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I'm no champagne expert; but, the only New World wines I've tried (so far) that I think are really "reasonably champagne-like" are the products from Roederer in Mendocino County. I don't think they make splits or half bottles. Still, at around $17 for a full bottle of the NV Brut, it's not something you feel horrible about using in cocktails, cooking, or whatever. Plus, it's tasty enough you probably won't have a problem finishing the bottle.

In the freezer? Why? Is it a 1:1 sugar and POM grenadine? If so, I'd really encourage you to make my version of grenadine. I do a four-fold reduction of POM, then melt in as much sugar as it can possibly hold. After that cools, I stir in as much fresh POM as it takes to be reasonably pourable, shooting for a texture roughly similar to 2:1 demerara syrup. Much richer flavor than the 1:1 version, better shelf stability, and it still has some of the fresh kick of the uncooked version. ← re: why freezer Mostly because I don't go through that much of it. Perhaps the grenadine conversation should go in the grenadine topic; but, I'll just comment... I used a combination of 1:1 sugar and Knudsen Just Pomegranate juice syrup, with 1/4 cup Carlo pomegranate concentrate (not molasses), diluted with 1/4 cup vodka. It's pretty close to the idea a certain slkinsey presented over on Cocktail Chronicles. I suppose it's really closer to "instant" pomegranate liqueur. But, I don't make shirley temples for kids, so no big deal to me. Very concentrated pomegranate flavor.

Thanks to everyone who posted in this MxMo! The nice folks over at Imbibe Magazine have posted a roundup of Mixology Monday XI: Winter Warmers. Mixology Monday XI Roundup

I may just take a look at this. With the winter freeze destroying most of the current CA citrus crop, the rest of this year is going to be brutal for fresh citrus. I don't think I'll see much citrus at the farmer's market again until next year. I wonder if I'll even get a chance to make limoncello? I expect we'll see this reflected in drink prices.

No matter how careful you are with sanitation, things grow in Simple Syrup eventually, especially the 1-1 versions. Adding a touch of alcohol and/or keeping them refrigerated helps lengthen their life. Though, I still don't find they last much longer than a month or two. I guess I just don't use that much of them. Probably because the Savoy Cocktail book tends to use liqueurs as sweeteners. Need to have more cocktail parties! With proper sanitation, 2-1 syrups, on the other hand, seem to have a fairly indefinite shelf life in the fridge. I keep the grenadine in the freezer. It turns into a kind of slushie; but, thaws quickly enough once you get it out and give it a couple shakes.

A couple notes taking photos. Buy a big memory card and take lots of them. Take the same photo with different camera settings. Take it at different distances from the subject. Different angles. The beauty of digital is you don't even have to develop film and print up a contact sheet (if anyone still remembers what that is...) to have some idea which pictures are keepers. Also, the problem with white balance is, it is very difficult to correct in post production. If the colors aren't there, it is hard to add them to your picture. Even though you would think camera manufacturers would have figured out how to detect tungsten or fluorescent light automatically by now, with many (most!) cameras it is necessary to adjust this yourself manually to get the correct white balance.

You might drop Dr. Cocktail (Ted Haigh) a note. It was his encouragement that resulted in Fee Brothers releasing their version of peach bitters. I think bitter almonds/extract figure prominently in the recipe.

I did think the "use actual vanilla instead of tonka" idea on the drinkboy forums was right on. I've been meaning to give it a try; but, haven't found any local herbal stores that stock bay, tonka, or Benzoin. Amusingly, shortly after this recipe was published on drinkboy and the health risks of tonka were discussed, I was served doughnuts covered in tonka sugar at Manresa in Los Gatos. Needless to say, while I appreciated the opportunity to amuse my dining companion with tonka bean related trivia, I did not forgo the delicious morsels out of concern for my health. In any case, looking forward to hearing about your results!

By the way, cherries are another thing I never bothered with until I tried Amarena Toschi cherries in syrup. Boy, they are tasty! And the little bit of syrup that clings to them adds a very nice flavor to the end of a manhattan. Definitely a pleasant surprise. Look for them at Italian specialty stores and delis. Other options that might change your mind about the whole cherry thing include making your own (link to egullet topic), the legendary luxardo cherries, or the french cherries in cognac. Speaking of garnishes, though, what are those thin green things with a loop at one end that some bars use to spear their cherries and olives? Are they available for normal people to buy? Or do bars make them?

To me the loopiest part of the loopy laws which surround Absinthe/Wormwood/Thujone, is that it is, I guess, completely legal to manufacture and sell, as an herbal supplement, the fairly toxic wormwood extract. It just boggles my mind. Ban the tasty stuff, and leave the toxic stuff legal so kids, (and I use that term loosely,) can add it to their coke or Wapatuli.

At home, I rarely add garnishes that don't add flavor or scent to a cocktail, unless I'm trying to tart up a picture for the internet. Never added black licorice to a Le Demon Vert. I am thinking of serving that cocktail at a party this weekend and am slightly tempted to pick up some of those individually wrapped licorice root sticks... In my opinion, skipping the lemon, orange or lime twist, though, is a big mistake. With a lot of cocktails, that spritz of essential oils can be the difference between an OK cocktail, and one to contemplate.

