Driving down high street a few months back, i happened to notice a new bar/restaurant opening up, next to Surly Girl. It's called Barrel 44, and was somewhat of a refreshing surprise to see in the short north. For people who are more familiar with Columbus and the Short North, the Short North is basically poser central for restaurants and bars that are trying to emulate the food and drink scene of New York City. Essentially, a lot of restaurants have opened up lately that have the look of an NYC bar/restaurant, but yet somehow also have the actual food and drink of a diner - a diner with fancier ingredients, but a diner nonetheless.
Given this, it was interesting to see someone try to open a more upscale whiskey bar in the short north. Because of my earlier exposure to restaurants and bars in the short north, I was ready to whip out my mental pad and paper and write down as many flaws as i could find. As it happens, i didn't find another poser bar in the short north - i didn't find drink/food heaven either - but it was promising to see a place that had transcended it's peers in some significant ways.
The decor was nothing worth mentioning. Slightly upscale but not flamboyant. They had a list of what looked to be 50+ whiskeys. They have at least 3 whiskeys in each category - including straight rye whiskey. The bartender says that they are trying to increase their whiskey menu. Unfortunately, like all bars in Ohio, Barrell 44 has some difficulty in acquiring some of the more interesting whiskeys that you might find in other states. The bartender suggested that they are trying to get their hands on a few bottles of Japanese Suntory whiskey, and a few other single-malt scotches as well, but this is a process that takes time. Moreover, it's not likely that you'll find this many whiskeys at any other bar in Columbus, so this is understandable.
I ordered three drinks from two bartenders. Bartender A did a pretty good job. I asked for a Manhattan. I asked her what type of sweet vermouth they had - she said that it was Martini & Rossi - but it was not (I think it was Stock or Gallo) - fortunately her only mistake. The only fault on the menu's part, was that the menu suggests that the Manhattan is made with "a dash of sweet vermouth and bitters" - but any self-respecting person would want more than just a dash of sweet vermouth. In fact, i asked specifically for a Manhattan with 1 part sweet vermouth to 2 parts whiskey - and a healthy dose of bitters. What was nice about the experience was that i didn't have to ask for either of these three things: (a) bitters, (b) stirring the drink instead of shaking it, and (c) rye whiskey instead of bourbon. Their standard rye whiskey is Old Overholt - which made for a great drink. The drink was a good temperature, had no unsightly ice chips, and tasted quite good - a very balanced drink.
The second drink I ordered was their "new old fashioned" - a curious concoction that replaces the orange slice in the old-fashioned with peaches. The only problem with this drink was the inclusion of what looked to be canned peaches. Now, in actuality, the idea of the drink is pretty sound. Peach is a natural pair with whiskey (i.e., think Southern Comfort) - so it was definitely a good idea. However, the inclusion of canned peaches seemed a little cheap. The only problem is that using fresh peaches is a little problematic - i would think that even with a significant amount of muddling, getting peach flavor from fresh peaches would be difficult. Of course, one could simply muddle some fresh peaches and add a small amount of southern comfort. This is just a small quibble though. The drink was tasty. Not only tasty, but (this will sound odd) their choice of ice shape was nice, and added to the drink.
The third drink I ordered was one that they didn't offer on the menu - a plain old old fashioned. Speaking of which, one other small quibble would be that their menu didn't include enough whiskey drinks. (Think of them more as a WHISKEY bar, as opposed to a whiskey BAR). That said, even though they didn't have the old-fashioned on the menu, the second bartender was happy to oblige me. This drink was also quite tasty - in fact i liked it better than their other one. What really struck me most was that the bartender actually knew what was in a regular old-fashioned - and was willing to prepare it for me. In fact, this bartender (a guy instead of a girl) seemed to be pretty on the ball. While he wasn't quite what i would call an expert, he did demonstrate a passion for whiskey and bartending, and also a professionalism that i just don't see at bars anymore. In general, i would say kudos to the bartenders at Barrel 44.
