Sips

George

AlcoHOLidays | Mother’s Day | Lavender Lovely

Sips

jwalker_sips_mothersdaycocktail_lavenderlovely

I do apologize for missing last week’s AlcoHOLidays installment. It was a combination of an expected sponsored post falling through and me falling ill Thursday afternoon. It was, however, Cinco de Mayo last Sunday and I trust I’ve “trained” you well enough to know margaritas were in order, yes? Good!

This weekend, however, we are celebrating dear old (or not so old) Mom, as this Sunday, May 12, is the US observance of Mother’s Day.

While the Mother’s Day that is celebrated as a formal holiday the second Sunday in May was started by Anna Jarvis in 1909, there was another Mother’s Day that never really got off the ground. Back in 1870, after the American Civil War, Julia Ward Howe tried to start a Mother’s Day for Peace on June 2, though it was more about stopping the wars that were robbing mothers of their husbands and sons and promoting pacifism than it was honoring the institution of motherhood.

They say Jarvis was rather disgusted by the commercialism of Mother’s Day by the time the 1920s came around. Frankly, I can see her point. I will be glad when this weekend is over so that the incessant ads for flowers, cards, jewelry, dinners out, and anything else that could remotely please a mom. Do you know that Mother’s Day is the busiest restaurant day of the year? The automatic assumption is that Mom shouldn’t have to cook on Mother’s Day and heaven forbid someone else take her place in the kitchen.

But I digress…

The funny (read as: coincidental) thing about the post-Civil War Mother’s Day is that my favorite literary mother is Ellen O’Hara, from Gone with the Wind. And indelibly printing on my memory, just as it was Scarlett’s, is that she always smelled of Lemon Verbena.

Now, as I first read GWTW  when I was very young, possibly single digits-young, (and way before the Internet was commonplace in business, much less the home) my mind figured that lemon verbena must be some sort of perfume combining the scent of lemons and whateverthehell verbena was–probably a flower of some sort, I reasoned, and lavender somehow made it’s way into my mental estimation of the scent. Now, of course, I know that lemon verbena is a stand-alone plant in it’s own right, and that it smells like lemon and is used for its lemony oils, can be found in some teas, and does actually have small purple and white flowers.

Which is a very roundabout way of explaining the inspiration that went into today’s cocktail: lemon and lavender and all things lovely. Lemon and lavender are not exactly strangers to cocktails, as I’ve had a wonderful martini with those notes in the past. But I wanted less of a sweet, syrupy martini and more of a refreshing tall drink, one that would be at home on the back porch with a picnic or barbecue spread. Something that tasted like spring, and renewal–but without the bugs and dirt.

Lavender Lovely

3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 barspoon dried Lavender
1 tsp Rosewater
1 oz Pisco
6 oz Sparkling Lemon Soda

In the bottom of a tall glass, muddle the syrup and lavender–you don’t need to crush the flowers into oblivion, you just want them to release some of their heady oils. Add the rosewater, Pisco, and enough ice to make the glass 3/4 full and give it a few stirs with the aforementioned barspoon, then stir in the lemon soda until chilled. Because the lavender will float on the top of the drink, I suggest serving this one with a straw!

I was debating base spirits on this one between rum and vodka, briefly considered cachaca for something a little different before I was reminded of the wonderful floral notes in KAPPA Pisco and there was suddenly no more deliberating! Pisco was the perfect choice for this cocktail but for those mom’s who are still expecting, I’m willing to bet that just using a bit more of the lemon soda (mine was California Juice Company Sparkling Meyer Lemon from Cost Plus/World Market) to make up for the missing Pisco would result in a lovely, all-ages sipper. If you’re short of sparkling lemon soda, I’d say some Lemon Perrier, the juice of one lemon, and a little extra simple syrup would do the trick.

Granted, I won’t be serving this to my own mother this weekend as she doesn’t drink any alcohol and overly-floral things give her a headache. Our tradition over the last several years has been to tour the local Parade of Homes on the Saturday before Mother’s Day and then go for a late lunch/early supper somewhere. It works for us.

