Beer Me!

Summer is officially here (even in Reno) and that means BEER! There is nothing quite as refreshing as a cold one on a hot day. I've got something to put some pep in your tired old beer's step. Beer Cocktails, they are all the rage right now. We can skip the usual Bee Sting, Turbo Corona and Car Bomb-- the powers at be are shaking up something much more extraordinary for your enjoyment. Try these on for size...

The Bee's Knees
1 oz Silver Tequila
.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.75 oz Honey Simple Syrup
Shake, strain into a Pilsner Glass top with your favorite light beer. Corona works well, but I like it will Pilsner Urquell. Garnish with a Lemon Zest

Gingers Kick Back
1 oz  Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
.75 oz Ginger Simple Syrup
.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Ginger Beer
Pour this one straight into a Pilsner Glass, no shaking necessary and top with an Irish Red Ale.
*This one is for my good friend Andy: Facebook received criticism after a 'Kick a Ginger' group, which aimed to establish a "National Kick a Ginger Day" on November 20, acquired almost 5,000 members... Bartenders defend those of Irish decent as they are generally big drinkers, thus fueling our livelyhood

Walk the Dog
1 oz Rye Whiskey
.75 oz Amaretto
.75 oz Honey Roasted Peanut Simple Syrup
Shake, strain into a Cocktail Glass top with Newcastle. it would be worth the effort. Dash with Orange Bitters and Garnish with a Flamed Orange Zest
*In England "Walking the Dog" was a generally used excuse to swing by the local pub for a pint.

I'm still working on developing more of these type of cocktails. It's a fairly untapped genre (at lease in my parts) so I am concocting more of these hybrid libations and trying to develop the very best. There are many simple blends involving beer and champagne or beer and a sweet liqueur, but I have found that most of these lack complexity or worse, lack drinkablitiy. I plan to drink my way to the bottom of this issue in pursuit of the ideal Beer Cocktail.

Gin... You Love it, or You Hate it

Although, I do have to say that most Gin haters simply don't speak the language-- it's generally an ignorant hatred rather than a truly researched opinion. Now this responsibility does not fall on the shoulders of the patron, but rather the average bartender who can only manage to name two cocktails involving gin-- a Gin and Tonic and a Tom Collins. Most bartenders instinctively reach for the Grey Goose when someone orders a Martini not even knowing that the recipe calls for gin and that the use of vodka is a modern mutation.

Extremely under-used in contemporary cocktails, gin has fallen by the way side-- and tragically so. Being of the same family as its much duller and socially acceptable brother, vodka, Gin is the original "flavored spirit." Gaining its notoriety in America during prohibition when bootleggers where doing any and everything to make their moonshine drinkable, Gin has a unique and stunningly complex structure. The Juniper Berry is the main flavoring agent, accented by a variety of citrus and spice notes. Each distiller's recipe is generally top secret and distinct in nature. We could go into the whole process of how it is made, and although it is interesting, you can go ahead and google it if you think that will help you sell this spirit. I have another method to introduce the less popular and socially awkward little family secret.

MAKE GREAT COCKTAILS WITH IT!

It's that simple. If you can sell them by showing them, with your persuasive bartender nature, you will have them drinking out of the palm of your hand and gazing upon a whole new horizon of cocktail potential. Negroni's for the sophisticated drinker, The Last Word for your adventurous guest, and something spritzy and fun like a Capone for the young buck crowd.

Negroni
1.5 oz Gin
.75 oz Sweet Vermouth (Try Dolin Rouge or Antica for different flavor profiles)
.75 oz Campari
Dash of Bitters (Flavors make for interesting twists)
Stir and strain over ice or up or you can serve it tall on the rocks and add soda water
Garnish with a Flamed Orange Zest-- Always a crowd pleaser

Last Word
.75 oz Gin
.75 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
.75 oz Green Chartreuse
.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Shake vigorously and double strain up
Garnish with a Lime Twist
(Final Say is the same portions subbing Yellow Chartreuse for the Green and Lemon for the Lime, also very refreshing and little more approachable for those who need to be eased into this cocktail)

Capone
1.5 oz Gin (Hendrick's for this one)
.75 oz St. Germain Elderflower
.75 oz Honey Simple Syrup
.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
5-7 Slices of Fresh Peeled Cucumber (The skin can be too bitter, some people prefer an English Cucumber, I don't)
Muddle the Cucumber and Lemon in a tall glass, add rocks and build cocktail. For the guys I just top it with soda water, but for a feminine touch a little dry sparkling wine such as Prosecco adds a lot of appeal.
Garnish with Slices of Cucumber, you can have fun with the Garnish if you have time or are trying to impress your guest. Cucumbers are extremely versatile garnishes... Google it (just make sure you have your child friendly settings lined up if you are at work).

