½ cup (3½ oz) firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup (2½ oz) light corn syrup
3 oz bourbon whiskey
Pinch of salt
2 cups (8 oz) pecans, lightly toasted and finely chopped
Place the vanilla wafer pieces into a heavy-duty zip-top bag and give them a few whacks with a rolling pin, crushing finely. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and add the brown sugar, corn syrup, bourbon, and salt. Stir until completely blended and then mix in the crushed wafers and half of the pecans.
Shape the dough into 1-inch (2.5-cm) balls and spread the remaining pecans on a plate. Roll the balls to coat evenly.
Use wax paper between layers to store the bourbon balls in a tightly covered container. Keep in the fridge for 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Makes about 4 dozen.
243 PLAY MATCHMAKER WITH DRINKS AND DINNER
USBG | OREGON CHAPTER
KATE BOLTON
Bar Manager | Americano
Finding foods that work well with cocktails isn’t always easy, mostly due to the more powerful flavors and alcohol content that can crush any delicate or subtle ingredients. But it is possible and even a preferred way to enjoy a drink. Here are a few things to try at your next gathering.
THINK BEYOND TRADITIONAL BAR FLAVORS Incorporate foods like pistachio, grain mustard, and hops, as well as spices like long pepper or pink peppercorn into your cocktails as infusions, tinctures, or syrups. Do not be afraid to apply culinary techniques to achieve fresh and exciting pairings, such as making absinthe into a sorbet, grilling strawberries before turning them into a syrup, or infusing cognac with brown butter.
AVOID OVERUSING INGREDIENTS A handful of ingredients go with absolutely everything across the food and drink spectrum—such as ginger, almond, lemon, anise, and black pepper. But using these flavors in every drink or dish gets boring quickly. Try to find different ways to coax out similar flavors. Use fennel or Thai basil instead of absinthe, or make a hazelnut syrup instead of using the standard almond orgeat.
DON’T DUPLICATE FOOD FLAVORS Like putting together an outfit, choose complementary rather than matching. If a dish has rosemary, try to use an herb like thyme in the accompanying cocktail. And if you’re serving something tomato heavy, use strawberries in your drinks—the chemical compounds and flavor profiles of tomatoes and strawberries are actually quite similar, so their natural affinity for each other make for a great pairing without becoming identical flavor twins.
BUILD COCKTAIL PAIRINGS A good rule of thumb is to think about your cocktail choice the same way you would think about wine. If you will be serving light seafood, make a lighter-style drink that has higher acidity and some effervescence, such as a sparkling wine cocktail or a daiquiri. Whereas if you’re having something meaty and braised, you might want something richer and darker, like a Manhattan. Just be careful with the boozy drinks—if it’s too high in alcohol, it will overpower the dish.
SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT If you plan on pairing drinks with dessert, the cocktail choice should be sweeter than whatever the dessert is. Otherwise the cocktail will taste washed-out and flavorless next to its sweet counterpart.
244 AVOID MAKING A MEAL OUT OF COCKTAILS
In many cultures, drinking always comes with food. The japanese have the izakaya, Spanish the tapas bars, and Koreans the hof or sul-jip. Drinks and bites are designed to be enjoyed together—and trust us, the story of when fried chicken met soju is a heartwarming tale of true love. In Mexican cantinas, botanas (or snacks) will often accompany drinks, getting progressively bigger and heartier with each drink order. In Italy, the aperitivo hour usually includes olives, chips, and other snacks to enjoy with a spritz or other aperitif drinks. Bitter flavors and fatty foods work deliciously well together.
The mythical three-martini lunch (or dinner) is considered a badge of honor in some circles, but that’s a recipe made by stirring up trouble and garnishing it with a string of bad decisions—not to mention an unspeakable hangover. If you’re going to drink, don’t do it on an empty stomach.
245 PREPARE TO LAYER
Not all garnishes need to sit at the edge of the glass or on top of the drink. Drinks with ice—and long drinks in particular—can be decorated with herbs or thin slices of fruits or vegetables used as layers in between the ice and along the side of the glass.
