The Kir Royale and Godfather

I tried an incredibly delicious drink last night known as the Kir Royale. Here's the story, followed by a few more.

Last night, after a great dinner at the 2nd Annual Space Camp Hall-of-Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony, we went to a reception at Ketchup, a classy dance bar at Bridge Street Town Center in Huntsville. This place was poppin'. The music was loud, the beats were hot. I'm going back for sure, but I digress. We went into the VIP and sat down with some of the guest speakers and award winners from the event. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, the famous astrophysicist was in attendance that night. He is the most inspiring public speaker I have ever met in my entire life. We listened and talked to him all night. (He even said my major-video game development- was good!) But on to the drinks.

I realize that only a well-stocked, well-tended bar will be able to know, much less make a few of the mainstream IBA drinks I tend to order. It is in my snooty opinion every decent tender should have the IBA list memorized. I gave it a shot with a variation on a classic. "The Kir Royale..." I said. The host nodded and said no problem! My emotions could be summed up in one word: glee.

The Kir Royale

• 9 parts Champagne
• 1 part Creme de Cassis (black currant liqueur)

1. Pour the creme de Cassis into a wide champagne flute first.
2. Then the champagne.
   

My god, this drink. I love currant flavor, first off. I describe it as a grape with balls. The champagne fizzed pleasantly in the glass, which had a deeper rose hue than normal thanks to the color of the cassis. I took one sip and was knocked off my feet. It was fizzy and sweet, as was to be expected with champagne, but it has a tart kick to it thanks to the cassis. It was a perfect blend of all the things I love about sour drinks and sweet drinks. I took a few sips, and passed it to Krista, who promptly drank it all. Needless to say, she enjoys them too. They are now in my top five list of drinks, and may soon usurp the gimlet if things continue! A normal Kir has white wine instead of champagne. Wikipedia suggests a chardonnay-based Burgundy wine, such as a Chablis.

Trivia: Hercule Poirot loves Kirs.

Let me go back in time through the night a little, however, to the dinner itself. There was a half-amply stocked wet bar (A stocked bar has Rose's Concentrated Lime Juice. Dammit) that I ventured too. I explained to the tenders how to make me a Godfather. They laughed and said they'd remember the drink for sure! So for good measure, I also told them how to make a Godmother. Then I tipped really well.

Godfather

• 1 part amaretto
• 1 part scotch

1. Mix both into an old-fashioned glass with ice.
   

This drink is one I've always wanted to try. I love me some amaretto, and I want to learn to enjoy the subtleties in the flavor of scotch. I had my head turned when the bartender was pouring the scotch, so I missed which label he used. The label of amaretto was Amaretto de Amore.

The drink had the flavor of a blended malt scotch whisky. I had to stir it a bit to get it to blend well with the amaretto, but when it did it hit the tongue sweetly, and swallowed like whisky. It had a kick to it, of course. It's a good cigar drink, really. A heavy sort of flavor, but the almond tries its best to cut the scotch juuuuust enough to make it sweet-ish. I may have it again sometime if I get my hands on a nice Romeo Y Julieta.

I also had a weak-ass amaretto sour. Too much sweet and sour mix, too much ice.

Bottom Line: Try the Kir Royale, it's incredible. Give the Godfather a shot if you like scotch, amaretto, both or neither. Only drink properly mixed amaretto sours. Stay in school.


PS: The bar Ketchup put together a few simple "space" drinks last night. Cute, tasty. I made one up too. The V2 is mine.

V2 = Extra Dry Vermouth and Gin martini, frosted glass, no olive. Speak in a German accent while drinking.

Alien = Orange Juice and Midori

NASA = Orange juice and peach schnapps

The bottom two are fast and easy party drinks you can whip up in minutes for several friends and family. The Alien had a lovely green tint to it...mmmm...

The Dark Knight

Seriously.
It's a drink.

The bartenders down at Prive', a high-class movie theatre premium box seats section at the Monaco Theatre, have concocted several drinks themed after characters in the new Christopher Nolan Batman spectacular "The Dark Knight." The drink is...in contrast to the film...sweet. Let's get into it.

The Dark Knight
(The ingredients list I found was typical of most bars in its simplicity.)

