Release the Kraken

I haven't seen the movie, but the trailer for the updated "Clash of the Titans" movie features Liam Neeson saying "Release the Kraken!" I want the name of this drink to be said in the same style. Continuing the Ace Beverage story from the other day, I picked up some The Kraken black spiced rum along with the Xocolatl mole bitters and this drink is a riff on a traditional rum punch using those ingredients.

Release the Kraken
2 oz. The Kraken black spiced rum
1 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. sugar cane syrup (Petite Canne)
2 dashes Xocolatl mole bitters
1 dash Angostura orange bitters

Shake with ice and pour over ice into an old-fashioned glass.

Evening with Axolotls

I took a trip up to Ace Beverage on Friday after work, barely squeaking in under the 7 pm closing time deadline. I needed to replenish some basics, such as bourbon and vermouth, but the real reason I went to Ace instead of another liquor shop was that I knew they had bitters from The Bitter Truth. I chose a bottle of Bittermans Xocolatl Mole Bitters. Once I got them home, I started playing around. First up was an Old Fashioned using the newly acquired Johnny Drum bourbon, some sugar cane syrup, a drop of Angostura bitters and three dashes of the mole bitters. It was fantastic, but I wasn't finished creating. Just a regular ol' riff on an Old Fashioned after all, nothing fancy.

Next up, mezcal. I love the smokiness and vegetal nature of mezcal, although I know not everyone shares my tastes. It seems like a natural mixing partner for mole bitters. Mezcal has a strong flavor, so I chose a liqeuer with a strong flavor as an accent: Green Chartreuse. Instead of just using an agave syrup or sugar cane syrup as a sweetener, I threw in some apricot brandy. A drop or two of Angostura orange bitters, a couple of dashes of the Xocolatl mole bitters... and wow. Tasty stuff. Strong, tasty stuff. I threw it out to the Twitter world searching for a name, and with some help from @jamespoulos, I have named the drink "Evening with Axolotls" (an axolotl is a Mexican salamander, if you were unaware).

Last night I was using El Senorio reposado mezcal. Tonight, I mixed up the drink again using Del Maguey Chichicapa. Chichicapa has the smokiness I was wanting but also a hint of mint on the finish. I garnished the drink with some mint leaves as well.

Evening with Axolotls

1 1/2 oz. Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
1 oz. Green Chartreuse
1 oz. Apricot Brandy
2 dashes Bittermans Xocolatl Mole Bitters
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
Garnish with a sprig of mint

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish.

ChurchKey

Instead of cocktails, I've been focused solely on beer for the past week. This is because a new bar, ChurchKey, opened in my neighborhood. My friends and I have taken to calling it "Beer Heaven." It's amazing, 50 taps + 5 hand casks + 500 bottles. So very many good beers.

I have a backlog of posts to get to, so I'll be working on that while wishing I was back at ChurchKey. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "Mmmm beer."

Long time

Time flies when you're not updating your blog. Suddenly it's August and I haven't posted since the beginning of May. At least this way I have a lot of content saved up and ready to discuss. I was distracted for much of the summer by my new favorite easy warm-weather highball, the Paloma. I've also been mixing up a few cocktails using Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice including a tasty pomegranate caiparinha with Leblon cachaca and a Jack Rose with fresh-made grenadine. I celebrated National Rum Day last Sunday with a Ti Punch made with Habitation La Favorite Rhum Agricole Blanc. All that along with mixing up some classics for a Mad Men gathering last weekend has kept me busy. I'll be posting some photos, recipes, and reviews soon. No, really.

Cinco de Mayo

So tomorrow at work we are having a Cinco de Mayo party at the end of the day, and what would be better than a cold margarita? Nothing. I mixed up a batch of margaritas to take in to the office, using Jeffrey Morgenthaler's (http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2006/a-gallon-of-margaritas/) recipe for a gallon of margaritas (I halved the amount). I made one change, using agave syrup instead of simple syrup (basically because I was out of sugar but had a healthy amount of agave nectar in the pantry). Having tested it myself, I say it turned out well. We'll see how the coworkers like it tomorrow.

3 cups tequila (Cazadores Blanco)
1.25 cups triple sec (Patron Citronge)
1.25 cups fresh lime juice
1.25 cups fresh lemon juice
1 cups agave syrup

One night at my favorite bar...

I started off the evening with a couple of cocktails featuring Plymouth Sloe Gin. First, straight from the pages of the latest Imbibe magazine, a Modern #2. The combination sounded strange, but the drink was really tasty.

2 oz. sloe gin
1 oz. scotch whisky (in this case, Dewars White Label)
1 dash absinthe (Kubler)
1 dash orange bitters (Angostura)
1 dash grenadine (homemade)

After that start, I moved on to one of my recent favorites. It's basically a Charlie Chaplin, but made with lemon juice instead of lime. I'm not sure what that makes it (maybe a Robert Downey Jr., because I love him?).

Anyway, it's:
1 oz. Plymouth Sloe Gin
1 oz. Apricot Brandy
1 oz. fresh lemon juice

Two drinks down, and I had run the bar clear out of Plymouth Sloe Gin. Sad. Anyway, I switched to a concoction involving Dubonnet Rouge called The Dandy.

The Dandy
1 oz. rye (Templeton)
1 oz. Dubonnet Rouge
1/4 oz. Cointreau
1 dash Angostura bitters

I figured this was a solid drink to finish the night off. Slightly different than the usual Manhattan, even a Dubonnet Manhattan, anyway.

Finally!

The readers (reader?) have spoken and I'm putting up a new post. Yay! Anyway, I've been trying some of the recipes from my Imbibe Magazines. Even my bar didn't have the ingredients for all of the holiday drinks in the November/December issue, especially since several of the drinks call for infusions or special syrups and I've been a bit lazy lately. Why? Because the Manhattans I've been making with Carpano Antica Formula for the vermouth have been so good I haven't felt a need to experiment. Still, a little experimentation never hurt anyone so I mixed up a drink from the "Life of the Party" article in the November/December issue called The Swafford.

The Swafford (Imbibe Magazine)
1 oz. applejack
1 oz. rye whiskey (I used Sazarac, out of everything else)
1/2 oz. maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)
1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters
Ice cubes

Add ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice, stir to chill and strain into a glass.