Hail The King

I love ginger.  The aroma, the spice, the slight hit of heat...and the way that it matches well with so many other flavors.  As a result, in the early stages of building up my collection of spirits and liqueurs, a bottle of the ginger profile was a necessity on the list.  And while it took a little longer than planned, I finally secured it.  I spent some time debating between two of the most popular bottles, Domaine de Canton and The King's Ginger.  While both were liqueurs that I had enjoyed in a variety of cocktails, I ended up going with The King's Ginger for a couple of reasons.  Perhaps most importantly, the more mellow and rounded ginger flavor of King's.  True, it lacks the brighter, more pungent, and slightly sweeter profile of Domaine de Canton, but I figured a touch of ginger syrup could help provide that additional fresh kick if I really needed without a bottle of Canton on hand.  Another noticeable distinction between the two lies in their composition.  While both begin with their ingredients in a base of neutral grain spirit, King's distillate of fresh ginger and lemon is finished off by the addition of a single malt whisky (82 proof).  On the other hand, Canton's recipe of crystallized ginger, orange blossom honey, and vanilla is finished with a V.S.O.P. cognac base (56 proof).  At the end of the day, the higher proof King's Ginger had the more straight-forward profile I was looking for, so the decision was made.  And while Domaine de Canton will likely be added to my shelf at some point, there is always the option of making your own version, an endeavor I'm sure I'll be taking on in the near future.

XXQC - The Sazerac

Simply put...controversy and varied opinions abound when it comes cocktails, be they with respect to origins, recipes, variations, or preparation.  We need look no further than the recent introduction to the 'proper' preparation of an Old Fashioned put forth by Martin Doudoroff at Old Fashioned 101.  While certainly biased by my own views, Doudoroff makes what I consider to be very good points on the ingredients and methods when it comes to this most classic of cocktails, yet as highlighted by Chuck Cowdery, a raging debate was quickly raised by Kevin Kosar.  As far as Kevin sees it, Doudoroff's rigid approach and the New York Times favorable review of his site unfairly cast a shadow on other versions of this cocktail.  All contention aside, I merely raise the issue when reflecting on the relative lack of controversy as it relates to yet another classic cocktail, the Sazerac, perhaps one of the least contentious of the XXQC.

No time like 'Island Time'

Under the gun after having just arrived back from a two week hiatus in no other than Maui and Lana'i, I've managed to conjure up something for this month's very fitting MxMo Tiki theme hosted by Doug over at The Pegu Tiki Blog.  As described by Doug:

The Tiki scene, like classic cocktails in general, is reviving nicely these days. The lush, decadent marriage of tropical flavors and exotic kitsch carries us away to a better, less dreary place. Please join in and add your words, images, and offerings to the Tiki Gods on the 20th. Since Tiki is more than just the drinks, feel free to post on whatever Tiki subject floats your outrigger canoe. I suspect most of you will want to offer up delectable drinks, but feel free to wax eloquent on aloha shirts, exotica music, decor, garnishes, food or whatever else moves you to enter the Tiki spirit.

Thai Time

From time to time I like to experiment with the concept of converting flavors from the culinary world to their counterpart equivalent in the glass.  Recently, this led me to the exploration of one my favorite cuisines, the fragrant dishes of Thailand.  Possessing character that spans sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, the bright layers of herbs and piquant spices lend themselves well to how I envisioned a parallel universe of Thai flavors in a cocktail.  

XXQC - Vieux Carré

Bourbon.  One of my favorite aged spirits, and truth be told, the reason I stumbled into the world of mixology.  Yes, were it not for my interest to branch out and discover what other components played nice with my beloved whiskey, I might still be only sipping the stuff neat or on the rocks...not that there's anything wrong with that at all.  But after my inaugural venture with the preparation of an Old Fashioned (albeit with the high rye bourbon, Basil Hayden), I was hooked.  Naive enough at first that the intended rye whiskey was a foreign spirit, I pressed to discover what other drinks married with this relative of bourbon.  The Manhattan and Sazerac, largely as expected, showcased the spicy rye in all its glory...but in seeking something entirely different, I eventually was introduced to the Vieux Carré (voo kah-ray).  'The what?', I thought.  Thankfully, however, I gathered up the missing components and mixed one up.  Mirroring my inaugural enthusiasm for the interplay of spirits, bitters, and liqueurs, this was a definitely a cocktail that further fueled my interest and inspiration.  The Vieux Carré, a simple yet distinct blend very much worth your time, and another of the XXQC.

XXQC - The Martini

As mentioned in the past, cocktails have a tendency to evolve over time.  Whether the result of altered tastes, an introduction to a new culture/demographic, the availability of novel products, or the disappearance of others from the market (ie. Kina Lillet), recipes change.  Some are improved, some take a step back, and still others are altered to represent more of a parallel shift...seemingly no better or worse, just different.  With the resurgence of the craft cocktail movement over the last 10-15 years, many are experiencing for the first time the original and proper preparation of the classics.  In top cocktail bars across the country, the Old Fashioned now shines without the addition of muddled orange, a neon cherry, and dilution of soda water; the Daiquiri and its variations can have a solid presence absent the frozen blend with ice and a swimming pool; and perhaps most significantly, a classic Martini can be mixed up to display the sublime harmony of gin and dry vermouth rather than the random clash of vodkas, sweeteners, and/or the hodgepodge of other liqueurs often slapped up as (blank)-tinis.  If ever there was a cocktail that was so neglected, only to have worked its way back alongside fellow iconic classics, the Martini may in fact stand alone...and is absolutely one of the XXQC.

Eggnoggin'

As is typical for this time of year, the focus on Christmas (or the 'Holiday Season' if you will) begins as soon as the the leftovers from Thanksgiving are stashed in the fridge.  For most, it's all about the tree (or bush), the ornaments, the decor, the cookies, and for those who celebrate Festivus...we must not forget the all important Festivus Pole, a crucial component for the 'Airing of Grievances' and 'Feats of Strength'.  Yes, in these times of holiday bliss, a nice Manhattan, Old-Fashioned, or Equinox among others certainly lends itself well to lounging in front of the fire...but as we draw closer to the end of the month here in the Midwest, I am reminded of one of my favorite childhood memories of the season...eggnog.  For sure, the store bought cartons of this homogenous concoction were often too sweet and thick, tho my naive buds were easily tamed by cutting the viscous stuff with a bit of milk.  Nowadays?  Not so much.  An unbelievably easy and much preferred route is to follow something along the lines of Alton Brown by making your own from scratch, (adult-rated or child-friendly at your own discretion).  I've recently made this a tradition over the last several years and really do enjoy it with a nice kick of bourbon.  At the same time, its profile is still on the heavier side and I've been longing for a boozier version that still retains hints of its nutmeg-y origin.  As a result, I set out to create a variation of eggnog that would find acceptance not only in the spirit and childhood memories of the holiday season, but among the cocktail enthusiast in me as well.