LAST NIGHT A COCKTAIL SAVED MY LIFE

This 1920’s magazine advertisement harkens to a day when Pabst was perhaps a more refined malt in its class. Today our good old Milwaukee-bred PBR may have a different face, but is nonetheless enjoyed on happy hour specials by thirsty men (and a handful of women) across the USA.

If you find yourself with a penchant for brandy, you’re more than likely a fan of the widely celebrated Sidecar. What you may not know is the colorful history this 100-year-old cocktail enjoys.

The citrus flavored beverage was born in Paris sometime following World War I, supposedly coined after the motorcycle sidecar an American captain would ride in on his way to and from a little known bistro at the time called Harry’s Bar. This now famous spot in the middle of the city happened to be the first American bar to open in the capitol and also the alleged birthplace of the Bloody Mary.

As the legend goes, the formula for the Sidecar was first concocted when the American captain asked for a pre-dinner cocktail that would help ease the chill he had caught outside. The French barman on duty that evening knew brandy would be most ideal to relieve the chill, but he also refused to serve the traditional after dinner drink alone as a pre-dinner cocktail (the French have a funny way of never bending any rules – that is, when it comes to food and drink).The result was the bartender mixing orange flavored Cointreau with brandy, and adding fresh lemon juice to create a more appropriate pre-dinner cocktail, et en suite – a famous cocktail was born.

During this golden era of literature, the Sidecar was especially popular in England and France, where ex-pats like Hemmingway would sip Sidecars at the bar – perhaps facilitating their after dinner prose.

The Sidecar

Ingredients

• 3/4 ounces Cointreau
• 3/4 ounces brandy
• 3/4 ounces lemon juice

In mixing glass or shaker filled with ice, combine Cointreau, brandy, and lemon juice, and shake vigorously. Wet rim of a 3- to 4-ounce cocktail glass and place on a lightly sugared plate. Strain liquor into the glass and serve.

This ad from a 1960’s issue of Life Magazine is shockingly  sexist - yet clean, stylish and sure gets the point across:

Gracias Sebastian! 

In July of 1953, a revolution was a’brewing in Cuba. As dictator Fulgencio Batista pushed along with his paralyzingly un-cool regime, young rebels Fidel Castro and Che Guevara began to mobilize a team to overthrow the jerk. Finally, on July 26th the Castro brothers led a coalition of 80 men in an armed revolt that ultimately took down the Batista tirade, catapulting the group into chain cigar-smoking national heros, forever to be emblemized on t-shirts at Urban Outfitters.

Anyway….this perhaps ill-fated day known as the Cuban Revolution was quite the turning point, making Cuba a powerful player and ally to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The next few decades marked a heavy isolationist period for the Communist country, only to be broken with Fidel’s passing. Fast forward to present day - we have another Castro at the helm, and a glimmer of hope for an open and free Cuba (and hopefully, a check off my Must-See List)

Now that we covered that sliver of history - the cocktail that ties our story together - the Cuba Libre! According to Havana Club:

“Cuba Libre shares the mystery of its exact origin. The only certainty is that this cocktail was first sipped in Cuba. The year? 1900. 1900 is generally said to be the year that cola first came to Cuba, introduced to the island by American troops. But “Cuba Libre!” was the battle cry of the Cuba Liberation Army during the war of independence that ended in 1898…”

Cubans may have a complicated past, but this cocktail of freedom is as simple as they come:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lime
• 2 oz light rum
• 4 oz cola

Squeeze the juice of half a lime into a collins glass. Drop the lime into the glass. Add ice cubes. Pour the remaining ingredients into the glass.

In 1909, 5 year old Temple, and his 9 year old brother Bud, rode their horses from Frederick, Oklahoma all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico… ALL BY THEMSELVES. Running on a voracious curiosity to see the world, the brave Abernathy brothers became living legends….

Their second trip in 1910 took the duo from Oklahoma to NYC to catch Teddy Roosevelt’s return from Africa. This trip involved driving their “Wildcat” Brush motorcycle the entire length of the trip home. On their fifth adventure together just one year later, the Abernathy boys rode their horses out of the Atlantic Ocean at Coney Island, riding all the way to San Francisco with the goal of depositing a flask of Salt water they picked up in the Atlantic to their final destination in the Pacific. In just 62 days, the boys rode 4500 miles to accomplish the feat.

Why this fantastic tale? Just a little reminder to get out and embark on your own adventure. You may not have a horse - but a plane, a car, a bicycle or your two webbed feet will get you there. In honor of adventure, I give you a few cocktails to celebrate summer road trips and living spontaneously!

Head to San Francisco with the Golden Gate

• 3/4 oz Grand Marnier
• 3/4 oz grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz Benedectine
• 1/2 oz Campari
• 1/2 oz lime juice

Whip-shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with 2 Kold Draft cubes. Strain into a Collins glass filled with Scotsman crushed ice. Garnish with a lime twist.

Hop the pond with a Scottish Fix

• 1 1/2 oz Ardberg 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz honey syrup (1:1)

Serve in a Rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish with fresh seasonal fruit.