In closing, I have some brand recommendations for you, just the tip of the iceberg, but it's a good place to start.

Hendrick's - a crowd favorite to the experienced gin drinker, its more than subtle cucumber notes make this gin particularly refreshing and add a little some thing to rounding out the dry finish with a crisp little burst that screams Drink More!

Broker's London Dry - I would deem this "Varietally True" And if everyone could pop their gin cherry with this brand, the world would be a better place. Exceptional balance for the juniper to citrus ratio, this Gin is a wonderful cocktail gin. Plus the bottle comes with its own hat, can't beat that with a stick.

Right Gin - Extreme orange and citrus notes here. Its breaks tradition, but man it makes a great Martinez. If you are going to drink your Gin straight, the zest in this product really makes it easy on you.

Old Tom - Check this stuff out, a sweet gin, rather than the more popular London Dry, its flavor profile is approachable and refreshing. Often referred to as "The Missing Link," sweet gin bridges the gap between what we know as gin and its predecessor Jenever from Holland, the original spirit from which gin was born.

What's For Dessert?

The Chocolatier, O.M.G. & Berry Creme Fresh

Sweet tooth? Dessert Cocktails have everything you need to satisfy those after dinner cravings

Chocolate? Peanut butter? Fresh Fruit? What does it for you? Dessert Cocktails are the perfect end to any evening and when you know how to shake up the perfect mix, you can avoid those syrupy, overly sweet disasters that some bartenders attempt to slay their customers with after dinner. Take a break from your everyday Chocolate Martini.

Try inovative simple syrups, like honey roasted peanut, or white chocolate macadamia nut paired with interesting spirit choices. Skip the norm and opt for Nut Liquor, Nocello Walnut Liquer, St. Elizabeth Allspice or Vanilla Infused Rum. And then look for common dessert-esk liquors to blend... Amaretto, Godiva, Kaluha, Tuaca, Lemoncello, Gran Marnier, Chambord and then keep it simple and not too sweet. I usually skip the "Sugar Rim" that has become so popular, but in a dessert cocktail, it may add something a little extra. A rim should be used as an addition to the cocktail, not just for looks. Get creative with your garnishes too. Dessert is about the whole package, don't skip the details.

O.M.G.

1.5 oz Nut Liquor

.75 oz Honey Roasted Peanut Simple Syrup

1 oz Cream

.5 oz Amaretto

Dry Shake the mix to froth up the cream then shake vigorously over ice. Serve up in a cocktail glass with a honey roasted peanut and brown sugar rim

Garnish with fresh sliced banana





Simple Syrups-- Sweet & Sassy

Simple Syrup is the easiest way to take your cocktail creations to the next level. Start by boiling equal parts sugar and water for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and go crazy from there. If you want a more viscous syrup you can add more sugar, but make sure you stir more frequently to prevent the sugar from burning. Try changing to brown sugar or natural sugar for more flavor options.
Some commonly made and versatile syrups are honey, ginger, lemon, lime, pepper, jalepeno and vanilla. You can get really creative and use herbs and spices to produce some interesting flavor combinations. Try cherry vanilla, honey lavender, peach, lychee, caramel apple, lemon grass, thyme, cayenne pepper... it takes a little time and a lot of tasting to get things just right, trust your palate. Remember, there is no "right" way to make something up. I try not to limit myself to following exact recipies, especially when using fresh ingredients. Some methods are more effective than others for specific ingredients. For instance, when using ginger, I find that grating it helps release the most amount of flavor into the syrup. Deciding to include or omit the peel of a lemon of an orange can really make a big difference in your final product. If you are having a hard time with gettting enough flavor out in the boiling process, try letting the syrup cool with the flavoring agents still in it and then bringing it back up to a boil. Also, if you leave the syrup at room temp overnight before straining it off, you will find a much more potent result. Invest in a funnel and some cheese cloth, it works wonders.
So you made a creative syrup, now what? Try and create cocktails that compliment or contrast with the flavor of your syrup. You will find that sweet needs to be balanced with sour, bitter or dry. Work to create cocktails that have balance, that is the key to success. When experiementing, add one element at a time to your mixing glass, taste, smell, evaluate and move forward. It may take a couple tries to get what you are looking for so be patient. Have fun, and think outside the box, some of the best cocktails have very surprising combinations of flavors and you won't know how they work together until you try it yourself.