Now, onto one last complaint. The last drink that i attempted to order was one that neither of the bartenders had even heard of - in fact it was a drink that the owner had never heard of - the Sazerac. In fact, they didn't have the ingredients for a Sazerac - which is not surprising, because there aren't too many drinks that you would ask for that contained Peychaud's bitters and pastis. While this might seem a horrendous oversight on their part, i'm not going to fault them too much for it. I take it they're more "whiskey" people than "mixology" people - and so their unfamiliarity with the history of cocktails is forgiveable. That said, the Sazerac is one of the oldest and most well-known drinks in the mixology community - and it would be interesting to see them pick it up - at laest for the sake of authenticity.
All in all, i would give them 7 1/2 out of 10. Given that they've just opened, i would expect that they'll continue to get better, and i sincerely hope that they succeed.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
King Eider Dry Vermouth
On a random trip to a friend's house to watch the presidential debates tonight, i decided to stop by the liquor store (i hadn't been in a while). I've been trying to collect more vermouths lately, and to my surprise there was a bottle of vermouth that i hadn't heard of - called King Eider. I bought it, along with a bottle of Wild Turkey Straight Rye Whiskey and a bottle of Noilly Prat sweet. I took it with me to the debate and gave it a spin. Slightly bitter herbal notes, some soft orange, and moderately sweet - really not what i would expect from a "dry vermouth", but kinda tasty.
I tried to look up information on it, but couldn't find anything of note - other than it had stopped going into production in 2007. The bottle must've been sitting there for a while, so i'm glad i found it. Don't have much else to say about it yet, but i'll ask around. Have yet to try and mix with it, and i'm almost sad that i opened it, because i'll have to use it up somewhat quickly.
I tried to look up information on it, but couldn't find anything of note - other than it had stopped going into production in 2007. The bottle must've been sitting there for a while, so i'm glad i found it. Don't have much else to say about it yet, but i'll ask around. Have yet to try and mix with it, and i'm almost sad that i opened it, because i'll have to use it up somewhat quickly.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Jersey Appletini
Last week, Mixology Mondays had a theme of "guilty pleasures", and while i did create what ended up being a guilty pleasure, i thought i'd tackle the issue a bit more seriously in my post this week. I don't think i've really had a post where i tried making a new drink (last week didn't really count, since it's just too much work). The project was to try and make a better appletini, using that really horrible ingredient, sour apple pucker.
I actually don't have DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker, but i do have the Mr. Boston version - one that i take to be superior, in part because it tastes more like natural apple. (There is another version called something like "Too Sour Pucker" or something like that at Kroger, but i'm not even going to touch that right now).
According to one Gary Regan, the first version of this drink was actually made for a whiskey festival - and there, it was made of 2 parts whiskey and one part sour apple liqueur. This recipe was one that i actually tasted at a local bar (Club Diversity), who titled the drink a "Grand Appletini". Since that'd been done already, i tried to think of a different base liquor to mix with sour apple. What i did like about whiskey was the fact that it had its own flavor to bring to the party, and its own color. The former was good because it made the drink more complex - the latter was good because the drink stopped looking like a prop for a Nickelodeon show. Given this, i thought a good substitute for vodka or whiskey might be Laird's Applejack. Laird's Applejack is, of course, based in New Jersey, and so i suppose that is where this drink will get its name. Applejack is sort of an odd-ball - it's not used in many drinks - but it does have its own subtle apple flavor. Somehow, its addition both enhances the apple flavor AND tones it down.
Jersey Appletini:
2 pts Laird's Applejack
1 pt Sour Apple Liqueur (Mr. Boston brand)
Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve with a cherry.
Here, we see the Jersey Appletini, served in a cocktail glass. It is accompanied by one of my new cocktail picks, and a brandied cherry that i made all by myself!
I actually don't have DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker, but i do have the Mr. Boston version - one that i take to be superior, in part because it tastes more like natural apple. (There is another version called something like "Too Sour Pucker" or something like that at Kroger, but i'm not even going to touch that right now).