• Vodka
• Gin
• Rum
• Chambord
• Blue Curacao

Now, a drink like this usually drinks like a Long Island Iced tea and in fact, that's exactly what I'd ordered prior. The bartender asked me if I wanted to try one of their Batman LITs and I promptly agreed. You could offer me an Iron Man themed cup of crap and I'd probably pay at least a few bucks for it. They'd premixed a few jugs of the stuff, so I was skeptical. I prefer my drinks made fresh, of course. I accepted it, squeezed a lime into it (that was proffered), and took a sip.

It was like grape CANDY. That was my best first impression. You know how a perfectly mixed LIT doesn't taste like any alcohol is in it at all? That was this thing. It reminded me most of a sweeter version of Mountain Dew's short-lived Halloween flavor "Pitch Black." Chambord is a very sweet raspberry liqueur, and I was surprised to note that the mixture produced less of a raspberry notion on the tongue and far more of a grape one. It's not like the vodka and gin softened the flavor at all. But nevertheless, it tasted overpoweringly like a Chambord and grape candy soup. I drank it swiftly, and it left me with a light buzz that I appreciated for a short while.

I have a feeling the Dark Knight was made with a little extra something in it that they weren't spilling the beans on. Maybe some grape Kool-aid powder, maybe a little juice. Anyways, I really enjoyed the drink. I think it may have been just a tad bit too sweet for me but bah, I do enjoy a little sweetness every now and then. After it I had a gin gimlet and all was right with the world. I intend to try Chambord as a neat little cocktail, to sample it's intricacies more. When I get back to Chicago I'm going to be trying a lot of liquors and liqueurs neat it seems. I'm down with that.

Bottom Line: Deceptively strong, just like the Dark Knight himsef.

Long Day: Alabama Slammer and a B-52

I don't typically go for shots, I find them a terrible waste of money and alcohol, but last night I had two-ish. One was more of a "slammer," I'm told. These were two drinks off my beaten path, so I had slight trepidation going in, and coming out of it I have to say I enjoyed them. Let's go!

My brother-in-arms Clay and I nipped off to Wendy's and Ruggby's for a meal and a sip. I had a Baconator in a matter of seconds and he had some chicken nuggets ("The best chicken nuggets," he says). I have a small application on my phone that lists off drinks and I remembered I wanted to get a few knocked down for the blog, so it was a toss up between a few. I decided to stick with the Alabama Slammer for my first round. Clay had a Woodchuck apple cider.

Alabama Slammer's are surprisingly fruity drinks. It was only about 4oz tops of a drink in the bottom of a sad looking plastic cup. I got the feeling that the drink is often served in a much larger volume, probably at a party or something. I immediately felt slighted for paying for it. A "tasty" slammer contains:

• 1/2 oz amaretto
• 1/2 oz Southern Comfort
• 1/2 oz sloe gin
• 1 splash sweet and sour mix/some sort of citrus

Honest to goodness I could taste NONE of the liquor in this drink. It was probably the acid of the OJ and sweet and sour fruit juices that did it, but it tastes like curiously strong punch more than a "slammer"...whatever the hell that is. It was delicious though, and I'd have several more. Perfect party drink, for getting the kick later without getting the kick going down. I could see trays of them, all lined up all pink and pretty waiting for passing pool party guests to grab one and throw it back before mingling and carousing. I need to try another drink with sloe gin. The gin fanatic I am, I desire to know more. The amaretto was virtually nonexistant...which makes me believe that the slammer is a very VERY customizable drink. I bet if I went to a different bar every night and had one it'd be subtly changed each time. When I get to Chicago I'm going to either A) find a bar where I can become a regular and get to know how the bartenders make their drinks or B) make them all myself. I'd prefer B, but finding a nice intimate bar may be what I need.

The slammer was a good drink, it was tasty and the scariest part is I could drink it all night but honestly I'm probably not going to have one again. Wholly unremarkable. Great for refreshment and leave it at that. Serve it to guests, share it around. Make a big ole'batch and have a good time but don't go into a bar and order a single one for yourself, you'll be sad.

I move on from that through two cigarettes and a Woodchuck apple cider to a B-52.

• 1 part Grand Marnier
• 1 part Baileys Irish Creme
• 1 part Kahlua
  

1. Layer the ingredients in the shot according to this order: Kahlua first, Baileys, Grand Marnier. Use the back of a cold bar spoon when adding the top two ingredients and pour slowly to prevent mixing.
2. Replace the Grand Marnier with a high-proof dark rum and set it aflame for a Flaming B-52, a showy version of the drink. Set fire to the rum and drink quickly with a metal straw.
   