Before you start, make sure you have your garnishes ready: herbs, berries, thinly sliced cucumber or citrus rounds, apple slices, or anything else you want to use. Using your garnish tongs, arrange your garnishes in the glass, add ice, and continue to build up until your glass is filled. Just be sure to not overload it or your drink won’t fit!
246 MAKE YOUR DRINKS AS COLD AS A POLAR BEAR’S GLASS
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
JENNIFER COLLIAU
Owner of Small Hand Foods
You’ll notice that a spirit-forward drink or neat pours of spirits at nicer bars will sometimes come served with spherical or large ice cube (often barely fitting in the glass). This minimizes the surface area that the liquid comes in contact with, thereby decreasing the rate of dilution. A bunch of small ice cubes has the most surface area, and a single sphere has the least—well, almost. Why “almost”? Because freezing a layer of water directly into your glass will give you a single plane with the least amount of surface area and dilution. Just make sure your glassware is tempered before you stick it in the freezer.
247 LAYER YOUR DRINK WITH ARSENIC AND LACE
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
JARED ANDERSON
Cocktail Wizard
In some cases, you can also layer your cocktails. The trick is to work with liquids that have different specific gravities so that layers will stay happily in equilibrium. The general gist is that higher-proof liquors will float, while sweeter liqueurs will sink.
This interpretation of the classic 1940s Arsenic & Lace drink, most likely named after the popular play (and movie adaptation) Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesserling, tells a story as you drink. Opening with the drama of heavy anise notes and a hint of citrus, things soften up with the botanicals of the gin and vermouth, and it ends in classic Hollywood fashion: sweet and floral.
½ oz absinthe
1½ oz gin (one with milder juniper flavor preferred)
1½ oz dry vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
½ oz crème de violette
STEP ONE Add the absinthe to a glass with ice and stir to louche (a French term for the clouding of the absinthe—a result of the aromatic oils separating out due to the addition of water from the ice). Set aside; this will be your “lace” garnish.
STEP TWO In a mixing glass with ice, combine the gin, vermouth, and bitters. Stir 20–30 seconds, until well chilled. Strain the cocktail into a small white wine glass.
STEP THREE Measure out the crème de violette in a small measuring cup. Place a barspoon, with the convex side facing up, so it touches the inside of the glass, and slowly pour the crème de violette so it slides down the glass and accumulates at the bottom. This pool of crème de violette is your “arsenic.”
STEP FOUR Insert a straw into the absinthe, placing the pad of your finger over the opening to draw it up. With the loaded straw over the drink, remove your finger to release the absinthe and watch it lace the top half of the glass. Repeat until most of the absinthe has been used. A large eyedropper can be used in place of the straw, but don’t be too gentle—you want the force of the liquid to break the surface.
248 DRINK AROUND THE WORLD
Many countries across the globe are known for specific cocktails; some have traveled far and wide while others may remain close to their place of origin. Here are a few traditional drinks you might encounter during your travels.
CANADA A Canadian favorite is the Caesar, which might remind some of a Bloody Mary (see item 183). The Caesar is made with vodka, Clamato (clam juice), hot sauce, celery, and lime.
MEXICO The Paloma is a tequila specialty, made with grapefruit juice, soda, lemon, and simple syrup.
NICARAGUA The national drink of Nicaragua is El Macuá, named for the tropical bird. The cocktail is made with rum, guava and lemon juices, and simple syrup.
ECUADOR The Canelazo is a hot drink made with fruit juices, cinnamon sticks, brown sugar, water, and rum. It’s a traditional Christmastime beverage.
CUBA The Mojito, of course (see item 165).
BRAZIL The national drink of Brazil is the Caipirinha: lime, sugar, and cachaça (see item 115).
GREAT BRITAIN The Pimm’s Cup has been around since the 1800s, mixing the gin-based liquor with lemonade, club soda, and garnishes of muddled cucumbers, citrus, and berries.
