More about the science of taste & how it impacts cocktails from Darcy O'Neil here:
http://www.artofdrink.com/2008/03/sensory-perception-and-mixology.php
http://www.artofdrink.com/2008/08/sensory-perception-presentation.php
And Rick's notes here
http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/totc-friday-live-blogging-sensory-perception-and-mixology/
We had the pleasure of these two fine gentlemen's company at a gin pairing dinner at Absinthe Brasserie in San Francisco earlier this year, as well as at the SF Beefeater 24 launch. For more quotes from Mr. Payne, see these posts on bibulo.us:
http://www.metagrrrl.com/bibulous/2009/07/bibulous-special-report-plymouth-beefeater-spirited-dinner-at-absinthe.html
http://www.metagrrrl.com/bibulous/2009/06/bibulous-special-report-beefeater-24-san-francisco-launch-party.html
Hear, hear!
And thanks for bringing us in to smell your hands - memory served nicely to fill in the missing scent. Spanking herbs* and zesting citrus over the glass are two things that really make sitting at the bar pleasant; everyone else's drink gets to enhance your evening too.
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IzDbNFDdP4
One upside of going back to the original is the textural change provided by using pineapple gum (or "gomme") syrup.
Jennifer Colliau of Small Hand Foods has you covered:
http://smallhandfoods.com/products.cfm
http://smallhandfoods.com/find-us.cfm
We have some of her grenadine and it is sublime!
(And, by the way, Heaven's Dog in San Francisco not only uses her quality ingredients, their menu is heavily inspired by Charles H. Baker, Jr.)
Two points:
1) it is vitally important to understand that when Jamie says dry ice, he means normal ice that is dry to the touch, not melting already. Really cold ice stays dry and will thus chill your drinks more efficiently with less dilution. He does not mean solid carbon dioxide.
2) I kind of see where you were going with "more water flavor without dilution", a bit. A julep made without crushed ice and instead chilled with just a small amount of water added equivalent to the initial melt wouldn't taste the same.
Yes, technically it is going to give you more dilution - there's more surface area - but that's why you want to pack the ice in a bit for those tiki drinks & other crushed ice. You slow the melt while retaining a fresh, cool taste that has just enough softening from the melt to take the edge off any strong spirits.
Inspiration for your icy thoughts may also be found here: http://drbamboo.blogspot.com/2008/09/luau-grog.html
;)
Good to see you spreading the word about this one. It's a great insight into the late 19th century palate - as well as being useful to coffee historians curious about what a standard coffee looked like, sure seems like milk must have been part of the deal.
Blair, JT's bitters would have been Boker's still in 1887, is that right? Isn't that the flavor that Stephen Berg of The Bitter Truth said he was going for with his Jerry Thomas Bitters? Clove is the forward flavor there, but they are very complex. (A view of that bottle & some tasting notes on it & other bitters here http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinah/3319858309/ )
Hi Blair,
They're available at Cask in San Francisco and from their online store. http://www.caskstore.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=bitter+truth
But before you ship across the country, you may want to ask around to find out if anyone in New York is carrying them.
I'd also confirm prices direct from the source + shipping from Germany vs. Cask prices + shipping from San Francisco.
Good luck!
For someone who's a non-smoker, non-professional-bartender, an alternative to owning a lighter is to use a toothpick lit on a candle.
I find the toothpick vastly preferable to the use of a match because it avoids all the smells & flavors the match chemicals add.
I just updated our current bitters collection in an annotated Flickr picture. Mouse over the bottles for tasting notes.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinah/3319858309/
(Also, I recommend photos like this which you can bookmark in the browser on your phone so you don't buy duplicate bottles. ;) )
Seems like this could be a useful activity when you need to generate some zest for other ingredient-making or cooking projects. That's a pretty good pile you got from just one lime!
Simple and helpful.
Later you'll talk about preferences in garnish knives, right? ;)
I'm still using a paring knife like yours, but I know some folks prefer a larger Santoku style blade.
