(I love George Clooney and all, but you can do much better than Migos.)
Cimaroon-this, by far is the most value driven example of pure agave flavor.
It may be a bit too funky for some, but it is super authentic and full of spice, lime, and herbaceous notes.
Casa Noble Reposado- Aged for one day less than an Anejo, this is attainable luxury in a bottle. They check all the boxes for production, sustainability and investment in the drinking public with good information about how to truly appreciate the spirit. Vanilla, white pepper and bright orange dominate.
Gran Centenario Anejo- oak aging takes away agave flavor, and skill is required to add the notes of candied apple, chocolate and cinnamon while preserving the soul of an agave. This is great for a bourbon lover, and a spoonful on top of your margarita is instant elegance.
Two people walk into my bar. They both want to make amazing drinks for that holiday dinner. One of them is a bartender that studies the craft on a regular basis. The other person doesn’t know much besides a few drinks they they enjoy and have never made drinks themselves. Does one deserve to have a better time than the other simply because they do this all the time? I say no. We all deserve to have a good time and enjoy our adult beverages or mocktails.
IF YOU HAVE SKILLS WITH CRAFT COCKTAILS: Read the room, and read beyond the room. Holiday gatherings aren’t the time for us to prove why it was smart for us to drop out of college by pulling out the molecular mixology kits or playing with dry ice. The holiday gathering is about a laid back good time, or at least pretending that cooking for 17 hours is a relaxing activity. In any case, the beverage should contain flavors that anyone can understand, pronounce and enjoy without much research .
Use familiar spirits -bourbon and rum are seasonally fun. Vodka is a safe bet. Gin seems adventurous and may get a side eye, but in a sour style fruity cocktail, your guests WILL enjoy it. Sell them on the yummy ingredients.
Just One Thing-One ingredient can make multiple spirits shine and turn your 3-4 bottles into a complete menu.
The italian version of eggnog liqueur is known as VOV, from the Venetian-dialect vovi, meaning “eggs”. This energy and boozy bomb will heat you up and invigorate you. VOV was invented in 1845 by Gian Battista Pezziol, a confectioner of Padua specialized in the production of nougat, which required just the egg whites. Pezziol decided to use the remaining egg yolks with marsala wine, alcohol and sugar, to make a kind of zabajone liqueur and energy drink tonic. Drinks made with eggs have long been considered rejuvenating: many ancient recipes speak of their special power to ‘wake up’ love, revive the sick, and generally boost energy. Ideally you should sip it on the rocks, by a fireplace, after a day on the slopes. But it’s great anytime at room temperature, as a garnish for ice cream, or for dipping dry biscuits whenever you need a pick me up. You can take your VOV to the next level and transform it in to a "Bombardino" the original Après-Ski cocktail of the any Italian mountains holiday. Just add a splash of brandy, a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder.
In this week’s History Happy Hour 21st century New Haven bartender Tim Cabral demonstrates The Martinez, the father of the Gin Martini.
Here’s a little history…In the mid-19th century barkeeps evolved into mixologists, creating unique cocktails and codifying those long in existence. The most famous of these new-breed bartenders was Jerry Thomas who, as a young man, trained in New Haven and went on to own saloons all over the country. He also penned a world-famous bar tending guide with recipes that is still in use today.
Among the drinks Thomas is said to have developed is The Martinez, a mix of vermouth, gin, bitters and maraschino which he included in his guide. Over time, a version featuring gin, vermouth, and an olive was developed into the modern-day Martini.
This week on the History Happy Hour, bartender Craig Ventrice shares his recipe for The Sherry Flip, popular in 18th century taverns and quaffed by the likes of George Washington.
Here's Christine Short from Zaragoza's in New Milford giving us a very smooth and silky Scotch Cocktail called the "Bobby Burns." This special drink is named after beloved Scottish poet Robert Burns, who is most notable forthe poem which now makes up the lyrics for our favorite New Year's ditty, Auld Lang Syne. Short was recently a finalist for the CRAZIES Awards as Best Bartender in Connecticut, sponsored by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. and just one of five nominated in the state. Cheers!
Game on! We're back with another cocktail naming contest. WIN a $50 gift certificate for MECHA Noodle Bar. Here's How...
