapes we had growing on our property and a home kit.? It didn’t turn out very well.? I never drank until I got to college and then had to learn restraint the hard way.? Now, my views (and actions) are much more aligned with Paul’s.

It is a great read and gives a lot to think about.

Cheers!