The Cocktail Spirit with Robert HessSaratoga

blair frodelius 15 Jun 2009
7:14 am

Robert,

I was recently in Saratoga Springs, NY and stayed at the Saratoga Hotel.  I asked the bartender if they could make a Saratoga Cocktail, and of course, they had no idea what I was talking about.  But, they said they could make me an Apple-tini.  I declined.

Ah, time marches on….

Blair
GoodSpiritsNews.spaces.live.com

Dominik MJ aka the opinionated alchemist 15 Jun 2009
7:20 am

This looks like a tweaked Manhattan.
I am not absolutely fond to mix base spirits [even though it is an authentic recipe] - as the specific character of the spirit merges up and can no more identified as such.

However the video like always is great itself!

Robert Hess 15 Jun 2009
7:29 am

Blair, Hillarious Story! And far too often the case unfortunately.

Dominik, I agree, there aren’t that many true classics out there which mix different spirits together, but I try not to use that as a barrier. Granted, a drink such as this might not specifically celebrate the “rye” or the “brandy” individually, but should that prevent it from being a classic cocktail? Don Beach and Trader Vic took mixing different rums together in order to end up with a new flavor to an artform, and in France they have long mixed different grapes together to achieve a particular flavor profile. :->

Dominik MJ aka the opinionated alchemist 15 Jun 2009
2:06 pm

Dear Robert,

of course featuring two base spirits doesn’t prevent it to be a classic cocktail [classic in the meaning of historic].
I actually don’t like to mix different rums together to achieve a new flavor, because I think, that you can find a specific product, which could features exactly what you are looking for [instead of dark and light rum, you could use aged rum]...

IMHO preparation of cocktails has a different approach as producing spirits, cordials, wines…
Latter can be tweaked by dozen products to achieve the expectations of producer, brand, costumers.
To produce a cocktail supposed to be more straight forward - and I prefer, that it displays the main ingredient.

Still I am respecting the concept of two base spirits drinks - though personally I am opposing this…

George R. Welch 21 Jun 2009
2:38 pm

I don’t normally drink rye whiskey, but I recently bought some with the specific intention of making myself a vieux carre, since I was in a New Orleans mood.  As I was tasting my drink, I realized what a doofus I was (or that I was a little tipsy) and that I had forgotten the Benedictine!  Only today after watching this video did I realize that what I had actually made was a Saratoga, but with Peychaud’s bitters added.  Ahhh mixology.  .

Federico Cuco 4 Aug 2009
11:41 am

I hadn`t tried a Saratoga before , I found the cocktail Delicious.
Thank You Ever soo Much Robert.
I’ll add The Saratoga to the blackboard of my bar tonight.
I hope My costumers like it.

Thanks again,

Federico Cuco
788 FoodBar Buenos Aires

Steve Rosenthal 7 Sep 2009
5:45 pm

Wow.  What a nice drink.  I used Sazerac rye, Korbel XS brandy, and Noilly Pratt sweet vermouth (and of course, Angostura bitters), and it wound up tasting similar to sherry.