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Morsels and Musings roundup of MxMo XVI here: mxmo crème de la crème: round-up

Looking at Aquavit's online drink menu the Elderwhite cocktail looks like a cross between their White Cosmo and Elderflower Martini. Both drinks involve their house Aquavit, so maybe you missed that ingredient?

There are at least 3 cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book similar to the Aviation: The Blue Devil, The Aviation, and the Allen. Most of the Aviations I've had out in bars have ended closer to Allens than Aviations or Blue Devils. It's hard to know where the Blue Devil came from. Was it an attempt to make the Aviation Bluer? A completely different cocktail? Dunno. In regards to the original Aviation, it appears to have gone the way of the Dodo, along with most of the other unsweetened or semi-unsweetened cocktails of that age. Too bad, really. That sort of bracing sour tonic is quite nice some times.

Wow, I was just thinking of something like the dreadful "Vampire Wine" from Romania. You two definitely have me beat with Ed McMahon and Krugy the sperm. In any case, eas, you believe the Lucid is sweetened with sugar? Any facts to back that up? What are the TTB rules about amounts of sugar in things classed as liquor? The perceived sweetness of the herbs like fennel and anise can make it tough for me to tell what is sugar and what is herbs. By the way, one of the big differences between Lucid and the Jade products is the base alcohol. The Jade products are based on grape neutral spirits and Lucid is based on beet neutral spirits.

I dunno, maybe the premium vodkas? Trump? Cavalli? I'll have to think about it. I feel certain I've seen something dumber. Absolutely! I'm really looking forward to sampling it later this week. I ordered from DrinkUpNY and had no problems, aside from the usual UPS folderol. I did kind of wish they had a more interesting selection of other spirits to pad out my order. The bad news from their website: And why do they keep calling Lucid a "liqueur"? Annoying.

Ooo! Spooky! It's not quite the dumbest looking bottle I've ever seen. Still, a puzzling marketing strategy for a bottle priced as a premium spirit. Notes to follow later this week.

My bottle sez that it is imported by Diamond Wine Merchants, Oakland, CA, if that helps. I also strongly recommend Cocchi's Barolo Chinato, as long as you are looking. It is a most excellent spiced and bittered red wine based digestiv. I first heard about it in connection with a drink they make at Absinthe here in San Francisco, the Bob Tailed Nag. I've really come to enjoy it on its own as an after dinner sip.

Well, the host hasn't published the official list of participants; but, my rss reader tells me participation was actually not bad. I guess it helps to remember the host is in Australia, where it is fall right now! I'm really pretty surprised I haven't seen a Ramos Gin Fizz yet. That's a pretty good warm weather drink. By the way, bostonapothecary, what is "African Rye Whiskey"? Is it a trade secret? Or can it be divulged?

Barbary Coast Cocktail 1/4 Gin (1 oz Beefeater's Gin) 1/4 Scotch Whisky (1 oz Compass Box Asyla Scotch) 1/4 Creme de Cacao (1 oz Bols White) 1/4 Cream (1 oz Cream) Cracked Ice Fill highball glass with crushed ice, build ingredients in glass, stir until outside of glass frosts over. I'm really not much for cream based liqueurs or dairy in general. I was pretty tempted to do something with Goat Milk Yoghurt, which seems to make my stomach less unhappy. But, this cocktail from the "Savoy Cocktail Book" has proved to be something of a guilty pleasure for me, so here it is. Also, based on the assumption that this cocktail is named after the San Francisco's Gold Rush era Barbary Coast neighborhood, here is a great quote, from Benjamin Estelle Lloyd, writing in 1876:

One of the nicer egg cocktails I've done was the Bass Wyatt, which did contain a whole egg. Unctuous, I suppose is one of the words I should have used, when talking about some of the benefits of egg yolks in cocktails. Eluded me this AM. Probably with the Cecil one the XL egg yolk and flaccid champagne were at fault. It did seem like the flavor skeleton of a good cocktail was in there. Still, seemed a bit odd to top up with champagne and destroy the delicate emulsion formed by shaking the egg yolk. And, yes, the Coffee Cocktail is coming up in a couple pages!