Cheers!

Tuesday Reviews-Day: An Illustrated Guide to Cocktails by Orr Shtuhl

Sips

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of An Illustrated Guide to Cocktails by Orr Shtuhl for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

——————–

illustratedcocktailscover

On sale today is another book in the vast collection of cocktail books on the market: An Illustrated Guide to Cocktails: 50 Classic Cocktail Recipes, Tips, and Tales. Just like cookbooks in general, cocktail guides are numerous enough that there is a book out there that speaks to every type of cook or cocktail-er around.

From the press release:

Where there’s a cocktail, there’s a story. Shaken or stirred, on the rocks or straight up, liquor always has its characters, and from their exotic names to their romantic associations and cultural connections, every cocktail has a unique history.

I adore the premise of this book, as both a cocktail enthusiast and an illustrator. After reading through this petite volume, though, I’m left a little shaken, but not exactly stirred.

The writing is amusing, as befits Shtuhl’s past as a “cheeky beer columnist” and former speakeasy runner, and deviates from a lot of the standard stories you find in most cocktail guides. In addition to many of the major-name classics, he delves into several offshoots and behind-the-bar stories that you may not find elsewhere. The organization of the book, however, is willy-nilly and rambling. To even suggest that there is an organizational system might be going too far as there in no Table of Contents and no chapters to point to even if there had been. You have features titled “How to Like Gin” on page 91 that refer you to, one would infer, the author’s top three recipes on pages 126, 69, and 149 (in that order). There is a complete index in the back of the book, however, so we’re not left completely to our own devices.

If you enjoy stream-of-consciousness reading, then you might enjoy the distinct lack of order in this book. If not, you’ve been warned.

As for the illustrations, Elizabeth Graeber’s style is not one I’m overly fond of. It’s the loose pen with a wash of watercolor look that has roots in years of magazine illustrations, but often deviates from basics of anatomy or scale. What works in single-panel asides in a magazine, however, becomes a bit much, for this reader, when it’s covering an entire book, however short and small that book may be. Whether a choice of the artist or the book’s designer, many of the illustrations do not fully fit the pages they face. Case in point: page 22 starts with a “table” of whiskey vs whisky with a slushy-margarita machine underneath it with the universal ‘no’ sign (a red circle with a slash through it). Margaritas are not discussed for another 70 pages.

Color me confused.

But, as I’ve said, just as there’s a shoe for every foot, there’s a book for every bar. I would recommend this book for fan’s of William Faulkner and Kate Beaton (writing and art, respectively). Slip this into a gift basket with a bottle of premium gin, Fever Tree Tonic, and a bag of limes for a housewarming gift and you’ll be surely invited back for a themed cocktail night.

AlcoHOLidays | Birthday Special | Pineapple Birthday Cake

Sips
Pineapple Birthday Cake cocktail | Colorful party decorations courtesy of Oriental Trading Company

Pineapple Birthday Cake cocktail | Colorful party decorations courtesy of Oriental Trading Company

Okay, okay, while not a holiday in the strictest sense, birthdays are very important points in our lives and everyone has one (whether they choose to celebrate it or not). Since my birthday is next week I thought it would be a good idea to celebrate with a festive cocktail reminiscent of a decadent birthday cake with a fruity filling.

Pineapple Birthday Cake

2 oz Whipped Cream Vodka
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
1/4 oz Amaretto

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice and shake to get the party started. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass of your choice and enjoy!

While this cocktail is similar to the Right Side Up (my take on the Pineapple Upside Down Cake Martini), the amaretto adds that hint of almond-flavored buttercream icing that is so incredibly delicious on birthday cakes that it’s tough to separate the two in my mind. For a purer “icing” flavor you could skip the pineapple and go with club soda or even just go straight alcohol if you were more interested in a high-test birthday cake shot.

Cheers!