BELGIUM The Black Russian, originally devised in Brussels, is vodka and coffee liqueur; it’s not for the faint of heart.
SPAIN There’s always Sangria (see item 177) and good Spanish wine, but there’s another traditional punch known as Tinto de Verano, which is a shortcut sangria—essentially red wine mixed with lemons, limes, and soda water (or, for a cheater’s version, lemon-lime soda).
ETHIOPIA Honey wine, or tej, is a sweet-and-spicy cocktail that combines white wine, water, honey, and gesho (the leaves and stems from a thorny native plant).
TURKEY Lion’s Milk is a cocktail made with raki, which comes from twice-distilled grapes and anise seed, mixed only with water. The alcohol content will put you on the floor.
GREECE Ouzo needs no cocktail embellishment; this clear Grecian spirit turns milky white with just water, thanks to the anise extracts.
GERMANY The Gin Basil Smash, created in Hamburg, combines gin with muddled basil, lemon, and simple syrup.
ITALY If you find yourself in a piazza before dinner, chances are you have an Aperol Spritz in your hand. If you can’t get to Italy by 5 p.m., just mix together some prosecco, Aperol, club soda, and an orange wedge.
THAILAND Many drinks call Thailand home, but the sweet-and-spicy Siam Sunray has become a popular local pick, made with vodka, coconut liqueur, simple syrup, ginger, lemongrass, lime juice, soda, Kaffir lime leaves, and Thai chiles.
KOREA Enjoy a Subak-Soju by mixing soju (a distilled rice liquor) with watermelon and lime juices.
249 PARTY WITH PUNCH
Punches are some of the oldest and most classic of drinks. They are the entertainer’s workhorse, all about sharing and socializing. Make a punch and prepare for a lingering, long afternoon or evening filled with conversation.
Punch comes from the sanskrit word pañc, the number five. Traditionally, a punch has five basic ingredients: some kind of liquor, citrus, a sweetener, water, and tea or spices. The drink as we know it is thought to have evolved from the tradition of wassailing, when a hot cider or wine mulled beverage was enjoyed in a ceremony to ensure a good harvest.
250 FISH HOUSE PUNCH
This recipe is based on the 1732 version first concocted in Philadelphia at the Schuylkill Fishing Company, a fishing club colloquially known as the “Fish House.”
3½ cups water
1 cup sugar
1½ cups fresh lemon juice (6–8 lemons), strained
One 750-ml bottle Jamaican amber rum
12 oz cognac
2 oz peach brandy
8 lemon slices to garnish
In a large bowl that fits in your refrigerator, combine water and sugar until dissolved. Add the lemon juice, rum, cognac, and brandy, and mix. Cover, then chill. When ready to serve, place a block of ice in a serving bowl, add punch, and lemon slices.
251 MAKE OLEO SACCHARUM
Despite its scientific-sounding name, oleo saccharum is nothing more than a citrus-sugar syrup made by mixing sugar with citrus peels. Using the lemon peels in addition to the juice to flavor the punch will add a richness and brightness you can’t get any other way.
Make your own concentrated lemon syrup by peeling seven lemons with a vegetable peeler and combining the peels with about a cup of sugar. Mash it gently with a muddler and then throw it all into a zip-top bag for a few hours until the sugar dissolves, extracting the citrus oils.
252 BREW SOME TEA SYRUP
Thanks to its tannins, tea can add a nice extra dimension to a punch, while also providing an alternative method for getting fragrant citrus oils out of the fruit peels and into the drinks. Adapt your favorite punch recipe to incorporate just a few modifications in order to subtly change the flavors.
Heat the amount of water called for in your punch recipe until it comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add Earl Grey tea, the peels from the lemons, and the sugar as directed in the original recipe. Stir to combine, cover, and let cool.
Once cool, combine with the remaining ingredients in your punch recipe and enjoy!