I read Beard's "Delights and Prejudices" last year. If you're curious about the man, I'd recommend it. An interesting peek into a specific period in time. From the book, it certainly sounded like he had his "cranky" side, if nothing else.

Fair enough. I have to admit, though, that I don't quite get what they are trying to accomplish by adding an egg yolk to a cold shaken cocktail. I get the lovely foam and texture an egg white brings. In fact, I'd probably have enjoyed the Cecil Pick-Me-Up quite a bit more if it had used egg white instead of a yolk. Though, it would just be something like a "Booster Royale Cocktail". But, egg yolks just cloud up the cocktail and make a mess of the shaker. Richness? Mouthfeel? Protein? What should I be appreciating here? Looking back, I guess the Broken Spur and Bosom Caresser were pretty OK.

Then so shall it be! Interesting. As far as I can tell, in California and Arizona, there is no differentiation between the items which can be sold at liquor stores, convenience stores, and grocery stores. The mixers, groceries, and booze can be sitting on the shelf next to one and other. On the other hand, in Wisconsin, it seems like anything which contains alcohol that isn't a food item, must be sold in a separate establishment. Or at least a different department of the store separated by some sort of doorway. By the way, thanks for the great writeup of the three tier system. I learned a few things from it!

It's true, you can seriously push the amount of alcohol in a sorbet by using liquid nitrogen. I think the problem will still be one of texture. No matter the method, for a proper sorbet or ice cream, the liquid still has to be at the right brix, or it will be too icy. You could experiment with the sorts of things they use to prevent crystals from forming in low sugar commercial ice creams. Guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, carageenan, methylcellulose... Flavor's going to be the other problem. Sorbet and ice cream bases have to be made with more intense flavors so they pop when cold. That's why I pump up the ones I make by steeping the citrus zest for a period in the base and then filtering it out before freezing. If you just froze a dry martini, I don't think it would taste like much of anything. Here's an example of a Aquavit Sorbet from the New Scandanavian Cooking Show: Aquavit Sorbet On the episode he made it using liquid nitrogen. I've also seen it done table side at restaurants, which is pretty cool and theatrical.

Probably too weird; but, what about a Martini-ish parfait? Layer of juniper spice gelatine, thin layer of olive gelatine, and vermouth granita/ice on top. Maybe incorporate orange bitters in one of the layers? From the home distiller website, here's a list of the most common botanicals in gin: Juniper, Coriander, Angelica root, Cassia, Cinnamon, Liquorice, Bitter almonds, Grains of Paradise, Cubeb berries, Bitter orange peel, Sweet orange peel, Lemon peel, Ginger, Orris root, Cardamon, Nutmeg, Savory, Calamus (sweet flag), and Chamomile.

New Orleans Best Cocktails Some audio level problems at the beginning of the Martini video. Still very cool to see a bartender like Mr. McMillian in action. Seems to be posted in association with this blog on Nola.com: NOLA Pulse: New Orleans' best cocktails, the Martini

Some maybe good, maybe bad, news about the Boonville Hotel: Piece of history

Oh, rats, I suppose that means I shouldn't use the last bit of it in cocktails, so I can attempt to replicate it later.

Extra Large, I think. I usually go for large browns; but, we got down to the farmers' market a bit late last Saturday, and XL white were all they had left.

The big problem will be that sorbets need a certain level of sugar to have the correct texture. I dunno if, with the level of sweetness required, you would end up with something like a martini. Martinez, possibly? Like hathor suggests, a Gin and tonic sorbet would be easier. Or a gimlet. Also, since being cold decreases the flavor intensity of ingredients, you might think of punching up your sorbet base with some of the flavoring ingredients typically found in gin. You'll also want to use a aggressive gin, not something with a mild character like Zuidam or Sapphire.