I've mentioned it before; but, the best time to go is on Monday and Thursday from 5-7 when they have their happy hour special. It's usually $1 an oyster of one variety or another. I think otherwise, they're a couple bucks a piece.

But it's illegal to import it, isn't it? ← This is answered on the wormwood society website starting here: Isn't Absinthe Illegal in the US? Short answer:

I've never quite understood the popularity of those pouches of "Hot Chocolate Mix". Making Hot Chocolate from scratch is a bit of a pain. But, if you follow simple rules, it isn't hard. The ritual is really no more complicated than making an Old-Fashioned or Sazerac. And, really, the end product is so far superior, that I don't think you'll go back to the snack pack. Chocolate is one of the most important new world foods. Along with Corn, Potatoes, Chiles, and Tomatoes, it is one of the great staples "discovered" by the Europeans in the so-called new world. Imagine no one knowing what they were missing until they tried that first chocolate! Drinking chocolate is the most basic way to consume it and was probably done for hundreds of years before the Europeans arrived on the shores of America. First heat your liquid*. For each portion heat 8 ounces of liquid. I usually just use whatever milk is in the refrigerator. I guess it's skim. Whole milk is nice. The mayans and aztecs usually used only water. Bring your liquid to a near simmer. Don't quite let it boil, especially if it is milk. While that is happening, put 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a mug. I also usually add a pinch of cayenne and a dash of cinnamon powder. To this add 3 tablespoons of water. Stir this will a spoon. It will take a couple seconds of mixing; but, it will come together into a smooth paste that looks like melted chocolate. Starting slowly, drip in some of your warm liquid. Stir each of those first additions carefully until they are combined. Once it seems like the paste is dissolving well in your liquid, pour in the rest while stirring. Once you've gotten to this point, the world is your oyster. Enjoy it as is, or add a flavoring as you choose. Liquor, liqueur, syrup, extract... The sky's the limit. Any flavor you like with chocolate can go in there. I added an ounce of W.L. Weller 12 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The flavors combined nicely. Sit back, and enjoy your Winter Warmer. *If you have one of those steamers on your espresso or coffee maker, you can also heat the liquid with it. If you do heat your liquid with one of the milk steamer attachments or devices, do the chocolate mixing step first. Also, unless you are inordinately fond of foam, heat the milk in a manner which minimizes the amount foam formed.

Cheers, George thanks! I guess then, they are adding the bitter guinness to darken their champange in mourning. Also named after the "black velvet" arm bands often worn in tribute to the dead. Reading the wiki entries, it appears the black velvet may actually have pre-dated the black and tan. At least, according to the articles, the earliest documented reference to the black and tan is from around 1889 and it is thought that the Black Velvet was created at the Brooks's Club, in London, in 1861. The Black Velvet also goes by the name Bismarck as it was apparently a favorite drink of Otto von Bismarck. Black Velvet Wiki Article Black and Tan Wiki Article

re: black velvet When I was making the black velvet, it struck me that it seemed to be a gentrified version of the famous "Black and Tan". Guinness, having a fairly low specific gravity, can be floated on top of heavier ales like Harp and Bass, if you are very patient and pour very carefully. I had hoped I would be able to float the Guinness on top of the sparkling wine. While it seemed to go well at first, I soon slipped, poured too quickly, and they combined. I still think it might be possible. Anyone know anything about the specific gravity of sparkling wines?

Blackthorn Cocktail 3 Dashes Angostura Bitters 3 Dashes Absinthe (Verte de Fougerolles) 1/2 Irish Whisky (1 1/2 oz Redbreast Irish Whiskey) 1/2 French Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth) Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass The Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a bushy, spiny relative of the plum. It is often planted as living barbed wire in rural landscaping. Its wood is quite hard and the one of the traditional materials from which Irish Shillelaghs are made. It is also used to make sturdy walking sticks. The fruit of the Blackthorn is called a sloe and is used to flavor sloe gin. In the Cocktaildb there are 6 "Blackthorn" cocktails. Many, not surprisingly, involve sloe gin. This version is sometimes called the "Irish Blackthorn". It's a pleasant cocktail, with the smell and taste of the Absinthe being the first thing you notice. The vermouth and Absinthe dominate the middle tastes. There seemed to be a phantom cherry-like taste in the finish. The Irish Whiskey, despite being fairly assertive and quite delicious, seemed to disappear into the cocktail.

re: Savoy Errors I've been meaning to write a post about this in the Cocktail Books forum. To me it's interesting to compare Duffy and Craddock. Duffy seems far more prone to a certain type of error and Craddock another type of oversight. For example, Duffy seems far more likely to just get a cocktail name attached to the wrong ingredients. On the other hand, Craddock seems to pay almost no attention to proper preparation (almost every instruction is "Shake and strain into cocktail glass") or garnish. Black Velvet 1/2 Guinness Stout 1/2 Champagne (Navarro Brut) Pour very carefully. This one arrived rather coincidentally, as we had some sparkling wine left over from New Years Eve. Can't really say I see the point. Rather have a glass of decent sparkling wine or enjoy my Guinness. Perhaps a sweeter wine would be more of a match? But, then I've never really seen the point of any of the mixed beer drinks. Shandy, Snakebite, Lager and Lime... Why ruin a perfectly good pint?

