Drink Matron

Category: Drink of the Week

  • Sloe Gin Fizz

    Sloe Gin FizzIf you know me, you know that I am a fan of classic cocktails, and I’m a little hesitant when it comes to more modern cocktails.  This is primarily because I don’t like intensely sweet drinks.  In fact, if the drink has a fruit flavor, I’d rather it be a little tart.  Because of this, I’ve always frowned on sloe gin because almost every drink that uses it is sickly sweet and they all have names that would make your mother wash your mouth out with soap.

    Enter the sloe gin fizz.

    The sloe gin fizz is a variation on the gin fizz, which is considered a New Orleans specialty and had its hey day between 1900 and 1940.  Fizzes of any variety were so popular that New Orleans bars would hire massive numbers of bartenders who would take turns shaking fizzes from open to close.

    This is a cocktail that balances the sweet flavor of sloe gin with the sting of lemon juice.  Combine that with the effervescence of soda water and you have a light, flavorful cocktail that you can picture yourself drinking with a late Sunday brunch.

    The sloe gin fizz is a very simple cocktail with a simple and delicious flavor.  At some point, sloe gin manufacturers in the U.S. started producing sloe gin using the cheaper grain alcohol as opposed to gin and high fructose corn syrup instead of real sugar.  To save money, U.S. manufacturers have altered the flavor profile of sloe gin making this cocktail less appetizing.  So if you want to try this cocktail, buy an imported sloe gin.  I would recommend Gordon’s or Plymouth.

    Recipe

    • 3 parts sloe gin
    • 2 parts lemon juice
    • 1 part simple syrup
    • 5 parts soda water
    • egg white (optional)

    Shake ingredients and serve over ice in a highball glass.

  • Why is Absinthe called the Green Fairy?

    GreenFairyThe Fee Verte, or the Green Fairy, has been the nickname of absinthe nearly since its invention. While the nickname is now more commonly associated with the myth that absinthe causes hallucinations, the origins of the nickname are less controversial.

    When Dr. Ordinaire invented absinthe in the late 1790’s, it was, as many spirits are, originally intended as a medicinal tonic. According to feeverte.net, “Artemisia absinthium was ‘from early biblical days. . .used in medicine and magic. . .to rouse a languid appetite and stimulate digestion'(Gibbons 45). It treated ‘epilepsy, gout, drunkenness, kidney stones, colic, headaches'(Lanier vii) and worms.”

    Because it seemed to be such a cure-all, the tonic became synonymous with a helpful, nurse-like spirit, or, a fairy. Since it was green, it simply became known as La fee verte, and later literally translated to the Green Fairy.

    While the nickname stuck, the reason behind it changed once absinthe became more popular as an intoxicant.

    As the spirit gained traction with artists and writers, it became clear that it inspired new and more magnificent ideas. Eventually the Green Fairy was seen as a muse to these great artists, including Vincent Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, and Ernest Hemingway.

    Recently a study done by researchers at Berkeley, the University of California and Northwestern University Medical School concluded that wormwood (with the help of other absinthe components) actually improves the cognitive function of the brain, giving not only credence, but actual proof that the Green Fairy may just be the perfect muse after all.

     

  • Jack Daniel’s Label Revamped

    Last month Brown-Forman, owner of the Jack Daniel’s distillery, announced that they would be changing the classic Old No. 7 bottle label to “clean up” the label and that the new bottles would be seen in stores starting in July 2011.  July isn’t quite here, but the new label design has been released.  I have to say that I like the new label, it looks less cluttered and a bit more refined without being to modern.  I think they did a wonderful job of updating the label without changing it.

    Old Label
    Old Jack Daniel's Label
    New Jack Label
    New Jack Daniel's Label

  • Classic absinthe advertisements

    One of the most interesting things to come out of the campaign against absinthe was the beautiful advertisements, both for and against the spirit.

