12. Champagne Punch

On March 12, 2016March 11, 2016 By The Boozy NewsieIn Bon Vivant's Companion1 Comment

Champagne Punch Hero

We were going to have a dinner party a few weekends ago. The party didn’t end up happening, due to the flu (LOOK OUT!), but that meant we had a lot of ingredients lying around. So why not still make a drink? We weren’t the ones that were sick, so we could have all the alcohol we wanted.

Easy to find news this week. A 78-year-old Trump supporter punched a protestor for essentially no reason at a rally on Wednesday. Thankfully, he’s now been charged with assault and disorderly conduct, even though he wasn’t detained at the event itself. He said, after he punched the protestor, “We don’t know who he is, but we know he’s not acting like an American…. The next time we see him, we might have to kill him.” I will refrain from being political. Mostly. Let’s hope Trump never drinks champagne to celebrate a nomination.

Champagne Punch Ingredients

12. Champagne Punch

(Per bottle.)

1 quart bottle of wine. [This is, annoyingly, 1.25 750ml champagne bottles. I ended up roughly proportioning everything else in 4/5ths as well. My guess is it would work fine if you just took this as a regular champagne bottle.]
¼ lb. of sugar. [~half a cup.]
1 orange sliced.
The juice of a lemon.
3 slices of pineapple. [I took this to mean rings? Up to you.]
2 oz. raspberry or strawberry syrup. [I used the syrup I made for the Brandy Punch!]
Ornament with fruits in season, and serve in champagne goblets.
This can be made in any quantity by observing the proportions of the ingredients as given above. Four bottles of wine [So five of OUR bottles] make a gallon, and a gallon is generally sufficient for fifteen persons in a mixed party. For a good champagne punch [Umm… Is this one NOT good? Sending mixed signals here, Jerry.], see “Rocky Mountain Punch,” No. 43.

Champagne Punch Creation GIF

Tasting Notes:

BN: First, we really need champagne glasses… I liked this a lot. He stuffs a lot of his drinks (or at least the punches) full of fruit, which is often a little much for me, but all of these have worked out well so far. It actually tastes very different from the brandy punch, which is surprising since it’s almost the same exact ingredients. I wish it were a little bubblier, and a little less sweet, but that could just be the André.

PiC: I really liked it. I imagine it’s a deadly drink because it’s very sugary and doesn’t taste at all like alcohol. It’s almost like drinking a juice. Plus, it’s very pretty – almost a rose gold which is very trendy right now.

143. Gin Sour

On February 27, 2016February 22, 2016 By The Boozy NewsieIn Bon Vivant's Companion1 Comment

There are a large number of drinks in The Bartender’s Guide that are modifications on other drinks that he lists, and there are also some pretty classic ones. The Gin Sour manages to be both. I stupidly didn’t also make the Gin Fix (141) which is literally the exact same as this, but with seasonal fruits on top (and no lemon juice). I probably will wait a while to make that one, though, so you can just imagine it for now. In terms of sours, I’m much more used to whiskey and amaretto sours, but it stands to reason that you could make them with other spirits as well.

I couldn’t find anything super relevant for Gin or Sour on the news front, but I did find this cool article from The Daily Beast from a few weeks ago talking about the rise of gin‘s popularity in 1700s England. They equate it to meth, in that everyone was making it in their basements, and it was causing all sorts of trouble in society (more crime, obviously more drunkenness, etc.) Everyone developed a taste for it on the continent, and it was cheap and easy, so they brought it back. A fun quick read, and I’ll work on getting more punny news articles next week.

Gin Sour Ingredients

143. Gin Sour

(Use small bar glass.)

1 tablespoon of sugar.
¼ of a lemon.
1 oz of water
2 oz of gin.
Press the juice of the lemon in the glass. Fill two-thirds full of shaved ice. Stir with a spoon. [Technically I’m combining two recipes, the Gin Fix and the Gin Sour, to make the one understandable without the other. Don’t worry about it.]

Gin Sour Process

Tasting Notes:

BN: This was pretty good. It’s pretty sweet (I wonder if a tablespoon might have been smaller back then and I therefore put too much in), and I’m not the hugest gin fan. The herbal notes of the gin, though, might distract from how sweet it is (a good thing), so maybe with another spirit it would be too much. If I made it again, I’d like something to cut it, maybe a bitters?

