apple juice

AlcoHOLidays | Leif Erikson Day | That Norse Thing

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In my original blog schedule, I had today pegged for the upcoming Columbus Day holiday (observed on 10/8 in 2012, the landing was actually 10/12). While I’m not averse to hit on some more obscure holidays over this next year, I figured it made sense to hit up all the US Federal holidays, too.

That Norse Thing Cocktail for Leif Erikson Day

Until I started brushing up on my Columbus Day research, and realized that (obviously) not everyone considered this a positive celebration (several states don’t even observe it). While I don’t think it’s necessarily right that our generation be held responsible for things done by generations (centuries) past, it’s one thing to accept the unfortunate-to-our-modern-eyes culture of the day back in the age of exploration and move forward and another to celebrate that which displaced nations. At first I thought maybe to do equal time: Columbus Day this week, Indigenous Peoples Day next. But then I realized how much poor taste it would be in to raise a cocktail in celebration of a culture for whom alcoholism is a severe problem.

So I decided we’re just going to back slowly away from that whole minefield and focus on another upcoming holiday: Leif Erikson Day!

You know, the Viking that actually discovered North America almost 500 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue?

From what I can tell, though the son of Erik the Red did land and settle, for a time, in present-day Canada around the turn of the last millennia  he didn’t really set down roots. And the family of his that went back were, in fact, wiped out by native tribes and that was pretty much the end of that.

And although October 9th was not the day Erikson set foot in the New World, it was the date chosen to celebrate the Norwegian discovery of the New World.

That Norse Thing

3 oz Apple Juice
2 oz Gin
1 oz Pomegranate Tequila

 Combine all ingredients over ice in a tall glass and stir until frigid.

The way I see it, if your off on a voyage of discovery, you don’t need to be fiddling around with a lot of gear, glasses with tiny stems, or anything overly complicated. You need your drink ready to go in a few moments because that’s all you might have. So this cocktail is built in the serving glass and stirred to combine. Juniper and apples are common(ish) in Norse cooking, and the pomegranate is my nod to Erikson (son of Erik… the red… please tell me I don’t have to keep explaining that one). Tequila may seem an odd choice–he didn’t land in Mexico–but the Pomegranate Tequila I have is far smoother and blends better than the pomegranate liqueur on its own.

And about the name. One thing I noticed when I was reading up on Erikson and Norway was that they have a lot of Things–in this case, thing meaning an assembly or group, later the matter or object being discussed at the assembly or meeting–and I just had to work that in somehow. They weren’t the only ones with Things (there are similar Germanic roots, too), but it was just something to good to pass up.

Regardless of what you choose to celebrate this coming week, make sure you celebrate with awareness.

And, you know, don’t drink and boat.

Cheers!

Cosmic Cocktails | Libra | Tip the Scales

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Tip the Scales cocktail, part of the Cosmic Cocktail series on Sips & ShotsOr, rather, don’t–your local Libra wouldn’t like that very much.

It’s no surprise that with a set of scales as a symbol, Libra is the Sun sign of balance. Equity. Justice.

When you consider that Libra is also our second air sign (the first was Gemini), you will not be surprised that we have another not-to-be-tied down sign going on here, specifically in the manner of decisions. Whereas Gemini loathe being tied down to anything, Librans are indecisive in everything BUT love–they fall hard, fast, and often and might be a little too eager to rush into permanent relationships. I think this is just another sign of their balance.

Either that, or it means having a permanent tie-breaker around.

Other names I considered for this week’s drink? The Fence-Sitter or Switzerland.

Not that Librans are neutral, they just are so very good at seeing both sides that they cannot ever pick one. So while they make great mediators, they can be lousy decision makers. Final answer? Not in this lifetime!

The thing about Libra, though, is while in anyone else this constant waffling might be tiresome or outright maddening, Librans also happen to be sweet and charming, and so very easy going, that those around them are willing to overlook what could be considered a major character defect is brushed away. People want to help the Libran make a decision, the Libran, in turn, showing their gratitude in any number of generous ways. This is also beneficial as your typical Libra does not like to be alone.