While we wait for Robert's response I'll weigh in with my experience. I've been slowly acquiring glasses secondhand with lots of character. I find this is has been a great way to get small rocks/old fashioned glasses. Since those are usually drinks where I'm sipping for a longer amount of time, I really appreciate the character of the old glasses.
Now and then a coupe with character turns up and I grab them because pretty ones are very hard to find in the restaurant supply stores in my experience. They usually have thick, heavy-stemmed ones.
What the restaurant supply stores can be great for are properly sized collins and cocktail glasses at 10oz and about half that respectively.
Go in with a friend or two unless you're planning to throw a lot of parties. We're party havers so having a couple dozen of each has been great for really cutting down the amount of washing we have to do during the evening and allows our guests to enjoy classy glassware.
One last tip: keep a couple each of cocktail, collins, and small sipping glasses (like you'd get wine in at an informal cafe) in the freezer. You'll always be set for a refreshing beverage, whether boozy or otherwise.
I profoundly disagree that a 3-to-1 Martini masks the character of the gin being used. Yes, it subtle. It's a cocktail, not a showcase of a particular spirit.
If you want chilled gin with a dash of dry vermouth, order that. Be gin proud and order what you like!
But it is no more a Martini than chilled whiskey with a dash of sweet vermouth is a Manhattan.
Frankly, I disagree with Robert here about not drinking straight gin. Some are lovely with just a little ice melt.There are also spirits-forward drinks that showcase a given spirit - I had a fantastic Gin Old Fashioned with Death's Door gin on my last visit to The Violet Hour, for example.
Hi David,
I think you'll really like the Death's Door. The other ones I've been enjoying lately are Leopold's and, especially, CapRock.
The CapRock in particular is great just over an ice cube. Stunningly good stuff!
Cheers!
Good clarification, Robert, thanks.
Yes, straight gin drinking is for freaks. Mmm, gin. :)
...
By the way, re: prior discussion of bitters & amari, have you tried the Zucca Rabarbaro yet? Wonderful smoky odd stuff. We got our bottle in London at the Whisky Exchange. http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-9248.aspx
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More about the science of taste & how it impacts cocktails from Darcy O'Neil here: http://www.artofdrink.com/2008/03/sensory-perception-and-mixology.php http://www.artofdrink.com/2008/08/sensory-perception-presentation.php And Rick's notes here http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/totc-friday-live-blogging-sensory-perception-and-mixology/
We had the pleasure of these two fine gentlemen's company at a gin pairing dinner at Absinthe Brasserie in San Francisco earlier this year, as well as at the SF Beefeater 24 launch. For more quotes from Mr. Payne, see these posts on bibulo.us: http://www.metagrrrl.com/bibulous/2009/07/bibulous-special-report-plymouth-beefeater-spirited-dinner-at-absinthe.html http://www.metagrrrl.com/bibulous/2009/06/bibulous-special-report-beefeater-24-san-francisco-launch-party.html
Hear, hear! And thanks for bringing us in to smell your hands - memory served nicely to fill in the missing scent. Spanking herbs* and zesting citrus over the glass are two things that really make sitting at the bar pleasant; everyone else's drink gets to enhance your evening too. *http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IzDbNFDdP4
One upside of going back to the original is the textural change provided by using pineapple gum (or "gomme") syrup. Jennifer Colliau of Small Hand Foods has you covered: http://smallhandfoods.com/products.cfm http://smallhandfoods.com/find-us.cfm We have some of her grenadine and it is sublime! (And, by the way, Heaven's Dog in San Francisco not only uses her quality ingredients, their menu is heavily inspired by Charles H. Baker, Jr.)