According to one Gary Regan, the first version of this drink was actually made for a whiskey festival - and there, it was made of 2 parts whiskey and one part sour apple liqueur. This recipe was one that i actually tasted at a local bar (Club Diversity), who titled the drink a "Grand Appletini". Since that'd been done already, i tried to think of a different base liquor to mix with sour apple. What i did like about whiskey was the fact that it had its own flavor to bring to the party, and its own color. The former was good because it made the drink more complex - the latter was good because the drink stopped looking like a prop for a Nickelodeon show. Given this, i thought a good substitute for vodka or whiskey might be Laird's Applejack. Laird's Applejack is, of course, based in New Jersey, and so i suppose that is where this drink will get its name. Applejack is sort of an odd-ball - it's not used in many drinks - but it does have its own subtle apple flavor. Somehow, its addition both enhances the apple flavor AND tones it down.
Jersey Appletini:
2 pts Laird's Applejack
1 pt Sour Apple Liqueur (Mr. Boston brand)
Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve with a cherry.
Here, we see the Jersey Appletini, served in a cocktail glass. It is accompanied by one of my new cocktail picks, and a brandied cherry that i made all by myself!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Mr. Boston Liqueurs
For anyone who wanted to start out their own bar, one of the cheapest ways to go is to reach for the Mr. Boston brand of liqueurs and liquors. They have a whole set of 1 liter bottles, each for about 5$, encompassing all of your major liqueurs that you might need in your bartending collection. Creme de menthe (white and green), creme de cacao, butterscotch schnapps, etc..., etc.... Now i know that everyone hates Mr. Boston, and i know that everyone especially hates the self-serving wording that is contained in every single printing of Mr. Boston's bartending guide. However, i really think it's not that bad, and i wanted to point out some interesting comparisons to be made - the main one coming from Tastings.com.
Tastings.com, of course, is that tasting website where they allegedly train their tasters, put them in a colorless, soundproof room, and make them taste new alcohols at the same time each day. Look at their ratings of a variety of triple secs - including one that comes from Mr. Boston:
Mr. Boston Triple Sec: 87
Blanks Triple Sec: 86
Hiram Walker Triple Sec: 86
Cointreau: 88
Grand Marnier (wine enthusiast): 89
Of course, as you might note - i have not included Patron Citronge (a new triple sec), and also the Grand Marnier rating is not from Tastings, but from Wine Enthusiast - which gives not altogether different ratings than Tastings (it's on the same 100 pt scale). However, you can see that Tastings gives Mr. Boston an 87 and Cointreau an 88. Also note that Grand Marnier and Cointreau are essentially on a par with one another (though not equivalent). They're both respected liqueurs, and have many who enjoy each of them. So, it's interesting to see that Mr. Boston is in some sense, playing on the same field as Cointreau and Grand Marnier!
This, of course, in some sense, is obviously not correct. Cointreau, Grand Marnier and Mr. Boston are all very different liqueurs. Cointreau and Grand Marnier are quite potent in terms of alcohol, while Mr. Boston is not. Cointreau and Mr. Boston are based on neutral grain spirits while Grand Marnier is brandy-based (i hear?). Cointreau and Grand Marnier are bursting with orange flavor, while Mr. Boston is kinda like Kool-aid.
That said, note their review of Cointreau and Mr. Boston: (their review of Grand Marnier is suspiciously absent. hmmm).
Cointreau:
Clear. Orange gelatin candy and spicy orange zest cake aromas. A silky entry leads to a sweet and tart medium-full body of vibrant candied tangerine skin, rock candy, and pick peppercorn flavors. Finishes with a long, peppery alcohol and orange zest fade. A powerful orange liqueur that packs a punch.
Mr. Boston:
Clear with a very faint silver pink cast. Sweet candied tangerine peel aromas. A soft brisk entry leads to a buoyant off-dry light-to-medium body of orange and vanilla candy flavors with a clean, sweet fruity fade. Nicely balanced and clean.