I believe South Carolina is/was the last state with this law on the books. Only mini-bottles, and you must use the whole thing in the drink. I'd hate to imagine a long island iced tea there. 6 oz of liquor? Ouch. edit - I first heard about this on a Daily Show Segment Samantha Bee did a couple years ago. Very funny, the segment was called "1/5 Amendment". 1/5 Amendment (Direct link to Comedy Central Media Player)

oops... Sam answered first. So if a whisk(e)y was made from all malted corn, could it then be "single malt"?

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, January 12, 2007 Spirits: New flavorings could make gin the new vodka, Gary Regan The Essentials: Spain's Priorat region flexes its muscles, Michael Apstein THE SIPPING NEWS: Senate Bill 1548 allows brewers to offer up to 8 ounces of free samples per person per day. Hugh Johnson's royal honor A whole lotta shakin' will be going on tonight at Martini Madness. Single-spirit bars rise Yes, there is a beer for wine lovers, and it's Duchesse de Bourgogne. Letters to Wine Wine Business Insider: Regular domestic beer loses its grip on U.S. market, Cyril Penn "...domestic beers as a whole are losing market share...Legalizing charity...Wineries buying pumps...Mail-order wine...Cazes expands..." Uncorked: A long love affair with the Rhone, Jane Tunks The Cheese Course: French invention has a nutty bite, Janet Fletcher Pairings: Syrah doesn't need meat, Joyce Goldstein Recipe: Mrouzia (Lamb with Raisins & Almonds) The Chronicle's Wine Selections: Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Jon Bonné 96 Hours Bar Bites: Ozumo, Amanda Berne "While the dining room looks as orderly and serene as a carefully composed bento box, the Sumo Lounge area at Ozumo, the Japanese restaurant near the Embarcadero, is like one of those crazy sushi rolls. Every color of the rainbow and every texture on the palette is contained within this scene. The after-work hot spot attracts suits in their 30s, or guys dressed down in Paper Denim & Cloth, eyeballing the well-coiffed Seven jeans-wearing ladies who are sipping the fruity cocktails and tossing a little hair. Put wheels on this bad boy, and you could cruise down the Embarcadero like one of those crawling party buses, complete with a DJ spinning ambient tunes." Bargain Bite: Whispers Cafe & Creperie, Miriam Morgan "I keep hearing the refrain from that Roy Orbison song, "Anything you want, you got it,'' run through my mind when I walk into the Whispers Cafe & Creperie in Belmont. You might, too." CRITICS' PICKS: The little crucifer that could, Bill Addison "Many restaurant kitchens coax diners toward the assertive pleasures of Brussels sprouts by pairing them with one of America's most beloved ingredients: bacon. San Francisco's One Market tosses roasted Brussels sprouts with applewood-smoked bacon. Lafayette's Pizza Antica creates a salad of Brussels sprouts with bacon lardoons and hard-cooked egg in red wine vinaigrette." Dining Out: Zoya's quirky space belies refined cooking, Bill Addison "The exterior looks like a funhouse circa 1967. A squat square base supports a circular second floor with windows overlooking either a leafy street or a parking lot full of government-issued cars, depending on your vantage point. The whole building is painted avocado green. Guests must climb outdoor stairs covered with Astroturf to reach Zoya's upstairs dining room."

Robert Hess recently wrote a nice article over on Spirit World recently about Whisk(e)y. Whisk(e)y "Single Malt", he clarifies, just means, "...that all of the whisky in the bottle has come from a single distillery, and that it is all made from malted grain/barley (no fillers)." Wikipedia says "Single Barrel" means: edit - BTW, it appears the single barrel bourbon designation is relatively recent. This article on straightbourbon.com sez, "Ancient Age was the first distillery to come out with a single barrel Bourbon when in 1984 it introduced its Blanton's label."

Nice gin article from Gary Regan in today's San Francisco Chronicle: Is Gin the New Vodka? Includes tasting notes for several new generation gins including some I hadn't heard of before. G'Vine sounds particularly intruiging, distilled from grape based neutral spirits and flavored with green grape flowers.

If any of you read (or write) blogs which cover cocktails, you might know that Paul over at Cocktail Chronicles has been organizing a monthly online cocktail event he calls Mixology Mondays. This month's event is being hosted over at Imbibe Magazine. The theme is "Winter Warmers". If you would like to participate, please post in this topic before Monday, January 15th at midnight. I will compile a list of cocktails posted and mail them to the organizer. What warms your gullet on a cold January evening?

If you're staying downtown, this is an excellent idea. A cab ride from the airport will cost approx $40 with tip. BART will cost, I think $7, and take about the same amount of time. Also, note there are two raw bars in the Ferry Building. One is Hog Island Oysters, which will likely be quite busy. You will probably have to wait for a seat. The other, right next door, is the San Francisco Fish Company. There will likely be seats available for immediate seating. I recommend waiting for a seat at Hog Island.