PiC: I liked this. It tastes like what I might imagine a lemon drop martini would taste like, or one of those lemon drop candies. It’s a little medicinal (the gin, probably). I’d drink this — but I’d like a sugar rim on it! [BN: Jerry Thomas actually does do this for some drinks, which he calls “crustas.” Stay tuned!]

2. Brandy Punch

On February 6, 2016February 7, 2016 By The Boozy NewsieIn Bon Vivant's Companion4 Comments

In theory, I would start with the first recipe. But this book has the confusing method of starting the section with a vague description of how best to make whatever particular type of drink it’s discussing (in this case punches) and then with the first real recipe ignoring everything that came before. But since this is the first concrete recipe, I’m going to do it, and then maybe go back to #1 once all of the punches are complete. Then maybe I’ll understand what he’s trying to get me to do. Maybe.

In the real world, Brandy Clark released a new single on Friday. Brandy Clark is pretty much the greatest — she’s written songs for essentially all of the biggest country stars (and the ones who are less huge but probably better, like Kacey Musgraves), and also has a really good album, 12 Stories, which you should check out. It’s on Spotify! Her new album is coming out in April. This has been a PSA from your friendly Boozy Newsie.

2. Brandy Punch

(Use large bar glass.)

1 table-spoonful raspberry syrup. [Made this from this Imbibe recipe.]
2 do. white sugar. [so as not to have to put a note every time from now on, I’m going to replace the do. (ditto) with the actual amount.]
1 wine-glass water. [2 oz.]
1½ wine-glass brandy. [I’m also going to adjust to modern measurements. This one’s 3 oz.]
½ small-sized lemon.
2 slices of orange.
1 piece of pine-apple.
Fill the tumbler with shaved ice, shake well, and dress the top with berries in season; sip through a straw. [Again, no straw, and I used some raspberries to match the syrup.]

Only thing I’d add here is that I decided rather than using the lemon as a garnish, he meant to squeeze the juice in. The pineapple I put in the glass early so some of the juice should have gotten in as well, but everything else was garnish.

Brandy Punch Prep

Tasting Notes:

BN: You can taste all the elements and they meld well. It’s not super sweet, which is odd because there’s both syrup and sugar in there, but I really like it! The best of the ones I made today.

PiC: It’s almost whiskey sourish, but fresher. That’s GOOD. It’s like a Sour Patch Kid in a drink! The raspberry and the sourness match to be just like the candy. We should remember this one.

Bonus shot of raspberry syrup:

125. Port Wine Sangaree

On January 23, 2016 By The Boozy NewsieIn Bon Vivant's Companion3 Comments

My first thought upon seeing this particular recipe was that it was going to be like a sangria, due to the name. But it turns out that a) it’s not, and b) Sangaree is an older term for a rather vague set of cocktails from either the Antilles or Spain. Apparently, and this makes sense and I can’t imagine why I didn’t notice it before, it’s because they are usually reddish, and therefore look like blood (sangre in Spanish). Yay for etymology!

Anyways, I don’t really like port, but I thought that this might be a good start for good old Jerry, to see if he knows what he’s talking about. And he does! Though simple, this recipe brings out some good flavors and makes it easy to drink the spirit.

And, today, during a demonstration held in support of migrants, a number of protestors illegally boarded a ferry in the PORT of Calais, suspending operations. Just another event in a series caused by more and more migrants streaming into Europe from the Middle East. Luckily, this one does not appear to have been a bloody interchange. So, as the Spanish would say, no SANGRIENTA.

I’m both hilarious and informative.

This, and all recipes will be copied verbatim from the 1862 edition, with comments in italics.

Port Wine Sangaree

(Use small bar glass.)

1½ wine-glass of port wine [A wine-glass is equal to 2 oz., ish, so this is 3 oz.]
1 teaspoonful of sugar.
Fill tumbler two-thirds with ice.
Shake well and grate nutmeg on top.

I’ve encountered this problem where he doesn’t really specify between a mixing glass (I think that’s what he means by tumbler) and the final delivery vessel. Perhaps I’ll figure it out soon, but for now I combined ingredients and shook in a Boston shaker, then poured into ice in the glasses, adding the nutmeg after.

Port Prep

Tasting Notes:

BN: I liked this — it didn’t taste medicine-y like a lot of port I’ve had (which, generally, I hate), and the sugar somehow made me like it better, even though port is usually too sweet for me. I couldn’t really taste the nutmeg, but maybe I didn’t put enough in.

PiC: I liked this. I don’t know much about port, but I could taste the nutmeg at the end of the sip. It’s good!