Sounds like some really nice reviews for both of them. Most of it is bullshit. (orange gelatin candy, as opposed to orange candy?? where do they make this stuff up?). Of course, that said, they obviously work very differently in a drink. But, i did want to point out that even Tastings.com isn't poo-pooing Mr. Boston's. And so you shouldn't poo-poo them either! They make a quality product - and for a vast majority of their liqueurs, they work perfectly fine in a drink - although you'll have to adjust proportions to your liking.
Tastings.com, of course, is that tasting website where they allegedly train their tasters, put them in a colorless, soundproof room, and make them taste new alcohols at the same time each day. Look at their ratings of a variety of triple secs - including one that comes from Mr. Boston:
Mr. Boston Triple Sec: 87
Blanks Triple Sec: 86
Hiram Walker Triple Sec: 86
Cointreau: 88
Grand Marnier (wine enthusiast): 89
Of course, as you might note - i have not included Patron Citronge (a new triple sec), and also the Grand Marnier rating is not from Tastings, but from Wine Enthusiast - which gives not altogether different ratings than Tastings (it's on the same 100 pt scale). However, you can see that Tastings gives Mr. Boston an 87 and Cointreau an 88. Also note that Grand Marnier and Cointreau are essentially on a par with one another (though not equivalent). They're both respected liqueurs, and have many who enjoy each of them. So, it's interesting to see that Mr. Boston is in some sense, playing on the same field as Cointreau and Grand Marnier!
This, of course, in some sense, is obviously not correct. Cointreau, Grand Marnier and Mr. Boston are all very different liqueurs. Cointreau and Grand Marnier are quite potent in terms of alcohol, while Mr. Boston is not. Cointreau and Mr. Boston are based on neutral grain spirits while Grand Marnier is brandy-based (i hear?). Cointreau and Grand Marnier are bursting with orange flavor, while Mr. Boston is kinda like Kool-aid.
That said, note their review of Cointreau and Mr. Boston: (their review of Grand Marnier is suspiciously absent. hmmm).
Cointreau:
Clear. Orange gelatin candy and spicy orange zest cake aromas. A silky entry leads to a sweet and tart medium-full body of vibrant candied tangerine skin, rock candy, and pick peppercorn flavors. Finishes with a long, peppery alcohol and orange zest fade. A powerful orange liqueur that packs a punch.
Mr. Boston:
Clear with a very faint silver pink cast. Sweet candied tangerine peel aromas. A soft brisk entry leads to a buoyant off-dry light-to-medium body of orange and vanilla candy flavors with a clean, sweet fruity fade. Nicely balanced and clean.
Sounds like some really nice reviews for both of them. Most of it is bullshit. (orange gelatin candy, as opposed to orange candy?? where do they make this stuff up?). Of course, that said, they obviously work very differently in a drink. But, i did want to point out that even Tastings.com isn't poo-pooing Mr. Boston's. And so you shouldn't poo-poo them either! They make a quality product - and for a vast majority of their liqueurs, they work perfectly fine in a drink - although you'll have to adjust proportions to your liking.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
China Martini
I guess a traditional thing to do on liquor blogs is to take an odd-ball from the shelf (or a new one) and give it a spin, with some tasting notes. A the moment, i don't really have much in the way of tastebuds (i have a bit of a cold), but i wanted to write something about this one liquor that i haven't seen on anyone's liquor shelf (or discussed on any blogs) - at least in the united states.The liquor is called China Martini - and it came in a metal box that had an actual working analog clock on it! China Martini is made from cinchona bark and apparently rice alcohol (though i have no way of confirming that), and its a kind of bitters (i guess) which tastes and feels a bit like Jagermeister - very sweet dark and rich. Cinchona bark it turns out is loaded with quinine - and the bark was used in many cases to help cure malaria (or its symptoms?). (An interesting aside - see wikipedia's notes on cinchona bark's role in the birth of homeopathic medicine). Hard to know exactly how to mix it in with anything, so i'll try and do that at some time. The reason it's a relatively rare find in the U.S. is because it's not sold in the U.S. at all - i only got it from a friend who went to Italy for the summer. Even there, i doubt it's hugely popular.