Tip the Scales

1 oz Dry Gin
1 oz Apple Juice
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Club Soda

Combine all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and shake–no, stir–well, it’s really up to you, there’s nothing that says you have to shake it but if you do, make sure to evenly distribute the shakes over each shoulder to keep from over-exerting one side of your body. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

For this cocktail I’ve made super-sure (to the edge of OCD) to keep the balance just right. I mean, I’m always striving for a well-balanced cocktail but this one takes the cake! There’s equal measure of spirits and mixers, equal measures of clear liquids versus colors, equal of sweet versus savory/neutral flavors and, just for a bit of added fun, we’ve got the comparing of apples and oranges!

Granted, it’s not all rosy and light in Libra-ville. The need for affection and company can bring out a social-climbing streak, and their frequent changes of mind can have them seeming rather hypocritical. (Wait, can you really change a mind that was never made up in the first place?) And that seeing-both-sides habit can stretch out a decision until it’s too late to be made–or someone else made it for them. But as long as it was a fair decision, they won’t quibble too much.

Dreaming of Summer

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Watermelon Crawl Martini

Watermelon Crawl Martini

Or, well, at least the foods of summer.

Especially watermelon.

It was all I could think of when I saw that this week’s Alphatini was to be w-inspired and, despite the unseasonableness of the craving it just would not be stopped!

Now, true, our summers aren’t exactly the most pleasant and, despite my cold-natured body I do prefer being able to start a fire or put on a sweater rather than sweltering (or running up the utility bill with constant a/c runnage). So I’ll happily settle for this light and fruity cocktail version of summer in a glass.

Watermelon Crawl

1 1/2 oz Watermelon Pucker
1 oz Vanilla Vodka
3/4 oz Apple Juice
garnish: salt and black sugar

Combine liqueur, vodka and juice over ice and shake it like a watermelon queen who just won her first crown. Strain into a cocktail glass that’s been rimmed with a mixture of sea salt and black-tinted sugar.

But wait, didn’t you once say…

This Will Never Do...

Yes, yes I did. But as it’s not at all unusual, at least where I’m from, to put salt on slices of watermelon. So this time I’m making an exception and salting a martini rim. The black sugar (really a very dark green, as you’ll see if you get it wet) adds the look of watermelon seeds to the rim, which is a nice touch.

And if you’re not sure you’ll like the sweet and salty combo but want to keep the look of a rimmed cocktail, feel free to only rim one half of the glass.

The only other question I had as I designed and tested this cocktail, is whether the vanilla vodka would be too much. Well, watermelon pucker is pretty doggone strong and it stood up just fine to the vanilla vodka. But what was surprising is that I really liked the unflavored vodka version just as well. With regular vodka the watermelon is a bit brighter, while the vanilla blends everything together a bit more.

Either way you go, I don’t think you can go wrong with the Watermelon Crawl–unless you have too many, then it might just live up to its name!

Good Evening, Mr. Underhill

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Mr Underhill's Best Cocktail

My main objective in this week’s Alphatini was a more-or-less savory cocktail; we’ve had a lot of sweet going on and it’s nice to mix things up a bit.

Pun unintended.

But we’re on the letter U and, well, I was at a bit of a loss since I’d already used my upside-down-cake inspiration.

As it so happens, though, I’ve been hard at work on What to Feed Your Raiding Party and this past weekend inspiration struck as I was inking the cover to a Lord of the Rings-style comics chapter I was reminded of the hobbits and Frodo Baggins in particular.

In the scene at the Prancing Pony he gives an alias, a Mr Underhill. And Bag End and all the rest of Hobbiton is so green and lively that is proved the perfect inspiration for a savory cocktail with a botanical base.

Mr Underhill’s Best

1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin
1/2 oz Galliano
1/2 oz Apple Juice
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
garnish: 3 olives

In a mixing glass half full of ice, combine the liquid ingredients and stir and time or two, plus a few more for good measure. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with some speared olives.

I’d planned to garnish it with a sprig of Rosemary from the little bush I’d bought just after Thanksgiving but, alas, my green thumb has proven non-existent once again and the poor thing didn’t make it a week past New Years. Last time I tried to keep one I over-watered it, this time I think it suffered the curse of my overcompensation (i.e. under-watering).