The All-American – Independence Day

On July 4, 2015July 4, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn Originals2 Comments

One of my two favorite movies is Independence Day. This has nothing to do with that.

When I started to think about making a drink for the 4th of July, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. And then I found the perfect concoction, to represent our country through the lens of alcohol. Also, something that you can make quickly and easily, and go back out to your BBQ, beach, or however you’re choosing to celebrate the Fourth.

The All-American

1 can Budweiser

Open can.
Pour can into a tall glass.
Enjoy, while contemplating our country, and watching some big ol’ Amurrican fireworks.

Tasting Notes:

BN: This really should be called the President of Beers.

PiC: Tastes like beer. And AMERICA.

I was not compensated for my opinions in this post. But hey, Anheuser-Busch, I certainly wouldn’t complain if you chose to send something my way!

The Loving Cup – #LoveWins

On June 28, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn Originals1 Comment

The Supreme Court made a number of good decisions this week, but the one that seemed most apt for drinkifying was the Obergefell v. Hodges case, which is mostly known as the case that decided same-sex marriage was a right in the entire United States.

In honor of this decision, generally (and by me) regarded as a triumph of love over adversity, prejudice, and all that bad stuff, I decided to put things I love into a cocktail and see if it was any good. Slightly less thought through than SCOTUS’ decision, but hey, it ended up working.

The Loving Cup

1.5 oz not-too-intense scotch (Highland Park is great!)
.75 oz St. Germain
2-3 shakes rhubarb bitters (go easy on this)
juice of 1/4 lemon, or to taste
rainbow sour strips, for garnish

Combine ingredients in a Boston shaker, over ice.
Shake briefly and strain into a martini glass
Layer in the sour strip for garnish, gently.
Enjoy, while basking in the good sense (in this case) of this country.
Pro tip: eat the sour strips after they’ve had a good long soak in the cocktail.

Tasting Notes:

BN: I really liked this. Weirdly, I didn’t like the combination of the ingredients before adding the sour strip, and the sour strip itself was pretty cherry-medicinal which is never good. But together, they melded nicely (and you should probably wait a bit before drinking to allow them to do so). It had just the right amount of sweet and sour, and wasn’t too strong on any one flavor. Also, the alcohol-infused sour strip was delicious.

PiC: I really liked this! I mean, I love sour candy and I wanted this to be a good one given the awesomeness of the event that inspired it, but to be honest I thought it was gonna be super alcohol-tasting, which is not really my thing. But it actually was dangerously drinkable and went super well with the sour candy garnish, so yay! #LoveWins!

The Winds of Winter – Game of Thrones Season Finale

On June 12, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

I started this season of Game of Thrones with a drink, and I should probably end it with one too. Now, I’ve made this in advance, so I have no idea whether it will actually have anything to do with the events of this Sunday’s episode, but I imagine we’ll get at least a bit of Jon Snow, and maybe a white walker or two. We’ll see!

An important note about this drink: the base recipe for the White Russian was taken from a good friend of mine, so direct any praise to him. We originally tried it with the official recipe on the Kahlua website which was, well, not very good. Also, I’m doing parts instead of specific amounts in case you want to make a smaller one than we did.

The Winds of Winter

2 parts vodka
1 part Kahlua
1 part cream
1 part Blue Curacao
1/2 part malted milk powder (it was about a teaspoon for a full 16oz glass with ice)

Combine everything but the curacao in a mixing glass with ice. Shake and strain into a tall glass over more ice. Pour the blue curacao in from the top (not necessary, but it makes a cool streaky looking effect at first before mixing in fully.) Enjoy, while watching the finale. Or being cold.

Tasting Notes:

BN: My goal for this was to make it taste like a creamsicle. I thought the orange from the curacao would mix with the malt and of course the cream, and it didn’t really at all. But that wasn’t a bad thing! It was more complex than a normal White Russian and did have a little bit of orange. You could also really taste the malt which is never a bad thing. Also the blue color that it resulted in was pretty cool. A little greener than I expected but still fun.

PiC: Whoa. That’s kinda strong for such a big drink…but I like it. The malt is nice. Plus, it looks great. I don’t think you can taste the Blue Curacao that much, though I’m not sure I entirely know what Blue Curacao tastes like. Or maybe I don’t want to know.

The Summer Daze – Memorial Day

On May 25, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

Happy summer everyone! Right now I’m in Palm Springs and it is appropriately hot and sunny. So, a drink to celebrate the new season, whether it’s already arrived where you are, or if it’s coming soon.