MECHA has a new summer sipper in need of a name.If your Cocktail name is selected, it will be featured on their new menu & you will receive a $50 gift certificate. Post YOUR name below. Good luck! Here are the ingredients:
Oh yes it is! My favorite day of the year, National Margarita Day, has arrived. Those who know me, know that when I sidle up to the bar, those working on the other side need not even ask for my order. It's always the same...and it's always a Margarita. Truly, it's the perfect cocktail, and just right for every season. Plus, tequila has been proven to actually have health benefits. Lime, tequila's most trusty companion, is bursting with Vitamin C which we all know helps us recover from illness. Anejo tequila, made from 100% agave, is known to help reduce bacteria and relieve sore throats, and agave helps to fight diabetes. There are so many reasons to embrace and celebrate the Margarita. Do it right with these recipes from local bartenders including: El Segundo, Mézon, Geronimo Restaurant & Tequila Bar, Barcelona, Bartaco, Marcia Selden Catering and Festivities.
The Holidays are here...time to entertain. A well-stocked bar cart is an essential ingredient in any successful holiday gathering. Here's some tips from Festivities Catering to ensure that your holiday entertaining is festive, fun and filled with style.
Holiday Cocktail Cart Tips:
1. Create a "signature" drink that can be made in batches. Have some pre-made in pitchers that can easily be poured into glasses as guests arrive. We suggest a Poinsettia Spritz Cocktail.
Poinsettia Spritz Cocktail Recipe: 3/4 cup vodka, 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice, 2 ounces St. Germain, 3/4 cup prosecco, cranberries & rosemary for garnish. Serves 6.
What is “electric Italian?” It is defined by well executed small plates, wood fired pizzas, and perfectly rendered cocktails, all to be found at Olives and Oil in New Haven. The menu is overseen and curated daily by Executive Chef and recent ’40 under 40’ winner John Brennan, who cooks traditional Italian cuisine in a funky retro location. Superb visuals, food, and of course cocktails await you. Olives and Oil was gracious enough to invite me in to sample a few of their cocktails recently.
We enjoyed a perfect Aperol Flip (recipe and tutorial below) as well as a classic Negroni Sbagliato - with a house pressed ice cube for JUST that finishing touch. Bartenders don’t ALWAYS give up their cocktails secrets, so enjoy making this at home or try it the next time you’re in New Haven.
When I was a kid, my family had a vacation home in West Yarmouth, Cape Cod. Just east of Hyannis, West Yarmouth is a small town on the south shore of the Cape. It was only about four hours from where we grew up in Connecticut. So, it was an easy trip to make if we wanted to just zip up there for the weekend. My brother and I had a small group of 10-15 friends all around our age that all seemed to go to the Cape the same weeks every year. Sometimes, we all used to sneak out at night to go sit on the beach and look for satellites or shooting stars. When we got a little bit older, maybe there was a beer or two involved. But, I beg of you, don't tell my mother. She'll ground me for a week!
There was a large overgrown field with a radio station tower in our neighborhood. Well, just as kids do, we explored it. During one of our reconnaissance missions, we stumbled upon someone's secret stash of liquor. I can only assume it was some kids from other weeks in the summer that we had not met yet. Here is where I had my first taste of Bourbon. Again, don't tell my mother, please.
It is rumored that the saketini came into being when chef Matsuda San, arriving in Queens for the World's Fair in 1964, unveiled a primitive version of the cocktail. Craig Ventrice, mixologist for Kawa Ni in Westport uses fresh spring sugar snap peas and a hint of lemon in his recipe, giving a vibrant (and slightly addictive) twist to this classic drink. Can't make it to Westport? Craig has been kind enough to share his recipe below.
Approaching this gleaming 1968 Airstream, one is met by the two welcoming, smiling souls who commandeer this shining new-fangled-but-vintage food truck. You also can’t help but remember a particular (vintage?) REM song...Shiny Happy People! Or at least, that’s what stuck in my head (and I believe I just showed my age)-how could it not?
Waiting to find just the right Airstream and then taking the better part of a year to refurbish it themselves with ol’ fashioned grit and many a YouTube instructional video, Kathy and Michael McGovern have launched Baked and Sauced, a food truck like none other in our fair state. This once shag-rugged, pleather-filled Airstream has now been lovingly strung with sparkling lights, adorned with sweet flowers in Mason jars that sit upon the serving window, and a charming seating area that serves as a lounge for guests. Picture your ultimate grown-up clubhouse and you get the picture. Add to this charm the fact that this Airstream has...a liquor license.
Serving saucy desserts and craft cocktails, this truck is serving to the over 21 crowd (and bring I.D., they card)!