253 FESTOON YOUR DRINKS
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
JOHN CODD
General Manager | Tradition
For the most part, garnishes don’t require any specialty tools beyond what you most likely already have in your kitchen. A sharp vegetable peeler, a paring knife, and a zester are all you really need. If you want to get fancier, you could invest in a channeling knife to make finer twists. Here are some garnishes to get you started.
PEEL ROSES See item 255.
WEDGES Cut the fruit from stem to blossom end and make a shallow slit for positioning on the rim of the glass.
CUCUMBER ROSES Turn a long, thin cucumber slice into a rosette, or coil loosely to line the inside of a glass.
SUGAR-DUSTED MINT SPRIGS Mint leaves dusted in powdered sugar make for a striking garnish on any mint-flavored cocktails—and it’s especially jolly around the holidays.
CITRUS WHEELS Starting at the blossom or stem end, simply cut slices. A mandolin will allow you to make very thin slices.
CITRUS TWISTS See item 256.
FLAGS Cut a twist, then place a cherry inside (or next to) the peel, and spear with a cocktail pick.
SERRATED TWISTS Give your twists some pizzazz by using decorative scissors to give them zig-zag or scalloped edges.
254 GARNISH LIKE A PRO
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
JOHN CODD
General Manager | Tradition
Categorically speaking, a garnish is a flourish added to a cocktail to make it as visually appealing as it is delicious. Sweet or salty rims on the glass, verdant herbs, aromatic peels, briny pickled vegetables, fragrant flowers, or candied fruits all add a complementary flavor element. But even items like specialty plastic or metal straws, paper parasols, or specialty glassware can be considered a garnish—as they all let your eyes drink first.
The popularity of garnishes is said to have exploded during Prohibition, particularly to mask cheap, poorly made booze or watered-down drinks. But for many of today’s bartenders, garnishing has become as much an element of personal expression as the recipes themselves, with social media adding extra pressure to give the drink visual distinction.
But before you leap into designing elaborate garnishes for your drinks, let’s learn some basics.
255 GET A ROSY OUTLOOK
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
JOHN CODD
General Manager | Tradition
Cutting a rose garnish is simpler than it seems. Start with a long peel from a citrus fruit, and wind the peel around itself, using your index finger as a spool to tighten. Then turn the wound peel over and remove your finger while pinching the peel together. Spear with a cocktail pick.
256 DO THE TWIST
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
JOHN CODD
General Manager | Tradition
Most garnishes can be prepared a day in advance and stored in the fridge. Wrap herbs in a damp paper towel before storing in an airtight container.
TWIST A twist of citrus is basic and versatile—and once you get the hang of it, you’ll be doing them in your sleep.
STEP ONE With one hand gripping the fruit, start peeling from the stem end, moving vertically toward the bl
ossom end. Use gentle pressure so you aren’t digging into the skin too much. Let the tool do the work.
STEP TWO As you’re moving the peeler down, use the index and middle finger of your gripping hand to secure the top portion of the peel as you continue to cut the bottom half.
LONG TWIST Garnishes that require more fruit can be difficult for beginners, as getting one long swath of citrus can be challenging. Find a peeler you feel most comfortable with and let the tool do the work.
STEP ONE Hold the fruit so that you can rotate it via an imaginary axis that runs from blossom to stem end.
STEP TWO Starting at the bottom, rotate the citrus as you run the peeler around it, holding the cut peel as you turn. Guide the peeler as it cuts upward, until you reach the top of the fruit.
STEP THREE The long peel, called a horse’s neck, can be coiled inside a glass.
257 TAKE WING
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
JOHN CODD
General Manager | Tradition
A wing garnish takes a bit more work, but it makes for a spectacular presentation.
STEP ONE Peel a long 4-inch (10-cm) peel from a citrus fruit.
STEP TWO Trim the edges, cut the short ends diagonally, and make a lengthwise cut in the middle.
STEP THREE Make small slits around the diagonal end of the peel (these will be the feathers of the wings).
STEP FOUR Tightly roll the peel on itself and place the garnish on a glass using the middle slit.
The Complete Cocktail Manual Page 15