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Ha! Yeah, I considered Absinthe snow cones, given the volume of new beautiful, clean, snow, or frappe. However, it wasn't much of a cocktail crowd, so I stuck with absinthe plus water. Kind of regret I didn't try the Absinthe snow frappe...

I wish I'd gotten a picture of the bottle in a snow bank, but this will have to do. Exported the monkey to Wisconsin to enjoy with friends on New Year's eve. An enjoyable flavor and good conversation piece! Nice herbal complexity and very well distilled. However, after a couple glasses, my wife mentioned that my face was flushing seriously red, so I stopped drinking it. Another of our friends had an even more extreme facial flush from drinking it. Both of us returned to normal after an half an hour or so, with no other symptoms. Others at the party enjoyed several glasses with no effect at all. I've got no known serious allergies, have had other Absinthes before with no similar effect, and enjoyed most of the unusual herb choices (tarragon, stinging nettles, etc.) in culinary settings with no ill effect. About the only thing I'm not familiar with is "Meadowsweet". Anyway, just figured I'd mention it, as 2 out of 12 of us had this happen. Curious if anyone else experiences it.

[Emphasis mine]Not disputing St. George's contribution (and I've noted their public statements to be refreshingly matter-of-fact and demystifying, compared to some or most other new manufacturers; St. George is a widely respected, established artisanal distiller, not specializing in absinthe -- their distinctive single malt is well appreciated too). But I keep raising this point, even upthread, and haven't yet seen anyone address it searchingly: Is the assertion above actually true, other than outside the bottle? What exactly changed, if anything, besides the TTB labeling rule? It now permits the "A word" on US labels. But USFDA's wormwood restrictions long allowed products made with wormwood but negligible thujone content. Absinthe-like liquor has sold legally in US for years, claiming such content. ← Interesting points as always. While Absinthe-like products containing (presumably) negligable amounts of thujone, have been sold in the US, few have been legally produced in the US. To the best of my knowledge, Herbsaint is the only other Absinthe-like product currently legally distilled in the US*. St. George is the first producer in the US to legally distill and produce a product containing Artemesia absinthum since the ban in 1912. Thus, I assume, their claim. *edit - Forgot Charbay's well regarded Pastis. I've never tried it, as it is a bit pricey. Are there any others?

Blanche Absinthes are flavored and then re-distilled in a manner similar to distilled gin. The three essential elements are usually considered Green Anise (Pimpinella anisum), Florence Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), and Grand Wormwood (Artemesia absinthum). The Kubler currently available is a Blanche Absinthe. Modern Absinthes and Absinthe-like beverages often include Star Anise (Illicium verum) among other flavors. Green (or Verte) Absinthes are made on the same base and then colored (and flavored) by briefly steeping other herbs in the full proof distillate. Common additional herbs include Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) and Petit Wormwood (Artemesia pontica). Both the St. George and Lucid Absinthes are Verte Absinthes.

That is a bit amusing. I thought I remember reading on eGullet that they served something called the "Sea Fizz" at Pegu Club or some other New York venue, but never got the details of the drink. Do they still serve it? The egg white absinthe foam was my favorte part of my version of the Seapea fizz. Meier certainly was fond of fizzy Absinthe drink. Colin Field credits the version of the Corpse Reviver made with Absinthe and Champagne to him, as well. I always wonder if Hemingway got his "Death in the Afternoon" from the Meier at the Ritz. According to the St. George Spirits http://www.stgeorgespirits.com/]website, they sold out of their new Absinthe inside of 24 hours. Amazingly, there was a long line waiting outside the distillery on the 21st waiting to buy it. St. George says they'll have more available for purchase at the end of January. Don't fear the Monkey!

Sea Fizz 1 1/2 oz Absinthe Juice 1/2 lemon 1 egg white 1 tsp caster sugar Shake ingredients for 10 seconds in dry shaker. Add large ice, shake well. Strain into glass and top up with soda water. Not quite sure where this recipe exactly comes from or if I am getting it entirely right. It is not in the "Savoy Cocktail Book," but appears without the egg white in my edition of Patrick Duffy's "Official Mixer's Manual" as the "Seapea Fizz". The above formulation is really quite delightful, and I would like to dedicate it to the folks at St. George Spirits, who have, despite the odds, produced the first Absinthe legally produced and sold in the US since the ban in 1912.

