Drink Matron

Category: Drink of the Week

  • Surprising discoveries about ginger beer

    So what is Ginger beer anyway? That was the question that I had in my head when the Dark ‘n’ Stormy started showing up on my radar. I assumed it was a low alcohol fizzy beer from England (and the name reminded me a whole lot of “butter beer” from the Harry Potter franchise).

    Well, it turns out, yes, the drink originated in England, and it’s fizzy just like the more common ginger ale, but it’s not actually alcoholic – anymore. Once upon a time in England it had 11% alcohol in it, but that changed in 1855 when laws were passed requiring non-excisable beverages to contain less than 2% alcohol.

    Then, I asked myself, what about alcoholic ginger beer? Isn’t that what’s required to make a Dark ‘n’ Stormy? Nope. The most commonly used ginger beer for a Dark ‘n’ Stormy is Barritt’s, and that’s completely alcohol free, as is Gosling’s own ginger beer.

    I guess you learn something new everyday.

    There is alcoholic ginger beer; however, despite what is said. Last weekend, at the Brooklyn Waterfront Craft Beer Fest, I tasted an excellent alcoholic ginger beer called Crabbie’s.  There’s also Royal Jamaican, Blue Tongue, Hollows, and Franks, to name a few. It’s difficult to find, though, so if you’re in the United States, don’t expect to walk into your local grocery or liquor store and happen across it.

  • Found on the Internet: One Drink, Five Ways: Rum and ginger beer

    Here’s a great article from Metromix New York about the many ways the Dark ‘n’ Stormy can be interpreted.

    http://newyork.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/standard_photo_gallery/one-drink-five-ways/731037/content

  • What’s in a name? Dark ‘n’ Stormy

    Fun fact about the Dark ‘n’ Stormy – it’s trademarked.

    That’s right my lovelies, Gosling’s rum has a patent for the original recipe, which makes it so a drink can only be called a Dark ‘n’ Stormy (or Dark and Stormy, or Dark & Stormy) if it includes Gosling’s rum and adheres to the specific ingredient amounts. So, if your bartender serves you up a Dark ‘n’ Stormy with Meyer’s rum, it’s not really a Dark ‘n’ Stormy.

    The reason, Gosling’s has said, is that the drink itself has a particular taste when ginger beer is mixed with Gosling’s Black Seal that it does not have with other rums.

    Owner E. Malcolm Gosling Jr. has been quoted as saying “People will try one with some other rum, and then say, what’s the big deal with this drink? That’s a real concern.”

  • Review: Bloody Swan from the Black Swan Pub & Restaurant

    Since we moved back to New York, I’ve been avoiding a lot of the restaurants in our neighborhood because I really didn’t know what I’d be walking into. But alas, last weekend, we were jonesing for some brunch and didn’t want to go very far.  Enter the Black Swan on Bedford Ave. It’s only about 3 blocks from our apartment, has amazing reviews on Yelp, and a great looking beer menu. Plus they have this unreal looking Bloody called the Bloody Swan, that’s garnished with everything but the kitchen sink.

    The bar itself was quite wonderful. The dark wood paneling and high ceilings give it a lived in atmosphere that I really like in bars. When you walk in, you’re greeted by a nice sized bar with more stools than I’ve ever seen, and several TVs that, from what I understand, play European football all day long.

    A long hallway separates the bar from the restaurant area, which is populated with wood crafted tables, chairs, and booths. Above the seating is an extremely high ceiling with a massive skylight, giving patrons a peak at some local foliage.

    The waitresses were very friendly, and their service was fantastic. We order our drinks right away, both of us deciding to get the Bloody Swan.

    We received our Swans and were a bit wowed by everything included. Of course there was your standard lemon, olive, and pickle, but also a square of white cheddar cheese, a cocktail onion, some shrimp, and (hells yes) a strip of crispy bacon.  Of all the garnishes, the bacon was the best, follow by the olive and the cheese, but really the rest were nothing to write home about.

    The glass was rimmed with a thick coat of pepper, which I thought was a bit much, but could forgive. The perfectly crimson liquid was sparced with a mixture of what I’m convinced was pickle juice and small amounts of horse radish.

    Initially the drink was perfect.  Slightly peppery, the perfect amount of heat, not too salty, nice, and subtle. Being a Wisconsin girl, I’m used to a little glass of beer on the side, and believe me, this could have used it. A nice wash to cut some of that nice heat.

    As the drink went on; however, the peppery taste got a little bit overwhelming. The drink became less about enjoying it and more about getting through it.  I’m usually a two Bloodys kinda girl, but not that day.