    Pro-Absinthe

    On the pro-absinthe side, there are themes we see today, beautiful women, sometimes scarcely dressed, enjoying themselves while they hold the drink in their hand. Sometimes it’s a gentleman or two, having cocktails and laughing at a cafe or pub. And sometimes, our old friend, the green fairy herself, makes an appearance.

     

     

     

    Anti-Absinthe

    Anti-absinthe adverts often depict the drink as the devil or death. Skeletons and other deathly images are the central theme, and while occasionally a bit disturbing, they are quite neat. It’s no wonder their campaign succeeded.

     

  • Pouring absinthe properly

    small_absinthe-downshot-150x198The way absinthe is served and consumed is one of the most important parts of drinking it. There are specific instruments and procedures that should be followed. At Drink-Matron.com we are not experts and do not pretend to be. But the people at the Wormwood Society have a bevy of knowledge about absinthe that would impress even Pierre Ordinaire himself. Below I’ve included an excerpt as well as a link to their page entitled “The Proper Way to Pour Absinthe in Society.”

    “If you are using a carafe, begin by pouring a small amount of water onto the sugar, saturating it.  Allow it to sit for a minute or two so that the sugar begins to loosen and dissolve on its own….” see more at http://www.wormwoodsociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=228

     

     

     

  • Why Does Absinthe Make You Hallucinate?

    8286Artemisia absinthium, more commonly known as wormwood, is the ingredient commonly blamed for the hallucinogenic properties of absinthe. Specifically, a byproduct of wormwood called thujone was considered to be the culprit. Throughout the years, this compound has been labeled as a hallucinogenic and psychoactive (said to affect the brain in a similar way as THC). The truth is – this is not the case.

    In the late 1800’s a man called Valentin Magnan conducted several experiments in order to prove that absinthe was a dangerous product and should be banned in France.  The first experiment was to put a guinea pig into a case with a saucer of alcohol, and another in a case with a saucer of wormwood oil.  The guinea pig with the alcohol simply got drunk, but the guinea pig with the wormwood oil went into convulsions and died.  He went on the study 250 “alcohol abusers” and noted that those who drank absinthe hallucinated and some even had seizures.  Modern science has deemed the conclusions from this experiment to be questionable at best because of a lack of understanding of or accounting for diseases that may have caused the hallucinations or seizures.

    It has been proven that thujone is lethal at high levels (45mg/kg) causing convulsions leading up to death, but there is no evidence of hallucinations as a symptom.  You can find thujone in any number of other products, none of which claims hallucinogenic properties.  Do they have as high of a concentration of thujone as absinthe?  Absinthe actually doesn’t have a very high concentration of thujone to begin with.  In fact, in the U.S. any food or beverage containing any Artemisia species must be thujone-free, which means by law it contains less than 10mg/kg of thujone.  Pre-ban absinthe doesn’t contain much more.  A 2008 study used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to survey the contents of 13 bottles of pre-ban absinthe and found that an average of 25.4mg/L of thujone was present.

    It was hypothesized until recently that thujone was psychoactive in a similar way to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC – the psychoactive agent found in marijuana).  However, recently it has been proven that THC stimulates the cannaboid neural receptor while thujone acts on the GABAα and 5-HT3 receptors, and though they cause some of the same symptoms, they are mostly different.

    It is certain that wormwood does not cause hallucinations by itself, but who’s to say that wormwood combined with something else does?  There isn’t enough evidence to say one way or another.  All we know is that modern absinthe isn’t hallucinogenic.

     

  • Yeah, don’t bother

    Okay, so here’s the thing.

    I don’t give a shit about Blue Curaçao. Not even a little bit. It’s overrated, played up, and only popular because of its color. I thought by using it as Booze of the Week, I would find something redeemable about it. But I haven’t. Not at all. Only one drink that we tasted on Monday was decent, and I’m thinking that may be because the recipe only called for about half the BC than the other liquors used.

    They even have the same label, less the names.

    I was also put off that I hadn’t realized that Blue Curaçao is essentially a more exotic (read: more expensive) version of triple sec, and that triple sec is actually a type of curaçao. Here’s a tip. Triple sec is the better option. Despite being made with slightly different fruits, they literally taste the same and have the same abv. The only real difference is the color. And the price.