I've been served soup in shot or martini glasses at more than one fancy restaurant, so I don't know that that distinction exactly holds! Besides, I really like the tapas type tradition, where little snacks are presented to drinkers for their enjoyment. Happy hour food doesn't have to suck. So, aside from needing drinks after a long shift, maybe the kitchen also can be said to utilize the bar!

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, November 21, 2007 The Chronicle Pairing Guide: A glass of wine for every Christmas tradition, Jon Bonné THE SIPPING NEWS: IN OUR GLASSES Splurge on a $12,000 bottle of Scotch, Camper English First look: First look at the Folio Enoteca & Winery at Oxbow, Janet Fletcher Don't Break the Bottle puzzles, Lynne Char Bennett 'Wine Across America' book just released, Jon Bonné A preview of the Vintners Hall of Fame ballot, Jon Bonné Spirits: Drink menus explore virgin territory with alcohol-free cocktails, Camper English Recipes: Sparkling Grape, from Millenium Restaurant Health Tonic, from Millenium Restaurant The Cheese Course: A farmstead Cheddar hits the supermarket, Janet Fletcher The Chronicle Pairing Guide: Festive wine pairings for every classic Christmas dish, Jon Bonné The Chronicle Pairing Guide: Vegetarian lasagna bridges old and new traditions, Amanda Gold Recipes: Butternut Squash & Wild Mushroom Lasagna The Chronicle Wine Selections: Wines to pair with Christmas dishes, Jon Bonné The Chronicle Pairing Guide: Oven-roasted fish stew from Italy, Joyce Goldstein Recipes: Oven-Roasted Fish Stew The Chronicle Pairing Guide: Christmas tamales from a Mission District chef, Tara Duggan Recipes: Tamales de Cambray The Chronicle Pairing Guide: Roast Goose, Lynne Char Bennett Recipes: Roast Goose 96 Hours Bargain Bite: Cafe Madrid, Carol Ness " Owner Maurice Arroyo spent his first five years in Spain and still goes back to visit. After years managing cafes for Peet's and Tully's, among others, he's brought Spanish-style sandwiches and coffee to Oakland's burgeoning "uptown" district...He opened Cafe Madrid as a coffeehouse with a small menu in February in the old I. Magnin building, with its eye-popping green Art Deco tile work, next door to the landmark Paramount Theatre and a block from BART. " Bar Bites: Boca Steak & Seafood, Jane Tunks "Since its April 2005 opening, Boca Steak has brought a touch of the Argentine countryside to a Marin County suburb. Designer Michael Brennan's typically over-the-top design has brought the homeland of executive chef George Morrone's mother to life. That, combined with a typically pricey steakhouse menu, make this a dining destination well suited for special occasions. Luckily, the Novato steakhouse also has a cozy bar with plenty of bar snacks for those casual - and cheaper - nights out."

Staggerac? My goodness, I thought that the Thos. Handy Sazerac I made was a bit too powerful for my own good. I can only imagine the damage a Staggerac would do. Sheesh, a good thing no one drives in New York City. You folks truly are evil geniuses.

When I was contemplating which book to tackle the ones which received serious consideration were Thomas' book, the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book, The Stork Club Bar Book, Charles Baker's Gentleman's Guide, and David Embury's Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Books which were organized by spirit I discarded because it seemed like it would be just too boring to be stuck making Gin drink after Gin drink. Similarly, purely alphabetical organization seemed more interesting than organization by type of cocktail. David Embury's method of measuring cocktails gives me a headache every time I try to interpret it. Charles Baker I love a bit too much. It seems like we have similar drink sensibilities, so I wasn't sure how much I would learn. Plus, there's all that typing with the recipes. I don't have an early edition of Duffy, just the later Beard edited version, and Rob was already making cocktails from one or another version of that book. After I started making cocktails from the Savoy Cocktail Book, I was a bit embarrassed to discover how many commonalities they have. Probably about 80-90% the same book. Fortunately, one or the other often gets recipes right where the other gets them wrong, so they do make good companion pieces. I was closest to doing the Old Waldorf-Astoria instead of the Savoy Cocktail Book, but it seemed like there were just too many defunct ingredients.

