A very enjoyable cocktail. Beautifully balanced. We stumbled on it serendipitously while using for a party invite an old travel poster with the USS Manhattan and USS Washington featured on it and thus asking ourselves "Huh, we know the Manhattan, but is there a Washington cocktail?"
This holds up extremely well as a bottled cocktail. You'll be a big hit bringing a bottle of this to a gathering of friends.
Nice! I particularly like how you're now doing more commentary on aroma and taste.
By the way, tried the Caprice with the new St. George Dry Rye gin and while it was more drinkable than some of our previous attempts* with that tricky tipple, we're still questing for a cocktail that it really sings in.
*http://bibulo.us/2011/10/st-george-gins.html
I find Peychaud's a little sweet with an aftertaste that to me seems artificial somehow. I vastly prefer TBT Creole Bitters.
Another couple reasons for having a great variety of bitters is so that you can use them to add complexity to non-alcoholic drinks (for those laden with cars or unborn children) and to make your soda water taste so nice you don't waste calories on soda that you could be spending on cocktails later. ;)
Interesting stirring setup there. Fun to play with! The gold in the caviar is a lovely effect, but the shaker and the very small beakers don't create caviar of the consistent beautiful roundness you achieved by hand.
Well, a quick Google Books search https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&tbo=1&tbs=bks:1&q=cloister+chartreuse+grapefruit&aq=f&aqi;=&aql=f&oq;= suggests it was probably Mario Thomas' New Bar Guide from 1983 or is it Mario Thomas and the 1986 Playboy's New Host & Bar Book?
As a librarian, I liked that search challenge. As a writer, I bristle at the skipped credit to the author.
Simply lovely choice of glass here, Robert. This kind of mood-matching is one of the big payoffs to an eclectic glassware collection. Most of ours have cost less than $2 each and have come from Goodwill and other thrift stores.
Google Books is such a boon for these kind of origin questions!
San Francisco Public Library appears to have the earliest one:
http://sflib1.sfpl.org/search~S1?/XNew+Bar+Guide&searchscope=1&SORT=D/XNew+Bar+Guide&searchscope=1&SORT=D&SUBKEY=New Bar Guide/1,19,19,B/frameset&FF=XNew+Bar+Guide&searchscope=1&SORT=D&1,1,
Cataloging there suggests a 1982 date and the correctness of the Thomas Mario name.
A search on Google Books for Playboy's new host & bar book, referenced in the SFPL notes on the 1982 edition, shows only the 1986 edition has been indexed by them. Thus, it may be that first appearance of the Cloister is pre-1982.
DM me or email me @Bibulo.us if you aren't able to confirm or push back pre-82 and I'll pay that copy at SFPL a visit for you.
Well, technically yes it is, but once you try it I think you'll group it with the Old Fashioned. It's got just a bit less intense mood than a Manhattan. Sort of thing a judge would have after work, don't you know? ;)
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/
Robert, it would be really fun if you'd suggest an "upgrade" for some ingredients, either in the video or in the notes.
We faced a similar challenge in our building your home bar series of posts on bibulo.us and ended up with the same solution: a decent, not-too-pricy recommendation as a starting point.
Oo, oo, bitters show, bitters show!
We love having lots of different ones. They're great for making mocktails (e.g. the delightful lavender/orange concoction Morgan at Nopa just served me).
Dinah from Bibulo.us
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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A very enjoyable cocktail. Beautifully balanced. We stumbled on it serendipitously while using for a party invite an old travel poster with the USS Manhattan and USS Washington featured on it and thus asking ourselves "Huh, we know the Manhattan, but is there a Washington cocktail?" This holds up extremely well as a bottled cocktail. You'll be a big hit bringing a bottle of this to a gathering of friends.
Nice! I particularly like how you're now doing more commentary on aroma and taste. By the way, tried the Caprice with the new St. George Dry Rye gin and while it was more drinkable than some of our previous attempts* with that tricky tipple, we're still questing for a cocktail that it really sings in. *http://bibulo.us/2011/10/st-george-gins.html
I find Peychaud's a little sweet with an aftertaste that to me seems artificial somehow. I vastly prefer TBT Creole Bitters. Another couple reasons for having a great variety of bitters is so that you can use them to add complexity to non-alcoholic drinks (for those laden with cars or unborn children) and to make your soda water taste so nice you don't waste calories on soda that you could be spending on cocktails later. ;)
Way to bring it, Chuck!
Interesting stirring setup there. Fun to play with! The gold in the caviar is a lovely effect, but the shaker and the very small beakers don't create caviar of the consistent beautiful roundness you achieved by hand.
Well, a quick Google Books search https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&tbo=1&tbs=bks:1&q=cloister+chartreuse+grapefruit&aq=f&aqi;=&aql=f&oq;= suggests it was probably Mario Thomas' New Bar Guide from 1983 or is it Mario Thomas and the 1986 Playboy's New Host & Bar Book? As a librarian, I liked that search challenge. As a writer, I bristle at the skipped credit to the author. Simply lovely choice of glass here, Robert. This kind of mood-matching is one of the big payoffs to an eclectic glassware collection. Most of ours have cost less than $2 each and have come from Goodwill and other thrift stores.
Google Books is such a boon for these kind of origin questions! San Francisco Public Library appears to have the earliest one: http://sflib1.sfpl.org/search~S1?/XNew+Bar+Guide&searchscope=1&SORT=D/XNew+Bar+Guide&searchscope=1&SORT=D&SUBKEY=New Bar Guide/1,19,19,B/frameset&FF=XNew+Bar+Guide&searchscope=1&SORT=D&1,1, Cataloging there suggests a 1982 date and the correctness of the Thomas Mario name. A search on Google Books for Playboy's new host & bar book, referenced in the SFPL notes on the 1982 edition, shows only the 1986 edition has been indexed by them. Thus, it may be that first appearance of the Cloister is pre-1982. DM me or email me @Bibulo.us if you aren't able to confirm or push back pre-82 and I'll pay that copy at SFPL a visit for you.
Okay, and I thought I was getting fancy with my Old Fashioned variant, the Judge Walker... (http://bibulo.us/2010/08/judge-walker.html)
Well, technically yes it is, but once you try it I think you'll group it with the Old Fashioned. It's got just a bit less intense mood than a Manhattan. Sort of thing a judge would have after work, don't you know? ;)
Meanwhile, I add chocolate bitters to the shopping list...
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/
Robert, it would be really fun if you'd suggest an "upgrade" for some ingredients, either in the video or in the notes. We faced a similar challenge in our building your home bar series of posts on bibulo.us and ended up with the same solution: a decent, not-too-pricy recommendation as a starting point.
Oo, oo, bitters show, bitters show! We love having lots of different ones. They're great for making mocktails (e.g. the delightful lavender/orange concoction Morgan at Nopa just served me). Dinah from Bibulo.us
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