September 28th, 2009 by Colonel Tiki
I’m doing a drive-by MxMo this month: Lately my free time has been somewhere between thin on the ground and nearly invisible. This certainly hasn’t stopped my thinking and plotting though.
I just love Black Cardamom – it has the same fabulous pungency mixed with a haunting smoky character that comes from the wood fires used to dry it.
I’ve been hanging on to it for a while and recently put it to good use macerating in blanco tequila. The smoke and camphor suit the agave.
Then the folks at eGullet host this month’s MxMo and the idea came to me: Milk punch using the black cardamom mixed with the flavors of horchata. Rice milk turned to be too thin; Milk likewise. ½ & ½ was perfect.
So without further ado, I give you “Leche Libre.” Yes, a bit too precious a name but I like it.
Leche Libre
2oz Black Cardamom macerated Blanco Tequila
3oz ½&½
¾oz cinnamon syrup
nutmeg
shake all but nutmeg with ice and strain into glass coffee mug or brandy snifter filled with ice. Garnish generously with freshly ground nutmeg.
Posted in Cinnamon, Drinks, Mixology Monday, Tequila | 3 Comments »
May 18th, 2009 by Colonel Tiki
Is it that time of the month again? Sakes alive, how time flies. Sebastian is just past 4 months old and Tiki Kon is only 2 months away.
This month the Internet’s favorite all-around superb stylish talented and popular fellow, Chuck Taggart hosts May’s Mixology Monday. He’s chosen Amaro for the theme.
Italian Amaros (Amari?) are bitter liqueurs meant to stimulate digestion or alleve indigestion if need be — digestive bitters. We’re all familiar with Campari and Fernet and likely some are familiar with Cynar which is made with artichokes. The Italians have dozens (if not near past 100) more. They are usually built on wines fortified with high-alcohol extractions of botanicals, spices, and bittering agents. Amaros are current loves of stateside bartenders who are reaching for something to suit the body of the cocktail more than the traditional shake of strong aromatic bitters for the nose of the drink.
I’ve loved every amaro I’ve tried withough fail, so I though it fitting to pair my cocktail with a liquor that I’ve been fighting to develop a taste for and until only recently failed: Tequila. Try as I might to find avenues and gateways into appreciating tequila (mescal, cachaça, etc.) it was no use. This was my bane – my last liquor to conquer and I had failed. That is, until recently. It just clicked into place – it finally made sense. Much to my relief I now have another color in my pallete and this is my first recipe using the toungue-timber of the hearts of blue agave. I hope you enjoy. I pair it with two of my favorite amaros: Cynar and Averna.
Amaro Amigo
½ oz Cynar
½ oz Averna
¾ oz Tequila Ocho Plata (or other 100% blue agave blanco tequila)
½ oz blood orange juice
¼ oz lime juice
½ oz Cointreau
dash cinnamon tincture (or cinnamon heavy bitters)
dash herbsaint
Stir with ice in mixing glass and double strain into cocktail glass. Olé
Thanks to Chuck for hosting!
Posted in Amaro, Drinks, Indigo Firmaments, Liquors & Liqueurs, Mixology Monday, Tequila | 1 Comment »
April 13th, 2009 by Colonel Tiki
Another month, another Mixology Monday. This month’s roman numeral sure looks impressive, doesn’t it?
Tristan over at The Wild Drink Blog hosts this month’s session and the theme is “Superior Twists.” In his own words:
This month’s Mixology Monday is all about twists on classic cocktails, that for one reason or another do an even better job than the drinks upon which they are based.
This could be as simple as a classic Margarita with a dash with a special touch that completes it, or maybe as complicated as a deconstructed Hemingway Daiquiri with a homemade rum foam/caviar/jus/trifle. It might be taking a classic like a Manhattan and using Tequila instead of Bourbon?
Well, as chance would have it, my twist is a Manhattan — with a twist, no less. One fateful night, Murray Stenson said the now fateful (to me) words: “Well, have you had a Manhattan with Punt e Mes?”
“Punt e Mes,” Says I: “What’s that?” The bottle came out, the cocktail was placed before me. Little did I know it was also new and glorious world he was also placing before me. So I’ll honor that epiphany with what I do to Manhattans whenever I’m drinking them, which is quite often.
Too often enough as luck would have it. I take my Manhattans with rye and I’m fresh out. I instead subbed Bulleit Bourbon for the whiskey.
Black Manhattan
2oz bourbon (or rye)
1oz Punt e Mes
dash simple
dash aromatic bitters
orange twist
Stir ingredients and pour into cocktail glass. Express orange oil onto cocktail and garnish with orange twist.
I adore how the orange oil mixes with the deep gorgeous depths of the bitter and herbal Punt e Mes. A million thanks to Ben and Kacy and Murray for pushing me off that cliff three years ago. Cheers!
Posted in Drinks, Mixology Monday, Recipe, whiskey | 4 Comments »
MxMo September 2009 – Dizzy Dairy