Two points: 1) it is vitally important to understand that when Jamie says dry ice, he means normal ice that is dry to the touch, not melting already. Really cold ice stays dry and will thus chill your drinks more efficiently with less dilution. He does not mean solid carbon dioxide. 2) I kind of see where you were going with "more water flavor without dilution", a bit. A julep made without crushed ice and instead chilled with just a small amount of water added equivalent to the initial melt wouldn't taste the same. Yes, technically it is going to give you more dilution - there's more surface area - but that's why you want to pack the ice in a bit for those tiki drinks & other crushed ice. You slow the melt while retaining a fresh, cool taste that has just enough softening from the melt to take the edge off any strong spirits. Inspiration for your icy thoughts may also be found here: http://drbamboo.blogspot.com/2008/09/luau-grog.html ;)
Good to see you spreading the word about this one. It's a great insight into the late 19th century palate - as well as being useful to coffee historians curious about what a standard coffee looked like, sure seems like milk must have been part of the deal. Blair, JT's bitters would have been Boker's still in 1887, is that right? Isn't that the flavor that Stephen Berg of The Bitter Truth said he was going for with his Jerry Thomas Bitters? Clove is the forward flavor there, but they are very complex. (A view of that bottle & some tasting notes on it & other bitters here http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinah/3319858309/ )
Hi Blair, They're available at Cask in San Francisco and from their online store. http://www.caskstore.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=bitter+truth But before you ship across the country, you may want to ask around to find out if anyone in New York is carrying them. I'd also confirm prices direct from the source + shipping from Germany vs. Cask prices + shipping from San Francisco. Good luck!
Agreed. Another great and practical episode!
For someone who's a non-smoker, non-professional-bartender, an alternative to owning a lighter is to use a toothpick lit on a candle. I find the toothpick vastly preferable to the use of a match because it avoids all the smells & flavors the match chemicals add.
I just updated our current bitters collection in an annotated Flickr picture. Mouse over the bottles for tasting notes. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinah/3319858309/ (Also, I recommend photos like this which you can bookmark in the browser on your phone so you don't buy duplicate bottles. ;) )
Seems like this could be a useful activity when you need to generate some zest for other ingredient-making or cooking projects. That's a pretty good pile you got from just one lime!
Simple and helpful. Later you'll talk about preferences in garnish knives, right? ;) I'm still using a paring knife like yours, but I know some folks prefer a larger Santoku style blade.
While we wait for Robert's response I'll weigh in with my experience. I've been slowly acquiring glasses secondhand with lots of character. I find this is has been a great way to get small rocks/old fashioned glasses. Since those are usually drinks where I'm sipping for a longer amount of time, I really appreciate the character of the old glasses. Now and then a coupe with character turns up and I grab them because pretty ones are very hard to find in the restaurant supply stores in my experience. They usually have thick, heavy-stemmed ones. What the restaurant supply stores can be great for are properly sized collins and cocktail glasses at 10oz and about half that respectively. Go in with a friend or two unless you're planning to throw a lot of parties. We're party havers so having a couple dozen of each has been great for really cutting down the amount of washing we have to do during the evening and allows our guests to enjoy classy glassware. One last tip: keep a couple each of cocktail, collins, and small sipping glasses (like you'd get wine in at an informal cafe) in the freezer. You'll always be set for a refreshing beverage, whether boozy or otherwise.
I profoundly disagree that a 3-to-1 Martini masks the character of the gin being used. Yes, it subtle. It's a cocktail, not a showcase of a particular spirit. If you want chilled gin with a dash of dry vermouth, order that. Be gin proud and order what you like! But it is no more a Martini than chilled whiskey with a dash of sweet vermouth is a Manhattan. Frankly, I disagree with Robert here about not drinking straight gin. Some are lovely with just a little ice melt.There are also spirits-forward drinks that showcase a given spirit - I had a fantastic Gin Old Fashioned with Death's Door gin on my last visit to The Violet Hour, for example.
Hi David, I think you'll really like the Death's Door. The other ones I've been enjoying lately are Leopold's and, especially, CapRock. The CapRock in particular is great just over an ice cube. Stunningly good stuff! Cheers!
Good clarification, Robert, thanks. Yes, straight gin drinking is for freaks. Mmm, gin. :) ... By the way, re: prior discussion of bitters & amari, have you tried the Zucca Rabarbaro yet? Wonderful smoky odd stuff. We got our bottle in London at the Whisky Exchange. http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-9248.aspx