Yeah, it's a Swedish Punsch made by Henrik Facile in Stockholm, Sweden. ← I'm told he no longer makes it. Any truth to this? And definitely not distributed in the States, right? Thanks! --Doc. ← I don't know any details of the product, as a friend gave it to me. Yes, to the best of my knowledge there is no Swedish Punsch available in the states. The closest I've found is a "Punsch" mix from Sweden, to which you must add alcohol. edit - by the way, Dr. Cocktail, do you know any mail order sources for Swedish Punsch which will ship to the US? I've had no luck with Northerner.com.

Note, moved these off topic posts from the Magic of a Good Mixer topic. 1% alcohol required for beverages to be sold in liquor stores? So you can't even sell tonic or soda? That's weird. Do other states have similar rules?

Champagne Cocktail Put into a wine glass one lump of Sugar, and saturate it with Angostura Bitters. Having added to this 1 lump ice, fill the glass with Champagne (Cremant de Limoux, J. Laurens Brut), Squeeze on top a piece of lemon peel, and serve with a slice of orange. For a little over $10, this is a pretty reasonable Champagne substitute. Cocktail itself is a fine sophisticated aperitif.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, June 16, 2007 Are ratings pointless?, W. Blake Gray THE SIPPING NEWS: For the dad who has almost everything Father's little helper Making wine harmonic Fun with meat and wine In our glasses The Tasting Room: The people's winery, Karola Saekel Snow cones and shrimp cocktails at Auction Napa Valley, Jon Bonné Letters to Wine: Watering vines The Chronicle's four-star wine ratings, Jon Bonné Cocktailian: A bartender's new drink is the cat's meow, Gary Regan Recipe: The Reluctant Tabby Cat Pairings: Sparklers bubble over with croquettes, Joyce Goldstein Recipe: Ham & Cheese Croquettes Chronicle Wine Selections: Cava and Prosecco, W. Blake Gray Quick appetizers, Joyce Goldstein The Cheese Course: Wallace and Gromit hail Stinking Bishop, Janet Fletcher 96 Hours Bar Bites: Cafe Rouge, Deb Wandell "This restaurant, bar and upscale meat market -- not the Marina District kind, but the real thing -- is a popular rest stop for shoppers at Berkeley's chichi Fourth Street corridor. Raw shellfish is one of the specialties (oysters go for a bargain $1 each on Wednesdays), and it's laid out in a tempting display at the entrance. The space is anchored by the long bar whose focal point is a dramatic red chandelier. Colorful drop lights dangling playfully from the ceiling add a touch of whimsy, and mirrors open up the room. Grab a seat at the bar, and you'll soon be rubbing elbows, literally, with fellow diners. The volume can creep toward uncomfortable levels when the weekend crowd packs in, so take heed if you're planning on whispering sweet nothings to your date. If you arrive before 6:30 p.m., don't miss the meat market in the back, where you can buy a hunk of the bovine variety to take home." Bargain Bite: Medicine Eatstation, Olivia Wu "Last month, the restaurant unveiled the new menu and added seafood to its bento boxes. The vegetarian versions are $9.50-$10; salmon and eel boxes are $12.50 each. The fast-food overlay seems to work: A "value meal" deal is offered with the main dishes (soup and drink can be added for $2.95); the "deluxe value meal" adds a side and regular drink for $3.95. Unlike at most fast-food places, the food arrives on nice dinnerware."

It is a commercial product. A friend who travels more widely than I, gave me a bit to taste. Hopefully, with the impending release of Haus Alpenz Batavia Arrack, (July 15 according to their website,) some recipes for Swedish Punsch will surface! Mostly, from this version, I get the flavor of Arrack and a hint of cardamom. I have another friend who is traveling to Sweden this summer, and I've given him the assignment of bringing me back a bottle of Carlshamm's Flaggpunsch.