Alcohol is a poison. Well, that escalated quickly. But, let’s face it, it’s delicious, we like drinking it, and as long as we are responsible, in its consumption, there’s nothing wrong with a little fun. But, in this new era of gluten-free, non-GMO, organic, fair trade, free-range, everything, trends are making their way into the alcoholic beverage world, as well. And, as the makers of all things cocktail, we need to embrace the fresh and healthy, as well as the indulgent.
I take the same approach to cocktail design that I take to cooking a meal. Always source, and use, the best ingredients you can. Remember, “garbage in, garbage out.” While pasteurized, from-concentrate, juices are easy to obtain, squeezing, or juicing fresh, is always preferable. But the effort doesn’t stop there. Freshly picked strawberries, grown locally, should be chosen over store-bought. Citrus can be easily found in the supermarket, but a local market, or small distributor, will always have fresher, more vibrant products. A good rule of thumb is to think small, and work your way larger. Using fruits and foods in season, will always lend a better product, than not. Seasonal cocktail menus (as well as food menus,) at restaurants and bars, change seasonally for this reason. A strawberry margarita looks out of place on January’s drink list, but lands right at home in July.
Behind The Bar is a new column from bartender Adam Patrick who has graced the bars of venues such as Walrus & Carpenter, Luxe, Match and Can Tiin. He will explore trends, recipes and the cocktail culture from both the front as well as behind the bar.
One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is, “I won’t tell the story the way it happened, I’ll tell it the way I remember it.” It’s from the late-nineties film adaptation of Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. Ethan Hawke delivers the line in the opening monologue.
There’s something about nostalgia that adds a touch of humanity to our lives. The real world, the world we exist in day to day, can be overwhelming and unforgiving. Take your job, your family obligations, traffic jams, mortgage, credit card bills, your dog destroying your new carpet, and view it all in aggregate, and things can steam roll out of control quickly. And yet, when we look at the past, we find it difficult to remember the mundane, the run-of-the-mill, even though those experiences dominate our lives. Sure, we can generally recall tragedy, or loss, but more than not it’s memories of our childhood, or a long lost love, or a favorite pet, that we gaze back at longingly.
Although we all love the Thanksgiving holiday, there comes a time in any family gathering where one simply requires a cocktail or two. La Zingara in Bethel is here to help you in your time of need with a classic drink. Their Autumn Old Fashioned cocktail recipe will drown out any trying relative, and just make the dinner that much better.
Ole, Happy Cinco De Mayo! While this holiday celebrates Mexico’s victory over France in the 1862 Battle of Puebla, we think that whether you’re Mexican or not, this is a great time to have a party. Invite your friends, turn up the music, blend a few of our fabulous pomegranate margaritas, grab some tacos, and get ready to have a ball! Here are our favorite Mexican recipes to feed a crowd: Pomegranate Margarita, Tomatillo Salsa, Chile Braised Pork Tacos with Pickled Onion. Happy Cooking.
When the leaves on the trees in New England start to fall, my cravings for cocktails change a bit. I tend to lean towards drinks that will warm me up next to the fire. The aromatics of cinnamon and clove just seem to pair so well with the scents that come from the fireplace. To me, a Hot Buttered Rum cocktail is the essence of New England in Winter.
This is an easy drink to prepare. You build it in a coffee mug. There isn't any stirring or shaking or muddling. You don't have to be an expert mixologist to make a perfect Hot Buttered Rum. You just need a dark, aged rum. Here, I use my favorite, Ron Zacapa 23 year old. You can certainly use other brands, as Ron Zacapa can reach premium prices. Some less expensive options that work well in this drink would include El Dorado 12 year or 15 year, Angostura 5 year or 7 year, Diplomatico Anejo Rum or Blackwell Jamaican Rum.
This is an older cocktail I modified during my research of local honey. Other than the Bee's Knees cocktail, I wanted to find another "staple cocktail" to use with honey from Red Bee Apiary. This is a delicious adaptation on the classic Daiquiri. Instead of using simple syrup, orange blossom honey syrup is used. I have used many rums in this recipe and I keep falling back on Ron Zacapa 23 year old from Guatemala disregarding the recommended Jamaican rum. This particular rum is soft and subtle with a rich molasses sweetness that finishes with notes of light caramel outlined in Madagascar vanilla bean. The flavor profile of this rum is just a perfect balance between the acidic lime juice and the floral orange blossom honey.