The B-52 is a shot that is traditionally served pousse-cafe style. This means the layering of the ingredients according to density. Calvin makes a MEAN pousse-cafe Grasshopper actually. The shot came to me and was the color of my skin throughout. No pousse-cafe for me. I was saddened yet again. I raised it, gave it a nod, and threw it back.

First thing that hit me was the Grand Marnier. The rich and powerful bite of the drink hits your tongue first and foremost. It sets a high intensity bar for the rest of the shot. Grand Mariner is primarily an orange liqueur, and despite not tasting particularly orange it did bite with just the barest acidic hint. After that I got the mix of Baileys and Kahlua. Kahlua is a coffee liqueur and Baileys is well...Baileys. Irish creme by itself is an incredibly sweet and silky drink, and mixed with the coffee flavor of the Kahlua the sting of the Grand Marnier was gone within moments, replaced by a lingering coffee and sugar flavor in the back of my mouth. The milky Baileys coated my tastebuds and took over the flavor well after I'd finished the shot. For several minutes actually. The smokey nature of the Kahlua was a perfect combination with the creamy Irish creme.

I thoroughly enjoyed the B-52. I like Baileys by itself, and I drink White Russians with my roommate John often enough to appreciate good Kahlua, but this was my first run in with Grand Marnier. I'd like to have it in a drink again after this. I think it's a great liquor for mixing. If you enjoy the mulled flavors of Baileys and Kahlua, give this shot a...try.

Bottom Line: The "Bama" Slammer is for parties and poolside. The B-52 is for a job well done.


PS: After a little research, Wikipedia offered up several variants of the B-52. I'm gonna share them here. They're kinda fun! The following is a quote from the Wikipedia entry:

• B-52 with Bombay Doors, a B-52 with Bombay gin
• B-52 in the Desert, a B-52 with tequila rather than Bailey's Irish Cream^[2]
• B-52, a B-52 with Cointreau
• B-53, a B-52 with vodka
• B-54, a B-52 with amaretto
• B-55, a B-52 with absinthe
• B-57, a B-52 with Sambuca, and triple sec rather than Grand Marnier
• B-61, a B-52 with vanilla and creme de cacao
• B-1, a B-52 with Ketel One vodka ^[3]

PPS: Don't have both of these in one night. I got a maaaaad headache.

Inaugural Post Addendum: Limencello

If I had written about both of the drinks I had consumed the other night, it would have been way too long. So let me tell you a little bit about Limoncello.

Limoncello is a simple liqueur, Italian in origin and made from nearly pure alcohol, lemon zest, water, and sugar. So why not just drink the ostensibly similar in composition Mike's Hard Lemonade? 3 reasons:

1. Mike's doesn't hold a candle to Hooper's Hooch.
2. Its taste belies its alcohol content; i.e. weak, unsophisticated drinks like Mike's, Bud Light and others are for frat boys to chug, not for you and me to revel in.
3. It can be made in large quantities inexpensively. (And then sold at an absurd markup in a restaurant--more on that later)

Limoncello is what is known in the old country as a digestivo. It is meant to be sipped and nursed after a good hearty meal as digestivos, as the name implies, are believed to aid digestion. Typically, an Italian dinner would be followed by such a drink to settle your stomach after eating a starchy, carby pasta-topped-with-highly acidic-tomato-sauce dinner. It can be enjoyed by itself or coupled with a light dessert such as vanilla gelato (which happened to be the way that I had it last Sunday).

As mentioned before Limoncello is exceedingly simple and embarrassingly inexpensive to make yourself. And totally legal to do so as well because you don't actually have to create the alcohol you use. That part you have to buy yourself. But once the final product comes together, you'll be extremely proud of yourself. Take it from someone who paid USD$6 for an ounce and a half of the stuff.

Here's one way to make it*:

• 15-20 lemons
• 2 750 mL bottles of Grappa**
• 5 cups sugar
• 6 cups water

1. Zest all the lemons. So you don't waste anything juice the lemons and make lemonade for your kids. (Limoncello has a strong lemon flavor but is not bitter because it contains no juice.)
   
2. In a glass jug (you can clean out a Carlo Rossi wine jug for this step) place all the zest and pour one bottle of Grappa. Store in freezer for 10 days, stirring optional. The waiting periods are when the alcohol extracts the lemon flavor from the zest.
   