I did find a few funny youtube videos advertising it from a long time ago, which you might enjoy:
Isn't it a really catchy song? If only i knew what they were saying. The first one is particularly funny because China Martini is rumored to be an elixir prescribed in China - and the italian woman on the left is obviously supposed to look chinese (her dress, hair and eyebrows are supposed to be the clue i guess). Incidentally, China Martini is made by Martini & Rossi. Also, if someone happens to have a european cocktail book that has a recipe for China Martini, that would be really cool.
Some random guy from england, commenting on an online italian food store, suggests that this tastes great when mixed with a little italian brandy - or in espresso. who knew?
Update:
After a bit of my own research, it turns out that China Martini has a cousin. Cinchona bark is essentially the same thing as Calisaya bark - and there is (was?) a liqueur called Calisaya. (In fact, calisaya is a variety of cinchona that has the highest amount of quinine). www.cocktaildb.com has a list of 6 drinks that call for Calisaya/China Martini. They are as follows:
Brut
Dronda Cocktail
Montauk Riding Club Cocktail
Glamis Cocktail
Good Fellow
Calisaya
Now, upon looking closer at the cocktails, it appears that either Calisaya isn't so similar to China Martini, OR these are some of the worst thought-out drinks i've ever read. The drink "Calisaya" for instance calls for adding 1 dash of Angostura to a "glass" (it says 1/2 oz??) of Calisaya. But of course, if Calisaya is anywhere near as pungent as China Martini, you would never really taste the Angostura. "Good Fellow" is basically a 1/2 and 1/2 manhattan made with bourbon - and it calls for a dash each of Angostura and Calisaya. Which really doesn't make a lick of sense. We'll see if some online experts can make heads or tails of this. Perhaps an update!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Menu in a blog
So i've been trying to think of ways to get my friends to drink my alcohol, and i came upon the idea a little while back of creating a home bar menu. The idea would be that i would come up with a bar menu with drinks that i've vetted, and then have a menu that they would then be able to look over - just like at a real bar! Originally i thought i would print out a menu, but then i decided that an easier way to go would be to turn a blog into a menu. After all, i would be able to switch out and add drinks whenever i wanted (based on what i had available at the time), and moreover people would be able to comment on the drinks and see them from wherever.
The drink menu (which isn't complete) can be found at:
http://barmenu.blogspot.com
Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
The drink menu (which isn't complete) can be found at:
http://barmenu.blogspot.com
Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Vermouth and more vermouth
So, today i purchased two bottles of vermouth and a bottle of Peychaud's bitters. Peychaud's is something i've been meaning to get for a while, but i haven't tried it out yet, so on to that later. The vermouths are interesting because they are vermouths that you don't usually see on shelves (which is why i decided to get them there - since i wouldn't see them for a while probably - this IS columbus OH after all). The first vermouth is simply the Bianco vermouth from M&R which is pretty delightful - definitely one of the easier vermouths to drink straight up. The other vermouth is the Vya dry vermouth - one that i'd heard about but hadn't tried until tonight.
Why am i interested in vermouths, you say? Well, part of the reason is that i wanted to have a substantial martini offering (and here i include vodka martinis - though none of those candy confections. In other words vodka or gin + vermouth + optional bitters + garnish). I have a bottle of Noilly Prat which i liked quite a bit, and bottles of M&R sweet and dry. Of course, i'm planning eventually to get a bottle of Dubonnet red and white, and the red and white Lillets to add to the collection as well. Anyway - having a variety of vermouths seemed like an obvious way to fill out the martini selections that i had. (of course the other way was to increase the number of garnishes i had - olives and whatnot, which i've done already).
