Bacon...Take Two

Around rolls April and once again, I welcome the challenge to create another bacon-inspired cocktail worthy of submission to the Baconfest Chicago 2013 Best Bacon Cocktail Challenge.  At the helm, of course, is long time Baconfest contributor and head mixologist Mike Ryan of Sable Kitchen & Bar...the rules, as follows:

Yarrghh!

For this month's Mixology Monday theme, in steps Scott Diaz of Shake, Strain & Sip ..... He throws out a very interesting concept, as so described in his post..


"The evolution of the cocktail has been a wondrous, and sometimes, frightful journey.  From its humble beginning, to the "Dark Ages" of most of the later 20th century, to the now herald "Platinum Age" of the cocktail,  master mixologists and enthusiasts alike have elevated its grandeur using the best skills, freshest ingredients and craft spirits & liqueurs available.  But with all this focus on "craft" ingredients and classic tools & form, it seems we have become somewhat pretentious.  The focus on bitter Italian amari, revived and lost ingredients such as Batavia Arrack or Creme de Violette, the snickering at a guest ordering a Cosmopolitan or a Midori Sour; has propelled us into the dark realm of snobbery. Many scratch bars and Speakeasies have gone as far as to remove all vodka and most flavored liqueurs from their shelves.  Some even go as far as to post "rules" that may alienate most potential imbibers.  Remember, the bar was created with pleasing one particular group in mind: the guest.  As such, this month's MxMo LXXI theme, From Crass to Craft,  will focus on concocting a craft cocktail worthy of not only MxMo but any trendy bar, using dubious and otherwise shunned ingredients to sprout forth a craft cocktail that no one could deny is anything less.  There are a plethora of spirits, liqueurs and non-alcoholic libations that are just waiting for someone to showcase that they too are worthy of being featured on our home and bar shelves.  So grab that bottle of flavored vodka, Jagermeister, cranberry juice, soda, neon colored liqueur, sour mix or anything else deemed unworthy of a craft cocktail, and get mixin'!

Smoke 'em if you got 'em

Valentine's Day...that typical time of year when flowers abound, chocolates are gifted, and other gifts of questionable significance are gobbled up by the masses in celebration of unity.  What a waste.  Why not do something unique and non-traditional to distinguish one year from the next?  For sure, it is a challenge, but one well worth taking on in my opinion.  And yes, the same goes for the cocktail.

Perhaps one of my favorite uses of grenadine in a cocktail is reflected by the Jack Rose, essentially an apple brandy sour with lemon juice and grenadine, first published in William Boothby's The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them (1908).  It is a fantastic combination of boozy apple with a crisp citrus finish, the grenadine adding a distinct fruity sweetness.

Fortified...

Yes it is the middle of Winter in Chicago.  Yes I, like many, have a preference for brown spirits and cocktails composed from such during these cold, light-starved days.  And yes, I have been staring at an unopened bottle of Lillet Rose on my shelf since mid October.  While the wind chills here in the Midwest might not be screaming, 'mix me up a Spring-influenced aperitif cocktail'...this month's Mixology Monday, graciously hosted by Chemistry of the Cocktail spurred me to think otherwise.  As proposed by Jordan...

Fortified wines began, in large part, as a way to deal with the difficulties of shipping wine long distances in the holds of sailing ships. Without the rigorous sterilization that is possible today, wines would often spoil en route. However, increasing the alcohol concentration to around 20% ABV was enough to keep them from going off. Coincidentally, this also made it possible to age those wines for very long periods, increasing their richness and depth.
 
These wines held an important place in the ur-cocktails of punch and have continued on in cocktails proper, the personal punches of the past several hundred years. Though less common nowadays, sherry, port, and, to a lesser extent, madeira and marsala, all find their way into various mixed drinks.

For this month's Mixology Monday, I'd like to see what you all can do with these versatile wines. They can play many different roles - from taking the place of vermouths in classic drinks, to providing richness and sweetness in winter tipples, to serving as a base for lighter aperitifs. Whether forgotten classics or new creations, let's see what you can put together.

All Those Whos Down in Whoville...

After a brief hiatus from the monthly Mixology Monday, I am back in full swing for JFL's Humbug! theme.  As described in his post...

Lets face it the holidays suck, yeah I said it. You put yourself in debt buying crap people will have forgotten about in a month. You drive around like a jackass to see people you don’t even like, or worse they freeload in your house. Your subjected to annoying music, and utterly fake, forced kindness and joy. Plus if you work retail your pretty much in hell, so don’t we all deserve a good stiff drink? So for this Mixology Monday unleash your inner Grinch. Mix drinks in the spirit of Anti-Christmas. They can be really bitter and amaro filled. They filled with enough booze to make you pass out in a tinsel covered Scrooge heap. They could be a traditional holiday drink turned on it’s ear. Or they could be a tribute to your favorite holiday villain. If you celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa then you still suffer through the holidays, so feel free to join in with your Anti-Holiday drink as well. Whatever it is add a hearty “Humbug!” and make your drink personify everything annoying or fake about the holidays.

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

With the backdrop of a wonderful new daughter welcomed into our lives in July, the last several months have been anything but casual and relaxing.  While fatherhood has been fantastic, it does...ummm, cut into my available 'free time'.  And with that, I've had (as expected) noticeably less time to contemplate, consume, and critique new cocktails, flavor combinations, and spirits.  Nonetheless, the wheels continue to turn...I read little bits here and there, keep up on what is becoming available in my area, and, of course, never stop conjuring up a new mix or two.

The Stalker

Another fresh month and another new MxMo is upon us, this time from the gracious Ed over at Wordsmithing Pantagruel...

With the warm days of summer now fading off into the distance in our rear view mirrors, let's pay one last tribute to the greens of summer before the frosts come and our outdoor herb gardens give up the ghost for the winter. For our theme for this month, I have chosen: (it's not easy) "Bein' Green." (Perchance due in no small part to my predilection for Green Chartreuse.) I'm giving you a wide berth on this one, anything using a green ingredient is fair play. There's not only the aforementioned Chartreuse; how about Absinthe Verte, aka the green fairy. Or Midori, that stuff is pretty damn green. Crème de menthe? Why not? Douglas Fir eau de vie? Bring it! Apple schnapps? Uh...well...it is green. I suppose if you want to try to convince me it makes something good you can have at it. But it doesn't have to be the liquor. Limes are green. So is green tea. Don't forget the herb garden: mint, basil, cilantro, you name it - all fair game. There's also the veritable cornucopia from the farmers market: green apples, grapes, peppers, olives, celery, cucumbers...you get the idea. Like I said, wide berth. Base, mixer, and or garnish; if it's green it's good. Surprise me. Use at least one, but the more the merrier.