The Summer Daze

2 oz tequila
1 oz key lime juice
10 drops “Lindsay” pecan, habanero, magnolia bitters (I understand if you don’t have this; the spice and nut flavors are the most important so many substitutions can apply)
4-5 oz apple soda (this I found at a craft cocktail festival, but there are definitely many options I’ve seen)

Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice.
Stir gently to mix.
Enjoy, while poolside with a giant inflatable donut.

Tasting Notes:

BN: I liked this more than the individual ingredients. The apple soda which was too strong and candy-esque (tasted just like a Jolly Rancher) was nicely tempered by the lime, and altogether it was a really nice summer drink. Sort of like a slightly appley margarita. The bitters are AWESOME, and if you can get your hands on them, do!

PiC: I love tequila, and I love key lime, so the chances were good that I would like this – and I did. It was almost like drinking sour apple candy (big fan of the sour candy over here) but still crisp and refreshing. I would drink many of these.

The Congratulations, Princess – Royal Baby is Born

On May 2, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

One very important thing happened today — I learned that I don’t have normal champagne flutes in my house. Also, the new royal baby was born to Prince William and Kate! Hurray for the monarchy, God save the queen, and all that jazz. In honor of the as-yet-unnamed baby princess, I give you the Congratulations, Princess (which you would feel silly ordering at a bar but might anyway, because it’s pretty good).

Champagne is for celebrations, pink is for girls (only traditionally, of course), and also these are the ingredients I happened to have around. Enjoy!

The Congratulations, Princess

3 oz fresh-squeezed ruby grapefruit juice
3(ish) strawberries
6 oz champagne

Dice strawberries (reserving one for a garnish) and muddle in a mixing glass with the grapefruit juice. The ratio is about one strawberry for every 2 ounces of juice, maybe err on the side of more juice.
Strain juice/strawberry mixture into a (real) champagne flute.
Pour in champagne; if you want a larger or smaller drink the ratio is 2 parts champagne to 1 part juice.
Slice the remaining strawberry into, well, slices, and use one as a garnish.
Eat the rest of the strawberries.
Enjoy, while imagining what your life would be if you were a member of the royal family.

Tasting Notes:

BN: This is not dissimilar to the Academy Awards drink I made a while ago, but still very enjoyable. As I noted above, I could have used a little more grapefruit in this, as the strawberry was a strong flavor, but it was a very nice brunch drink, something I enjoyed much more than regular mimosas, which are okay but not amazing. In general, I think I need to work on making drinks with all sorts of crazy ingredients, but in this case, a three ingredient cocktail is perfect.

PiC: This is probably my favorite drink so far. This is delicious and I could drink it all day.

The Hubble 25 – The HST’s 25th Anniversary

On April 26, 2015May 2, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

I learned today that this past week (the 24th, specifically) was the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. Which is pretty awesome! 25 years of giving us cool images like the one at the end of this post (which are public domain, so I can use them. Thanks, NASA!) So, in honor of space, NASA, and all of that good stuff, a drink! Mainly created because the St. Germain bottle is kind of star-shaped. I originally wanted something with champagne (bubbly is like sparkles are like stars) but then decided the champagne would overpower the St. Germain.

The Hubble 25

1.5 oz gin
0.5 oz St. Germain
~10 shakes lime bitters
6 oz club soda (this is a Soda Stream, clearly, but normal stuff will do too)

Combine first three ingredients in a rocks glass. Add ice, and fill the remaining space with the club soda. Enjoy, while staring a) up at the sky or b) at pictures of space on your computer.

Tasting Notes:

BN: Well the fact that this came out clear was a surprise to me. I guess there are clear cocktails, like gin and tonics, and vodka sodas, and so on, but it’s sort of an odd experience looking at it, nonetheless. I can’t decide if I like it. I guess it’s like a big lens, like the one on the Hubble? And it didn’t work exactly as expected, like the Hubble. There we go, justification! Tastewise, I liked this. The gin melded with the St. Germain really well, and though it wasn’t a super strong flavor it was a nice floral note. Nothing too intense, but very drinkable.

PiC: It’s not the most visually arresting cocktail, for sure. It kind of…tastes clear? But not in a bad way. It doesn’t taste like water, it’s just very neutral tasting. I like it. It highlights how good that gin is, and the St. Germaine adds a hint of sweetness that really works well with it. I can’t really taste the bitters, but it’s good.