AlcoHOLidays | Peach Cobbler Day | Early Summer Peach

Sips

Early Summer Peach cocktail for Peach Cobbler Day, April 13On the south side of my town there’s a butcher shop cum lunch counter that features different entrees each day of the week. It is a haven to southern comfort foods and on Fridays we used to go there to pickup meatloaf and mashed potatoes with cornbread and okra (or greens) for lunch. Used to because it was very rich and easily enough for two meals if you could restrain yourself.

We weren’t very good at restraint.

You had to go early–if you waited too much past noon to swing by they might be out of meatloaf for the day and you’d have to settle for fried chicken or some such. And if you were really lucky they’d have some containers of peach cobbler still.

We used to say that it was so rich it might kill you, but at least you’d die with a smile on your face.

Let me just revel in the memory of it for a moment, okay?

Since peaches are naturally high in fructose (which makes them high-FODMAP) and the doughy topping is, of course, full of wheat (another high-FODMAP ingredient), the peach cobbler from Early’s Kitchen is not something I’m likely to be savoring again any time soon. But in the spirit of Peach Cobbler Day, April 13, I thought I’d concoct a spirited version of the delectable summertime dessert instead.

Early Summer Peach

1 oz Whipped Cream Vodka
1 oz Pineapple Juce
3/4 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz Cranberry Juice
1/4 oz Butterscotch Schnapps

Combine all ingredients over ice and stir until combined. Not too vigorously, think of it like a lazy summer Sunday afternoon and you’ll get it juuust right. Serve over ice in a low-ball or old fashioned glass.

I could have used peach nectar, true, but the point wasn’t to emulate biting into a ripe peach, it was to inspire the flavor of dipping into a gooey, sticky-sweet bowl of peach cobbler, maybe with a little ice cream on top. That’s what this combination does, quite handily. True, I added the bit of cranberry juice primarily for color, but the little bit of tartness doesn’t go amiss, either.

Whether you celebrate with the real thing or a cocktail version, celebrate something this weekend, okay?

Cheers!

Tuesday Reviews-Day | Capabunga Reusable Wine Caps

Sips

I know, I know, that old saw:

What do you do with leftover wine?
You mean you have leftover wine?

Yes, as a matter of fact we do, quite often in fact. Moderation, remember? And when I’m preparing a number of wine reviews or open a bottle to cook with but don’t feel like drinking the rest that night, into the fridge it goes.

Recorking sometimes happens, but more times than not it’s easier to use one of the buck-a-pop lever-style wine sealers we picked up at Bed, Bath & Beyond some years ago. Granted, those sometimes pop off of their own accord, and I wouldn’t necessarily trust them if the bottle was laying on its side, but they work more times than not. This is one of those areas that screw-top bottles do have a bit of an advantage.

So when I was contacted about the new Capabunga reusable cap for wine bottles, I was intrigued.

holiday_2packs

True, the name made me laugh (TMNT anyone?) but when they arrived I really liked the look of them, enough to briefly consider ordering them as wedding favors for our wine-themed fete later this year ($7.95 a pair is fine for personal use, but a little on the high side for wedding favors). They come in a variety of colors with cute sayings like His/Hers, Drink Me/Be Wine, Retox/Wine Jail, and the above I earned it/Me Time sets, and really would make a nice hostess gift along with a bottle of wine or two.

Named and designed after the silicone bung (or stopper) that is used on oak aging barrels, the most important questions is do they work? Do they fit easily onto an open wine bottle and prevent spills and leaks while the bottle is on its side?

From what I can tell, absolutely!

Putting it on was way simpler than recorking an open bottle or even using one of those lever-seals (that sometimes don’t) and after a week my test bottle showed absolutely no signs of leaking. Good show! Of course, then there was the matter of getting the cap off to pour the rest of the wine, but even that was accomplished with very little effort.

From what I can tell, the Capabunga is available direct from their site only right now, though I’d imaging they’ll start popping up in your favorite winery’s gift shops before too long. And it looks like they will do custom imprints (minimum order of 200) and wholesale pricing, too.

Cheers!

———————

I received a set of Capabunga resuable wine caps for purpose of review. All opinions are my own.