Well, "E" went even faster than "D"! I guess it helps that it only has about 16 cocktails. Well, that and the fact that the bartender I interviewed insisted on making almost a dozen of them. In any case, to start the letter "E" off auspiciously, I met up with Martin Cate at Forbidden Island in Alameda, CA. Of the 11 cocktails he made, I'd say a good 3 were above average and 6 or so pretty good. The 3 above average should include the Eddie Brown, East and West, and E. Nos. We also got to try the new, and definitely above average, St. George Absinthe. Of the 4 remaining cocktails, the "Everybody's Irish" Cocktail, "Everything But" Cocktail, and Eye-Opener Cocktail were all very tasty. That's going to be it for me and Savoy Cocktails for the year. I'm going to take the next couple weeks off. I hope you have a happy holiday, whatever it might be you celebrate, and ring in the new year with good cheer! I look forward to seeing you next year!

Interesting quote from Camper English' article in today's SF Chronicle. Drink menus explore virgin territory with alcohol-free cocktails

Eye-Opener Cocktail The Yolk of 1 Fresh Egg. 1 Teaspoonful Powdered Sugar. (scant teaspoon Caster Sugar) 2 Dashes Absinthe. (1/2 tsp Verte de Fougerolles) 2 Dashes Curacao. (1/2 tsp Brizard Orange Curacao) 2 Dashes Crème de Noyau. (1/2 tsp Amaretto di Saschira) 1 Liqueur Glass Rum. (1 1/2 oz Inner Circle Green Rum) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Sadly, my schemes to acquire Noyau de Poissy or Noyau de Vernon have so far come to naught, so I have substituted Luxardo's Amaretto. Unlikely though it seems, this is a very nice cocktail, and will certainly open your eyes, should they previously have been closed. Both this and the preceding "Everything But" would make tremendous brunch cocktails. If we find enough of these, maybe we can finally put those old saws, the mimosa and screwdriver, back to bed where they belong. edit - If you're like me, you'll make this cocktail, taste it, and think of that open bottle of champagne in your fridge. Go for it. It's pretty tasty that way too.

As the Stomping Through the Savoy topic has now grown to 22 pages and we are only on "E", I thought it would be helpful to create an index topic for some of the more notable posts. Cocktail Highlights for each letter: "A" Cocktail Roundup "B" Cocktail Roundup "C" Cocktail Roundup "D" Cocktail Roundup "E" Cocktail Roundup "F" Cocktail Roundup Bartender Features: Victoria Damato-Moran at Monaghan's in San Francisco. Josey Packard at Alembic in San Francisco. Erik Adkins at Flora in Oakland. Martin Cate at Forbidden Island in Alameda. Jennifer Colliau at The Slanted Door in San Francisco.

Hey! We made pretty good time on the "D" Cocktails, from Daiquiri through Duppy. The first highlight is the plain old Daiquiri Cocktail. Damn that's a nice cocktail when made with fresh lime and a decent rum. The handsome Darb Cocktail was another early favorite, with its combination of Dry Vermouth, Gin, Lemon, and Apricot Brandy. The Deuville Cocktail was a sidecar which mixed apple brandy and grape brandy. The Deep Sea Cocktail is a delightful Fifty-Fifty variation, including a dash of absinthe and orange bitters. Along the lines of the Deuville we also encounter the Depth Charge Brandy Cocktail, which includes grenadine as a sweetener instead of Cointreau. I met up with Josey Packard at Alembic Bar and we enjoyed Devonias, Diki Dikis and her creation the Northern Spy. The Dinah Cocktail was a nice whiskey break from the usual brandy and gin folderol. We got to try a Dixie Cocktail, with Gwydion Stone's spanking new Marteau Verte Absinthe. Then we travelled to Flora in Oakland, where Erik Adkins mixed Doctor Cocktails, Dolly O'Dares and his creation "Carter Beats the Devil." Somehow the Dry Martini Cocktail snuck away from the rest of the Martinis, allowing us to enjoy it's delicious splendor a bit early in the alphabet. The Dunhill's Special Cocktail, with it's combination of Sherry, Dry Vermouth, and Gin, proved a sophisticated tipple. Lastly, the puzzlingly named Duppy Cocktail was a pleasant surprise, given the paucity of decent cocktails based on Scotch Whisky. As always, I hope you're enjoying the ride as much as I am, and continue to stick around for the rest of the alphabet! Cheers!