Now, as to the ingredients, originally I’d planned this to be an all-alcohol cocktail–hence the stirring. But on first taste the various spirits needed something than a little melt-water to make them nice and merry, so I looked to my mixer shelf to see what could work without being too sweet. Apple juice was the safest bet and I’m quite happy with the way it softens the harder edges of the individual liquors without being too bossy. You do tend to get a nice, light apple aftertaste, which is a nice finish–I think–to an otherwise bracing, savory cocktail.

It’s also a rather wee cocktail, coming in at under 3 ounces, so perfect for those trying to imbibe with moderation after, perhaps, excessive celebration the previous months.

And +10 imaginary points if you caught the Hugo Weaving crossover nod in the title of this post.

Beware the Hag With the Poisoned Apple

Sips

Welcome to the first of our new Alphatini series where we take a look at 26 varieties of the classic martini and come up with the best possible version of each, maybe even creating some new ones on the way.

~~~oOo~~~

A is for Apple

If we, in our gin-soaked haze, remember nothing else from those early learning years it’s that A is indeed for apple. That big, red, juicy fruit purported to keep the doctor away with one a day, win us extra points with the teacher and even find the first initial of our true love in it’s peel. Whether piled high in a pie, cooked down to sauce or juiced for convenience we’ve all had some sort of experience with apples in our life.

And while apples come in reds, greens, yellows and combinations thereof, exactly when did they become neon-hued and sour? While we may have become used to the chartreuse cocktail billed as an Appletini, it resembles an alcoholic candy more than what some believe the serpent tempted Eve with.

Let’s see if we can’t come up with something better, shall we?

Surveying the Orchard

Taking a quick stroll through bartending guides and web recipe repositories, the Appletini always seems to have a vodka base (sometimes a flavored vodka but often plain). The other main ingredient is apple schnapps–usually the sour sort like DeKuypers Apple Pucker. It’s not a bad ingredient, really, but I’d like to at least see a little apple juice in my apple martini (I know, shocking), not just booze. What I certainly don’t need is sour mix, citrus soda or cranberry juice mucking around my glass. They’re all find ingredients in their own right (well, except the sour mix–make your own!), just not what we really need here.

What could we add instead? Obvious would be apple juice or you could go even more direct with some apple puree. If you want to invoke the feel of a warm apple pie some vanilla and cinnamon would not go amiss (hello, vanilla vodka and maybe some cinnamon schnapps or syrup), even some condensed milk shaken in for that a la mode vibe. Or you could go a little classier with some Calvados (apple brandy) and a cinnamon stick for a cider-like cocktail.

In Search Of…

Caramel Apple Spice MartiniOnce, in a fairly decent chain restaurant, late one night after a holiday concert, I was intrigued enough to order a Caramel Apple Martini expecting something I wanted to just curl up in and take a nap. Instead what was brought to me was thin-tasting, bitter and gritty from the powdered cinnamon around the rim. The only thing it had in common with a real caramel apple was that it was sticky.

It’s so sad when a drink doesn’t live up to the menu’s hype.

Enter my solution: a dreamy, creamy caramel apple flavor with just a hint of spice. It’s definitely a dessert drink and even with less than 2 oz alcohol in there it’s pretty potent (the sugary ones always are). Sip it slowly and savor it.

Caramel Apple Spice Martini

1 1/4 oz Vanilla Vodka
1 1/4 oz Apple Juice
1/2 oz Caramel Sauce
1/4 oz Cinnamon Schnapps
Garnish: cinnamon-demerara sugar, apple slice, cinnamon stick

Combine the vodka, juice, caramel sauce and schnapps in a cocktail shaker over ice. Give it a good, long shake to toss the caramel sauce around and strain into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with cinnamon-demerara sugar. Garnish with a slice of apple and a cinnamon stick.

The “secret” is to use a caramel sauce and not a syrup–the syrup will give a thinner mouth-feel and can have a very chemical edge to it. And yes, I mean sauce like you’d use for ice cream topping. When you mix the cinnamon sugar, go easy on the cinnamon–it really doesn’t take more than a sprinkle in a quarter cup of sugar (I prefer demerara for the natural color and large crystals) to get the point across without any grittiness.

For an extra treat, try sipping the drink through the cinnamon stick!