    That being said, I’m pretty sure I’d have it again next time I go to the Black Swan. I’m hoping that day the bartender was just a little heavy handed with the pepper.

    As for the food, it was unbelievable. Both of cleared our plates in about five minutes.  Definitely worth the trip.

    Check out the Black Swan yourself!

    Black Swan Pub & Restaurant
    1048 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205
    (718)783-4744
    http://www.blackswannyc.com/
     
     

  • Recipes: Variations of the Bloody Mary

    Since the invention of the Bloody Mary, variations of the popular vodka/tomato juice cocktail have made their way into our homes and bars.

    The Bloody Caesar

    The most popular variation on the Bloody Mary is the Bloody Caesar. More common in Canada than the traditional Bloody, the Caesar uses Clamato juice as a mixer rather than tomato juice, but does little else in changing the original recipe.

    Ingredients:

    • 1.5 oz Vodka
    • 4 oz Clamato
    • Celery Salt
    • 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 dashes Tabasco Sauce
    • Prepared horseradish, to taste (optional)

    Coat the rim of a tall glass with celery salt, fill with ice and set aside. Add the remaining ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Pour back and forth into another mixing glass a few times to mix. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish.

    A similar variation is the Bloody Eight, which replaces the tomato juice with V8.

    The Red Hammer (Red snapper, Bloody Margaret, Ruddy Mary)

    During prohibition, vodka was hard to come by. But gin sure wasn’t. Bloody Mary drinkers soon turned to the only clear spirit they could get, or make themselves, and the Red Hammer was born. In fact, after prohibition ended, people continued to call the vodka version of the drink the same name, but eventually Mary would be bloody once again. The gin version of a Bloody is now known as Red Snapper or the Ruddy Mary.

    Bloody Murder

    If you like your Bloodies hot, this one’s for you.

    Ingredients:

    • 3 oz Gin
    • 3 oz Tomato juice
    • Celery salt
    • 2 shakes of Black Vinegar
    • Wasabi sauce
    • 2 shakes of Tabasco

    Fill a pint glass with ice and add in vinegar, celery salt, wasabi and Tabasco. Add gin and tomato juice. Pour mix into another pint glass and back again. Repeat. Garnish with a cherry tomato pierced with a plastic sword stirrer.

    Bull Shot

    In place of tomato juice, add a beef bouillon or beef consume.

    No change but the garnish

    The Slutty Mary is garnished with a sausage. Ha ha

    The Bloody Charlie is garnished with simply two olives to represent a man’s balls.

    Really, really weird mixes

    The Bloody Marynara substitutes marinara for tomato juice and is served as a shot. WHY?!

    Apparently there is a frozen Bloody Mary that includes milk or cream and served like a margarita, with a celery stick and/or a shrimp.

     

     

     

  • The History of the Bloody Mary

    I have never met a “classic” cocktail without some sort of questionable history. Someone, somewhere claims to have invented a combination of one thing and another, and then, a year or so later, another person comes out with a revolutionary new drink. The Bloody Mary is no different, and at times, a little more confusing.

    Once upon a time in 1926 France, American (or sometimes French) bartender, Fernand Petiot was working at Harry’s New York Bar in France. He mixed up a drink of equal parts vodka and tomato juice. (Supposedly) one of his American ex-patriot customers said the drink reminded him of a waitress from a bar back in Chicago called The Bucket of Blood Club, and suggested he call it “Bloody Mary.”  In 1934, good old “Pete,” as his friends called him, returned to the US, and brought his creation to the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis in New York City. It was redubbed, “The Red Snapper” due to the vulgarity of its original name (hmmmm, really, red snapper is less offensive?), but the new name didn’t stick. It was at the St. Regis that Pete started spicing up the drink, making it the pallet enticer it is today.

    But wait just a gol’darn tootin minute! Way back in 1927 (or 1939, or 195something), good old comedian George Jessel was trying to make his mind less cluttery one morning, and combined the nutrient rich breakfast favorite tomato juice with another breakfast staple, vodka. I guess he had a lady friend named Mary over, and she spilled some on her shirt, cuz the legend says she gleefully exclaimed “Now, you can call me Bloody Mary, George!”

    The Jessel story is supported by the fact that he appeared in multiple Smirnoff ads claiming the Bloody Mary as his invention; however, apparently Jessel tended to be a bit of a story teller, so it’s possible he was just riding the bandwagon to get a good payday.