3. Boil sugar into water in a large saucepan. Allow to cool.
   
4. After 10 days, combine zest/Grappa mix with sugar/water mix. Add second bottle of Grappa. Chill in freezer for 10 days.
5. After 10 days, strain zest out of mixture. Store in freezer, serve in chilled shotglass or cordial glass.

*There are hundreds of Limoncello recipes out there. If you have the patience, experiment to see how you like it best.
**Grappa is one of the best alcohols to use, but you may use whatever. I wouldn't recommend anything less than 100 proof, because the lower the alcohol content, the less flavor will be extracted from the lemon zest.

Play it up to your guests that your limoncello is homemade from fresh ingredients and aged and they'll be wholly impressed. Just don't tell them how simple it was. :)

Gin gimlet, part 1

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Guinness Is Good For You: My Inaugural Post

Hello everybody! Glad to see you!

For my first post on our blog I thought I would tell you about my dinner last night. Specifically how the drink was and how it paired with the food. (I have to admit I intentionally thought about what drink I was was going to get and I tasted it with a critical tongue)

Yes that drink was Guinness Stout. Ireland's baby for what is coming up on 250 years. Perusing the alcohol menu I was still undecided as to whether I should have beer or wine. After all I didn't know what would be better for my first post and what would contrast any previous post that Joe made. But Gina, my girlfriend, suggested that I get a beer.



Now this left me in the unclear position of deciding what my meal should be. I didn't think that Guinness would have been good with pasta and Gina was ordering a pizza so I didn't want to copy her as I usually don't want to at restaurants, so backed into a corner by Gina having already ordered and our waitress hovering over me with her notepad, I blurted out, "I'll have the fish."

WHAT!?! Did I really just do that? Did I just order something that wasn't a big steak or burger or something else that I ordinarily thought should have gone with Guinness? Well yeah, I did. And then I had to wait.

When my meal finally came, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the almost sweet aftertaste of the Guinness coupled with its creaminess, in my opinion, complemented the lightness of the fish flesh and the tanginess of the lemon juice and the arugula and tomatoes topping it.

What I had failed to consider when ordering was that the opposing qualities of the food and drink would complement each other quite well. Up until last night I usually drank white wine with fish. Not that I won't do that in the future but now I will be open to experimenting different combinations of food and drink in the time to come.

A word on Guinness by itself:

I realized accidentally that it would be appropriate for me to write about Guinness for my first post because it was the "first" beer I ever had. On my twenty-first birthday, some friends and family took me out for some drinks and karaoke (which is pronounced exactly the way it is spelled, contrary to current colloquialisms) and Guinness was one of the beers I had. I also had Strongbow and Old Speckled Hen that night which are from the UK as well. More on them in the future. Unfortunately though, after belting out and flinging beads of sweat during my air guitar solo on "Free Bird", I came back to my table and spilled half of that beautiful, black beverage. Other than that it was a fun night. :)

Guinness is a stout. Obviously it is an Irish stout, or if you prefer, a dry stout. Stouts are from a family of beers made from roasted malt and roasted barley, and is known for its dark color and and toasty flavor. You can really tell that its ingredients are roasted. Some have an almost coffee like flavor. And like I mentioned before, Guinness has the slightest hint of sweetness lingering long after you set the glass back down. It is extremely foamy and it must be poured delicately in order to ensure a proper head. Cans of Guinness have a little ball inside to aid in this process. When the head starts to solidify while drinking it, I like to swirl it around in the glass (in the same way you would aerate a glass of wine) which loosens it back up and lets you control your foam intake more easily. Plus it leaves less foam at the bottom of the glass so you get more value for your money!

Something I discovered while doing my research for this post was that the process for its brewing includes the use of isinglass. Isinglass is found in fish and it basically cleans out bits of debris from the brewing vat. It is possible for trace amounts to remain in the final product, which has made some vegetarians wary. Fortunately for me, though I am a vegetarian, I am a pesca vegetarian (hence my spontaneous decision to have fish for dinner). Could this be why my rainbow trout went so well my Guinness? Or was it the mashed potatoes?

I am not going to include a recipe for an Irish Car Bomb, because I feel that it is a gross misuse and a shameful waste of both Guinness and Bailey's Irish Cream. And it violates both Joe's and my principle that alcohol should be "chugged". Please take the time to savor Guinness. Invite it into your mouth and let it subtly tickle your taste buds. My goodness.

Disaronno Amaretto and the amaretto sour

To James. From Joe.