I was just reading over on What’s On Tap – The California Craft Beer Newsletter that a well known Scottish beer brewer was teaming with Highland Park to create a whisky barrel aged ale: Considering I just discovered that I quite enjoy Highland Park 12, an Orkney Scotch, I thought that pretty exciting.

Interesting! So prune syrup or other high pectin substances could be used as a natural (and vegetarian!) gelling agent for jellied or layered cocktails? Beats the heck out of cabbage slime (xanthan gum) or cow hooves! Further experimentation is obviously required!

“Everything But” Cocktail 1/4 Whisky. (3/4 oz Compass Box blended Asyla Scotch Whisky) 1/4 Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/4 Lemon Juice. (3/4 oz Lemon Juice) 1/4 Orange Juice. (3/4 oz Fresh Orange Juice) 1 Egg. 1 Teaspoonful of Apricot brandy. (1 teaspoon Rothman & Winter Marillen Apricot Eau-de-Vie) Powdered Sugar. (scant teaspoon caster sugar) (Combine ingredients in shaker without ice and shake for 10 seconds. Add big ice...) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Bunch of new technology here. First off, I finally scored a few 18oz cheater tins to top my 28 oz boston shakers. These are spiffy and seem nominally less messy when making egg drinks. Second we have the big sturdy tovolo ice cubes being employed instead of regular refrigerator ice. Third, I'm continuing my experiments with dry shaking. Fourth, given the size of this cocktail, I got to get out my bigger coupes. Now, if the lovely texture of the egg in the first picture wasn't enough, this second one with a clear half inch of delicious foam should indicate progress is being made. Regarding ingredients, many of the cocktails calling for simply "Whisky" in the "Savoy Cocktail Book" are from Judge Jr.'s 1927 "Here's How". In that book Scotch is specified. I went with the Apricot Eau-de-Vie instead of liqueur, as there was already plenty of sugar here, and I like Eau-de-Vies in egg cocktails. I kind of thought I was getting tired of sour cocktails, but this one is quite tasty and fairly complex. "Velvety," would be a good word for it. I really enjoyed it. Regarding the name, Judge Jr. sez, "This little drink is christened thusly because it contains everything but the kitchen stove!"

The more the merrier, I say! Rob Simmon has posted some from Patrick Gavin Duffy's "Official Mixer's Manual": Duffy, recipes from the Offical Mixer's Manual --and-- Cocktail and Wine Digest, Encyclopedia and Guide for Home and Bar And, of course, Cocktail Jen has been making her way, off and on, through a copy of Mr. Boston for a couple years now: Cocktail Jen

“Everybody’s Irish” Cocktail 3 Dashes Green Mint. (1/2 tsp. Brizard Creme de Menthe) 6 Dashes Green Chartreuse. (1 tsp.) Irish Whiskey. (2 oz Red Breast Irish Whiskey) (Stir well with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and...) Add a Green olive. It isn't quite as "green" as it should be. I don't have green Creme de Menthe so just used the plain white. All in all, a tasty (and quite potent) cocktail.

Oh, hmmm! I had been looking at the picture of the Stock Prunella liqueur on the cocktaildb and saw the prunes on the label and been assuming it was a prune liqueur. I did not realize that it might be a sloe berry liqueur or I just would have used sloe gin and vermouth for the Elk Cocktail. Maybe French Prunelle and Italian Prunella are slightly different, given one has prunes on the label and the other blackthorn sloes. In any case, to be exact, I put an ounce of kirsch in a bowl and then mixed about the equivalent amount of syrup from bottled prunes into the kirsch. I'm familiar with substances precipitating out of unfiltered spirits (or Absinthe) when they are chilled or diluted. This really was more of a thickening type action which formed a gelatinous substance similar to a loose jello or starch thickened sauce. And no, it really did not want to then mix with the cold gin and vermouth, staying more or less in broken solid globs.

