12. October 2005 · Comments Off on Mulled Wine (in use) · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ok, it’s nowhere near as cool as the rhyming version, but here is the recipe for Mulled Wine I’ve been tinkering with:

Mulled Wine

8 cups (about 2.5 bottles) red wine (you want something decent, fruity and cheap. Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon is what I’m going to try next)
1 cup of brandy (I use Asbach Uralt)
1/2 cup sugar (this should probably be brown sugar, but I haven’t tried that, yet)
3 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
1 orange (sliced)
1/2 lemon (sliced)
dash of allspice
1/2 tsp or so of freshly ground nutmeg

Pour it all together and try to warm it. This is where I’m still having some difficulty, as you need to get it as hot as possible without boiling the alcohol off (look for white steam). On an electric stove (suckage) it’s a click or so above low. I let all this heat up for about an hour before serving.

It should be noted that this is very tasty, especially on a cold fall evening. See that cup of brandy? It’s why everyone is tipsy.

Pegu

  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1 ounce orange curaçao
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • 1 dash orange bitters

Found at The DrinkBoyChannel. He describes it thusly:

Originally the specialty cocktail of the Pegu Club in Burma during the early 1900’s

This drink has unfortunately fallen on tough times, and it is difficult, if not impossible, to find a bartender who knows how to make one, much less has heard of it. It is however a wonderful drink, and well worth re-discovery. When properly made, it should have a bit of a citrus backbone, around which the Angostura and orange bitters are providing some interesting spice. The gin itself is just barely noticeable, making it a great drink for somebody who may not normally tend towards gin based libations. Its overall profile is one of complex but approachable flavors.

Give one a try, and you’ll see why this is on my shortlist of favorite cocktails.

I haven’t tried this, yet but am putting it here as a reminder to do so.

22. May 2005 · Comments Off on Mulled Wine (in verse) · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Recipe #123: Mulled Wine (in verse)

First, my dear madam, you must take
Nine eggs, which carefully you’ll break–
Into a bowl you’ll drop the white,
The yolks into another by it.
Let Betsy beat the whites with switch,
Till they appear quite frothed and rich–
Another hand the yolks must beat
With sugar, which will make them sweet;
Three or four spoonfuls may be’ll do,
Though some, perhaps, would take but two.
Into a skillet next you’ll pour
A bottle of good wine, or more–
Put half a pint of water, too,
Or it may prove too strong for you;
And while the eggs (by two) are beating,
The wine and water may be heating;
But, when it comes to boiling heat,
The yolks and whites together beat
With half a pint of water more–
Mixing them well, then gently pour
Into the skillet with the wine,
And stir it briskly all the time.
Then pour it off into a pitcher;
Grate nutmeg in to make it richer.
Then drink it hot, for he’s a fool,
Who lets such precious liquor cool.

Summer has yet to begin in earnest, and I am already looking forward to winter.

22. May 2005 · Comments Off on Scotch Whiskey Punch · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , ,

So I recently purchased a copy of “The Bartender’s Guide” by Jerry Thomas, aka “The Professor”, aka the guy who decided to organize and write down how to be a bartender, from mixing drinks to manufacturing liquors. The book is made up of two smaller books. The first is “How To Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion” and was published in 1862.

Recipe #8: Scotch Whiskey Punch

Steep the thin yellow shavings of lemon peel in the whiskey, which should be Glenlivet or Islay, of the best quality; the sugar should be dissolved in boiling water. As it requires genius to make whiskey punch, it would be impertinent to give proportions.

Luis Buñuel’s martini recipe:

“For those who are still with me, let me give you my personal recipe, the fruit of long experimentation and guaranteed to produce perfect results. The day before your guests arrive, put all the ingredients – glasses, gin, and shaker – in the refrigerator. Use a thermometer to make sure the ice is about twenty degrees below zero (centigrade). Don’t take anything out until your friends arrive; then pour a few drops of Noilly Prat and half a demitasse spoon of Angostura bitters over the ice. Shake it, then pour it out, leaving only the ice, which retains a faint taste of both. Then pour straight gin over the ice, shake it again, and serve.”
My Last Sign (1983)

07. May 2005 · Comments Off on Rob Roy · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , ,

Rob Roy
as made by Julian Gualdoni

  • Two shots of Lagavulin 12 year
  • One shot of sweet vermouth
  • One shot of dry vermouth

Stir over ice with a few drops of angostura bitters.