    But then, Petiot himself gives credence to both stories. In 1964, he is quoted in the New Yorker saying, “I initiated the Bloody Mary of today. George Jessel said he created it, but it was really nothing but vodka and tomato juice when I took it over. I cover the bottom of the shaker with four large dashes of salt, two dashes of black pepper, two dashes of cayenne pepper, and a layer of Worcestershire sauce; I then add a dash of lemon juice and some cracked ice, put in two ounces of vodka and two ounces of thick tomato juice, shake, strain, and pour.”

    I think Petey was just being nice.

     

  • Found on the Internet: DIY Bloody Mary Bar

    Found on Worth the Whisk through Liqurious, “How to make a do it yourself Bloody Mary bar”. It’s a great guide. I tend to disagree with putting directions with it (beyond how much booze needed), and I’d offer more garnishes (pickles, mushrooms, etc), but overall, it’s a great way to give a meeting or get together a little more oomph.

    http://worththewhisk.com/2011/02/26/how-to-make-a-diy-bloody-mary-bar/

  • Recipes: Drink Matron Bloody Marys

    Everyone has their own Bloody Mary recipes. Adrian and I are no different. Here are our very different recipes.

    Matron’s Bloody Mary

    Ingredients:

    • 3 oz Vodka
    • 3 oz Tomato juice
    • 10 dashes of Celery salt
    • 7 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 shake of Tabasco

    Fill a pint glass with ice and shake in Worcestershire, celery salt and Tabasco. Add vodka and tomato juice. Pour mix into another pint glass and back again. Repeat. Garnish with a pickle and 2 olives.

    Adrian’s Bloody Mary

    Ingredients:

    • 3 oz Vodka
    • 8 oz Tomato Juice
    • 1 Dash of Celery Salt
    • 4-6 shakes of Worcestershire
    • 3-4 shakes of Pepper
    • 1/2 tsp Horseradish
    • Celery Stalk Garnish

    Fill a pint a glass with ice. Pour in the vodka and tomato juice and then add spices. Stir together with celery stalk.

  • Recipes: Irish Car Bombs

    The Irish Car Bomb is a staple of the St. Patrick’s Day diet.  This delightful bomb shot consists of Irish stout, Irish whiskey, and Irish cream, and is definitely a tasty addition to the line up of potent potables imbibed on this most auspicious of occasions.

    The Irish Car Bomb was invented in 1979 by Charles Burke Cronin Oat at Wilson’s Saloon in Norwich, CT.  Originally, Oat had crafted a shot he called “The Grandfather” which was two parts Baileys and one part Kahlua.  He felt something was missing from this and eventually added a splash of Irish whiskey on top of the shot.  Commenting on the bubbling explosion-like reaction the whiskey had on the shot, Oat proclaimed “the IRA just showed up!”  Thus, the Grandfather became the IRA.  Several years later, while Oat was drinking IRAs and Guinness, he impulsively dropped the explosive concoction into what was left of his beer and drank it.  It was a success with other patrons and now we have the Irish Car Bomb.

    In the time since then, Kahlua has been dropped from the recipe leaving only the Irish ingredients.  However, the original Irish Car Bomb is still around.  These days it’s called a Belfast Car Bomb.

    Irish Car Bomb

    • 1/2 pint Irish stout (typically Guinness)
    • 1/2 ounce Irish cream (typically Bailey’s)
    • 1/2 ounce Irish whiskey (typically Jameson)

    Mix the Irish cream with the Irish whiskey in a shot glass.  Pour the half-pint of stout into a pint glass.  Drop the shot glass into the pint glass and slam.

    Note: You should drink this as fast as possible because the way that the ingredients react to each other causes the Irish cream to curdle quickly.  The flavor isn’t affected but drinking a half-pint of curdled anything is just plain gross.

    Belfast Car Bomb

    • 1/2 pint Irish stout (typically Guinness)
    • 1/2 ounce Irish cream (typically Bailey’s)
    • 1/4 ounce coffee liqueur (typically Kahlua)
    • 1 splash Irish whiskey (typically Jameson)

    Mix the Irish cream with the coffee liqueur in a shot glass.  Add a splash of Irish whiskey on top of your shot.  Pour a half-pint of Irish stout into a pint glass.  Drop the shot glass into the pint glass and slam.

  • Dashed dreams of applejack

    For a while now, we’ve been planning on scrapping the advice I give in my “Applejack: America’s forgotten liquor” article and seeing if we can freeze distillate our very own batch of tasty applejack. We talked on end about it last winter and did nothing, and now that we’ve got a batch of hard cider yeasting away in our dining room, the cold temps of winters past seem to have forgotten us, leaving no hope for any naughty illegal spirits brewing on the back deck.

    There’s always next year, I suppose. Or maybe February…