Elk Cocktail 1/2 Prunelle Brandy. (1 1/2 oz mixture 1/2 Trimbach Kirsch, 1/2 Prune Syrup) 2 Dashes French Vermouth. (Dolin French Vermouth) 1/2 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Garnish with a prune.) So apparently, "Prunelle" is a difficult to find liqueur made from Prune Plums. I decided I would approximate it by mixing prune syrup with eau-de-vie. I thought of buying actual Prune brandy to mix with the Prune syrup, but figured might as well use the Kirsch I had instead. The oddest thing happened when I added the Kirsch to the Prune syrup. It gelatinized. I've no idea what is up with that. The texture of the cocktail ended up really weird, with cold gin and vermouth floating between gelatinized globules of kirsch flavored prune syrup. The flavors were good, but the whole thing was a little bit of unintentional molecular mixology. Does anyone have an explantion? I know prunes have a lot of soluble fiber. Is that what gelatinized when mixed with the kirsch?

Anyone have any advice regarding Kirsch brands? I'm about out of the Trimbach Kirsch I've been using and am wondering what people think of the other options. St. George, Clear Creek, Massenez, Etter and Schladerer are some of the ones I've seen in my area. Which would you advise sampling next?

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, November 16, 2007 Can this wine be saved? Methods of preserving an open bottle, Janet Fletcher THE SIPPING NEWS: IN OUR GLASSES A toast to our spirited history, Jon Bonné First look: Oakland's the Trappist, Karen Reardanz A TV show exposes the science behind fine wine, Derrick Schneider Raise a glass to yoga class, Camper English The release of Anchor's Genever gin, Camper English Beer: Chau Tien pale ale, a Vietnamese-named beer made in Northern California, Carol Ness The Cheese Course: Andante Dairy's Colle Rosso inspired by Italian Robiola, Janet Fletcher VinoVenue shuttered unexpectedly, Lynne Char Bennett Pairings: Beef cheek ragu pappardelle to match Italian Amarone wine, Lynne Char Bennett Recipes: Beef Cheek Ragu with Pappardelle Chronicle Wine Selections: Amarone, Lynn Char Bennett Uncorked: The King of Cocktails raises bartenders' spirits, Jane Tunks The Tasting Room: Busy Dry Creek winery has mass appeal, Jane Tunks 96 Hours Bargain Bite: De Afghanan Kabob House, Tara Duggan "Those seeking the flavors of Afghanistan in San Francisco didn't have many choices until recently. While the city has just a couple of Afghan restaurants, Fremont's Little Kabul neighborhood, the largest Afghan community in the country, was the place to go...Now, an offshoot of De Afghanan Kabob House in Fremont has opened on Polk Street in San Francisco." Bar Bites: Alembic, Jane Tunks "The Upper Haight hasn't always been the first neighborhood that comes to mind when seeking carefully crafted cocktails — that is, until the Alembic bar opened in October 2006. The brainchild of David McLean, who also runs the Magnolia Pub just down the street, this bar is now a pre-eminent destination among local boozehounds. Bone up on your alcademic studies under the tutelage of the Alembic's expert bartenders, who shake and stir excellent cocktails from an exhaustive collection of spirits (the whiskey selection alone features more than 100 bottles from all over the world), from Bruichladdich Islay single-malt Scotch ($15) to America's Old Overholt Rye ($6). That, along with a dozen gins, two dozen Tequilas (and mezcals) and countless brandies and eau de vies, should be enough to keep you in fine cocktails for months."

Eton Blazer Cocktail The Juice of 1/2 Lemon. 1/2 Tablespoonful of Powdered Sugar. (1 teaspoon Caster Sugar) 1/4 Kirsch. (1/2 oz Kirsch) 3/4 Plymouth Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well and strain into long tumbler; fill up with sodawater. Michael Jackson, in his "Bar and Cocktail Companion," says, "A metaphorical name, no doubt, since Eton College doesn't have a blazer. Nor is the college's color, black, evident in this drink. Not a blazer in the Blue sense." A perfectly fine and enjoyable highball. I could have maybe been a bit more generous with the sugar. Thinking about it now, it might be more interesting to top it up with Kirsch, instead of shaking it with together the Gin, sugar and lemon. That way you would get the scent carried up on the bubbles as a kind of greeting when you first sip the cocktail.