If you haven't tried Vya, i suggest you give it a try. Although i haven't tried it in a martini martini yet (a gin one, that is), i have tried it in a vodka martini, and it tastes pretty good. I would NEVER suggest drinking it straight or on the rocks unless you like sipping things very very slowly. It has a lot of notes that can just be overwhelming if you drink it too quickly. Surprisingly though, a vodka martini with 1 part Vya to 2 parts Vodka works out quite well - especially with a nice olive in the mix. Surprising, because i thought the Vya would just cut through all of that flavorless vodka to make an overwhelming vodka martini - but it didn't.
Apparently Vya also comes in a sweet variety, but i haven't yet tried it - would be interested, but i don't know if i'll ever come across a bottle of that. (Production apparently is pretty limited).
M&R Bianco is interesting. Easy to drink straight up or on the rocks. Strangely, if you make a vodka martini with it, the vermouth is REALLY evident - a lot more than the Vya. I would suggest cutting down on the amount of Bianco if you can - and then pairing it with a sweeter garnish - like a twist. Bianco is sweeter and fruitier with some vanilla mixed in. In fact, i think bianco would probably be a great addition to a martini that's been shaken with cucumber. As long as you're not too generous with the bianco, it gives a vodka martini the right hint of flavor that keeps the drinker interested without being obvious.
Anyway, for anyone who is interested in moving away from the standard M&R sweet and dry, and Noilly Prat - i think that both of these vermouths are good ways to go.
P.S. For anyone who didn't know before (i certainly didn't). Martini and Rossi apparently has a total of 6 varieties of Vermouth. Rosso, Extra Dry, Bianco, D'Oro, Fiero and Rosato. God knows i'll never be able to find these in Ohio. Certainly worth a try if you want to experiment with different kinds of vodka and gin martinis.
Why am i interested in vermouths, you say? Well, part of the reason is that i wanted to have a substantial martini offering (and here i include vodka martinis - though none of those candy confections. In other words vodka or gin + vermouth + optional bitters + garnish). I have a bottle of Noilly Prat which i liked quite a bit, and bottles of M&R sweet and dry. Of course, i'm planning eventually to get a bottle of Dubonnet red and white, and the red and white Lillets to add to the collection as well. Anyway - having a variety of vermouths seemed like an obvious way to fill out the martini selections that i had. (of course the other way was to increase the number of garnishes i had - olives and whatnot, which i've done already).
If you haven't tried Vya, i suggest you give it a try. Although i haven't tried it in a martini martini yet (a gin one, that is), i have tried it in a vodka martini, and it tastes pretty good. I would NEVER suggest drinking it straight or on the rocks unless you like sipping things very very slowly. It has a lot of notes that can just be overwhelming if you drink it too quickly. Surprisingly though, a vodka martini with 1 part Vya to 2 parts Vodka works out quite well - especially with a nice olive in the mix. Surprising, because i thought the Vya would just cut through all of that flavorless vodka to make an overwhelming vodka martini - but it didn't.
Apparently Vya also comes in a sweet variety, but i haven't yet tried it - would be interested, but i don't know if i'll ever come across a bottle of that. (Production apparently is pretty limited).
M&R Bianco is interesting. Easy to drink straight up or on the rocks. Strangely, if you make a vodka martini with it, the vermouth is REALLY evident - a lot more than the Vya. I would suggest cutting down on the amount of Bianco if you can - and then pairing it with a sweeter garnish - like a twist. Bianco is sweeter and fruitier with some vanilla mixed in. In fact, i think bianco would probably be a great addition to a martini that's been shaken with cucumber. As long as you're not too generous with the bianco, it gives a vodka martini the right hint of flavor that keeps the drinker interested without being obvious.
Anyway, for anyone who is interested in moving away from the standard M&R sweet and dry, and Noilly Prat - i think that both of these vermouths are good ways to go.
P.S. For anyone who didn't know before (i certainly didn't). Martini and Rossi apparently has a total of 6 varieties of Vermouth. Rosso, Extra Dry, Bianco, D'Oro, Fiero and Rosato. God knows i'll never be able to find these in Ohio. Certainly worth a try if you want to experiment with different kinds of vodka and gin martinis.
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