    I also find it boring. Just plain boring. All the drinks look and taste the same, and those that don’t are too sweet, or all together horrible. I’m sorry to you Blue Curaçao drinkers out there, but your drinks suck.

    I would have written something about how everyone says the name of the liquor wrong (it’s pronounced keer-a-sow, not kee-rock-o) but honestly, who cares? Your bartender knows what you mean.

    So that’s that. I’m sick of mincing words. This booze sucks.

  • What’s in an Alabama Slammer? Seriously.

    There’s something about the Alabama Slammer. When I was bartending, I loved making them, and as an imbiber, I love drinking them.

    Nearly everyone I know enjoys the drink, but almost no one, not even the many bartenders I know, is quite sure exactly what is in them. Not the first five times they’re asked anyway. It’s my belief, actually, that the Alabama Slammer is the reason for the oodles and oodles of bar books decorating tavern backbars all over the world.

    But even the bar books and experts aren’t sure. Stephen Kittredge Cunningham’s The Bartender’s Black Book 9th Edition, lists six separate recipes for the drink. The Ultimate Bar Book by Mittie Helmich has two. Several websites list three to five recipes each, with an accompanying video that shows a completely different version.

    Despite the bevy of variations, one recipe shows up no matter where you look. This is the recipe that I’m the most familiar with, and that I enjoy drinking and making the most. So here it is.

    The Alabama Slammer

    • 1 oz Southern Comfort
    • 1 oz Amaretto
    • 1/2 oz sloe gin
    • Orange Juice

    Combine the Southern Comfort, amaretto and sloe gin in a cocktail glass over ice. Fill with orange juice. Garnish with an orange or cherry. Serve. Also good as a shot.

  • Amaretto Cocktails with a Childhood Twist

    The sweet almondy taste of Amaretto is ideal for the sweetest of cocktails, often reminding us of the tasty candy and drinks we had as children.

    Many mixologists have taken this to heart, and created cocktails that not only spark reminiscence of, but are named after, some of the best childhood memories.

    Bocce Ball

    • 1 oz Amaretto
    • 2 oz Orange Juice
    • Soda Water

    In a shaker, combine the amaretto and orange juice. Pour into a cocktail glass and top with soda.

    Roller Coaster

    • 2 parts Amaretto
    • 3 parts Grapefruit juice

    In a shaker, combine amaretto and grapefruit juice. Shake vigorously. Pour into a cocktail glass and serve.

    Kickstand

    • 1 part Amaretto
    • 1 part Southern Comfort
    • 1 part Kahlua
    • 1 part Irish Creme

    Pour amaretto and Southern Comfort into a highball glass, and layer on Kahlua and Irish cream.

    Tootsie Pop

    • 2 oz Grenadine
    • 5 oz Amaretto
    • 3 oz Lemon Juice
    • 2 drops chocolate syrup

    Layer grenadine, amaretto, and lemon juice, then stir. Add 2 drops of chocolate syrup, let sink, and then serve.

    Candy Apple

    • 2 oz Amaretto
    • 1 oz Butterscotch schnapps
    • Apple Juice

    Combine amaretto and butterscotch schnapps in a cocktail glass over ice. Fill with apple juice.

    Electric Koolaid

    • 1/2 oz Amaretto
    • 1/2 oz Blue Curacao
    • 1/2 oz Southern Comfort
    • 1/2 oz Midori
    • 1/2 oz Cherry Brandy
    • Sour Mix
    • Cranberry Juice
    • Splash of Grenadine

    Pour liqueurs and brandy over ice in a cocktail glass. Fill half with sour mix and half with cranberry juice. Splash with grenadine.

  • Booze of the Week – Amaretto

    Let’s try this again, shall we? Amaretto is one of those liquors that when added to a drink will either make it or break it. This week we’re going to pay homage to that tasty almond spirit we love so very much.