The amaretto sour was my first cocktail of choice. It was the first cocktail I associated with an emotion: sadness.

I was very sad the first time I really began to appreciate the drink. I was at home, visiting my parents in my old room. An old flame had just gotten through emotionally tormenting me and I was tired physically and mentally. I went into my parents liquor cabinet to raid it. It isn't well stocked: A bottle of years old Crown Royal I used to sip from, to make me feel cooler, and a year old bottle of Disaronno amaretto. I took the amaretto, and a half empty bottle of sour mix, and crafted a drink I immediately dubbed the Sour Smile.

• Enough amaretto to coat yourself in an amber smile.
• Enough sweet and sour mix to punish yourself for smiling.

The sour became a companion in rough times, mostly associated with women. I would sneak down at 2am, mix the drink, and sit in my room in the dark, watching anime or listening to jazz music and just let the warm, syrupy drink work its dark voodoo on me. And it did. It let me consider the world through misty eyes, the details just slightly blurring at the edges just enough to let me stop caring about them, and focus on the big pictures. The zap of the sour to keep the mind clear, level, and sober. One sour was all it took, and then I'd stop and write, or read, or watch. Even now I rarely have the drink publicly. Onto the spirit itself.

Amaretto is a heavy, almond and apricot pit liquor that has a very syrupy texture and almond color. The most popular brand, Disaronno, is served in a trademark square-ish bottle with a square cap. Disaronno, to me, tastes sweet and bitter at the same time. The bite of the alcohol dances right through the heavy almond flavor when it's served neat or on the rocks, but when it's blended into other drinks it subsides just enough to be noticeable. Being sweet and heavy, I wouldn't use amaretto as a pre-meal imbibe, instead saving it for dessert time. Amaretto is a great flavor to add to ice creams, if you make fresh ice cream yourself. Pour a few ounces into a big ol'batch someday and it makes a perfect after-dinner dessert. There are a few discount/cheaper brands of amaretto, but don't settle. Get two big bottle of Disaronno, one for guests who would like an amaretto sour, and one for you to make whatever you please once the din of the social has died down a bit.

The sour mix is a simple blend of citrus flavor and simple syrup. It's responsible for some of the sweet flavor in the amaretto sour, but are a popular mixer for many other drinks too. Long Island Ice Teas use the mix, as well as the whiskey sour. Sour mix can be bought pre-made and is easy to find at most liquor stores.

Mix the two ingredients together, and you get an amaretto sour:

• 3 parts amaretto
• 1 part sour mix

1. Add the amaretto to an old-fashioned glass with two big cubes of ice in it.
   
2. Add the sour mix
3. Stir briskly for a few moments, then enjoy.

The sour takes that heavy amaretto flavor and cuts right into it with the sour mix. The sweet and sour flavors work extremely well together, to provide a smooth cocktail that is easily sipped and will never make you pucker (from the sour or the liquor!). The sour is a great drink for inside time, with dim lights and intimate company. Or for a little alone time with Dave Brubek and Thelonious Monk. It's a sweet, tangy, tasty drink that will become a quick favorite. Even hardcore vodka and bitters fans will enjoy its change of pace. When you drink it you first taste the sweetness of the liquor itself, right before the sour mix bites you. Once it does, it all comes together, like some sort of alcoholic apology, before you swallow it. Once down, it begins to heat you like a little furnace. It's really quite comforting. I drink them on cold winter nights sometimes to stave off the chill and shivers. It's a drink that gives in layers, like a time-release cocktail of sorts. Unique.

Though this entry started with a sad tone, I hope you come to enjoy the drink for other circumstances, and eventually I did start smiling for real, so don't worry! I guess that's why I don't drink them so much anymore. Drinking for me was never a source of solving a problem or covering one up, and it never should be for anyone. I never got drunk or even so much as buzzed from an amaretto sour. Sometimes it's just a combination of flavors we need to set us down the right path and at that time, it performed admirably. Life occasionally calls for the aid of an apothecary.

Bottom Line: I'm going to review a few more drinks with amaretto in them coming up soon (The godfather and godmother, the Alabama Slammer...etc), and I'm even going to add to this blog when I seriously sit down and sip some straight amaretto for a big picture on it, but the sour is a drink you should have available, and one you should enjoy.

PS: Don't drink cocktails from a straw, it makes you look like a damn fool. If it's in glassware, use your lips. If it's served in a red cup, then maybe the straw is fitting.