Classic cars were made for road trips, as the 1957 Chevy was made for drinking:

• 1/2 ounces Southern Comfort
• 1/2 ounces Di Saronno Amaretto
• 1/2 ounces vodka
• 1/2 ounces light rum
• 1/2 ounces Crème de Noyaux
• 1 1/2 ounces Sweet and Sour
• 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice

And last but not least, reach your destination safely at the Landing Strip:

• 1 1/2 oz 10 Cane Rum
• 1 1/2 oz fresh pineapple juice
• 1 oz coconut water
• 1 dash of lime juice
• 1 dash simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 4 sage leaves

Shake and strain into a Collins glass.

Wednesday being the arduous hurdle that it is, tonight we were looking for something simple and summery. Selecting at random, I went with a Tilapia recipe, heavy on the veggies and light on the dairy and carbohydrates. This particular meal was equally eye-catching with bright red ripe cherry tomatoes, a black olive and parsley tapenade and a host of other sautéed goodies that were just the ticket after an evening run.

Pairing with this colorful dish, the man of the house chose wisely, opting for a peach-colored rosé, that I must say complimented perfectly. Though popular opinion may be that the rosés stateside pale in comparison to their French counterparts, I strongly beg to differ. Tonight we went with an affordably priced 2011 Gilbert Cellars Rosé of Mourvedre. Hailing from the Columbia Valley, nestled smack dab between Washington State and Oregon, their climate is ripe for producing bottles with the vital acidity and depth in flavor. 

The black-skinned Mourvedre grape is perfectly dry with notes of cherry, raspberry and a woody, crisp finish. I think this particular wine would be ideal for most who tend to shy away from the typical sweet tastes that many think of when rosé comes to mind.

Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes and Olive Tapenade

Ingredients:

• 3 tilapia filets
• 3 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1.5 tsp. ground black pepper
• 8-12 cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 2 tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• Olive Spread (In a food processor combine: 1 tbsp. chopped shallots, 2 c. black olives, 1 tbsp. capers, 3 oz. anchovies, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley, 2.5 tbsp. lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 tsp. black pepper)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season fish on both sides with 2 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.

Stiff, sweet and simple for a middle of the week treat. This is a tequila-and-Campari twist on a Perfect Manhattan that is equally as beautiful as it is tasty…

La Rosita

• 1-1/2 ounces reposado tequila
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 1/2 ounce Campari
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Fill two-thirds of a pint glass with ice. Add all of the ingredients and stir until completely chilled, then strain into a chilled martini glass.

When asked about my favorite cocktails in Denver, I must confess my taste buds travel over the hill to Boulder’s most gabbed about cocktail spot: The Bitter Bar. Thanks in part to cocktail King James Lee, their program surpasses that of Williams & Graham, utilizing a treasure trove of fresh, organic ingredients and creative, herb-infused formulas that really bring each beverage to life.

Playing off of yesterday’s post - Chartreuse is really having a moment. Finding its way into a concoction at Bitter Bar, The Green Drink was born. Stumped for a name for this genius blend of Bombay Sapphire, mint, Chartreuse and fresh lime - the Bitter Bar guys kept it simple with the call-it-as-they-see-it Green Drink. Bold, fresh, and chilled with a chop off the ol’ ice block, this is the perfect antidote to any swelltering summer day. If you find yourself in the Boulder bubble, do not pass up a trip to the Bitter Bar.

Today’s treat comes to us from Saveur. This green little number was created by  New York’s Bobo Restaurant beverage director Adam Rothstein; focusing on herb-infused cocktails perfect for summertime evenings.

Ingredients

• 10 mint leaves
• 1 oz. lemon juice, from about 1/2 lemon
• 2 tsp. turbinado sugar
• 2 oz. green Chartreuse
• Sprig of mint, for garnish

Place mint, lemon and sugar in a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add chartreuse and fill with ice. Shake thoroughly, and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig. (Bonus points for use of lovely etched vintage glasses and burlap napkins for truly unique character!)

“Good taste is always an asset.” This J.W. ad circa 1991 really  thought outside the box on this whole sexually suggestive angle. But hey, if your formula ain’t broke don’t fix it… and buy your wife a boat for Christmas.

For me, the key to a truly phenomenal cocktail lies in the purity of your elements. The more artificial additives involved, the less you’re going to experience every full-bodied flavor. With this in mind, test out some cocktails using only fresh, homemade ingredients and top shelf liquor to accompany.

This week I’m talking about the Holy Grail of beverage bases (in my opinion), the mouth-tingling refresher that is Ginger Beer. Ditching the store bought version that relies heavily on artificial ginger flavoring and corn syrup, this recipe from Gourmet is produced the old-fashioned way, using a simple equation of fresh ginger, sugar, yeast, and water. As the yeast ferments over a day or so, carbonation is produced in a natural way that tastes amazing!

Ingredients:

• About 1/4 lb. ginger, peeled
• 1 cup sugar
• 1.5 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• About 2 quarts water

Grate enough ginger to measure 3.5 tbsp. (recommend using a Microplane), and drain into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing solids to get all the juice out.

Place a funnel in the neck of a bottle and pour 3 tbsp. ginger juice, following with sugar, lemom juice, yeast, and a pinch of salt. Next, fill the bottle with water, leaving about 1.5 inches of space at the top. Screw a cap on tightly and shake gently to dissolve sugar.

Finally, let your mixture stand at room temperature until the plastic feels hard and no longer indents when squeezed (usually about 24 - 36 hours). Chill your ginger beer and enjoy with cocktails! (Sidenote: Ginger Beer will keep refrigerated about 1 week)