The Art of the Bar by Hollinger & Schwartz

[eje]

Moderator's note: I've split this topic off from the Cocktail Books topic. -- CA

I'm currently working on a writeup of the fine The Art of the Bar by Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz. Definitely one of the nicest looking cocktail books I've got in the house, and written from the bartender/bar manager's point of view.

Edited October 7, 2008 by chrisamirault (log)

[eje]

Got The Art of the Bar for a gift a couple months ago.

The book is a collection of recipes used at Absinthe Brasserie and Bar here in San Francisco. Jeff Hollinger is currently the Restaurant Operations Manager there, and I believe Mr. Schwartz used to be a bartender at Absinthe; but, now lives in Manhattan.

Just a beautiful book. Easily the prettiest cocktail book I have. The photographer and layout artists deserve a lot of credit for just how attractive this book is. Would make a great coffee table book for any cocktail geek.

They devote significant text to the craft of bartending. It is nice to get some insight into the world behind the bar.

I like the mix of classic and original cocktails. Refreshing the book is not just a rehash of classic cocktails. It's also nice that many recipes include attributions to the bartender or source material.

The downside to the original cocktails, is that many call for obscure ingredients or some advance kitchen prep. Lavender syrup, fresh herbs, that sort of thing. Very much of the West Coast style of cocktails.

I was initially charmed by the chatty narrative style of the text; but, their tone started to grate on me after while. They talk down a bit too much the the reader and seem, perhaps, a bit over-impressed with themselves.

In those recipes which call for specific brands of spirits, I don't always understand or agree with their recommendations.

In any case, certainly a worthwhile purchase, if just for the original cocktails and pretty pictures. If you're in San Francisco, be sure to check them out at the source, Absinthe Brasserie and Bar.

[Nathan]

I received the Art of the Bar for Christmas.

It is beautifully laid out if a little precious. But, the section on cocktail creation is well worth checking out. So are some of their original drinks. They've already turned me on to Velvet Falernum.

Agreed that they use a lot of syrups but the pages on syrup creation are pretty straightforward... I'll probably sit down one day and spend an hour making four or five of them....

[Chris Amirault]

During an afternoon spent using up store gift cards and merchandise credits, I found Hollinger and Schwartz's Art of the Bar at T J Maxx and then again at Williams-Sonoma, both on deep discount. I haven't made anything from it yet, but I'm very interested in their extension of some classic principles into different territory.

[Chris Amirault]

More on Art of the Bar. I've been trying, here and there, some of their newer drinks, and I'm not quite sure what I think yet. One illustrative example is their Sidecar variation, a Lavender Sidecar, which uses lavender honey syrup made in 4:2:1 ratios by volume with hot water, honey, and dried lavender:

1 1/2 oz brandy (I used Landy cognac)

1/4 oz Cointreau

1/2 oz lavender honey syrup

1/2 oz lemon

dash orange bitters

I've made this a few times and, well, it's either unbalanced or too busy or I'm doing something wrong. In particular, I think that the characteristics of the lavender honey syrup are lost in this much commotion, which is too bad. In particular, I think that the citrus bullies the lavender....

In contrast -- for those of you who've made the syrup mentioned -- try this Lavender 3:2:1 drink, that provides a simple rhythm section for the syrup:

1 1/2 oz gin (Plymouth)

1 oz Lillet

1/2 oz lavender honey syrup

You can add a dash of bitters if you want -- the house bitters I've been tinkering with work nicely, as would others, I bet -- or keep it simple to let the juniper of the gin and the fruit of the Lillet play alone with the lavender and honey.

It's a pretty interesting ingredient to play with...

[Chris Amirault]

More with the lavender honey syrup, which is clearly haunting me. I'm finding more and more that it plays well with big gins. Here's a basic Lavender Sour that is a nice companion to the start of a long weekend:

2 oz Aviation or Tanqueray gin

1/2 oz lemon

1/2 oz Maraschino

1/2 oz lavender honey syrup

2 dashes Fee's orange bitters

Shake, strain, and serve up with a brandied cherry (if you like the lavender perfume) or a lemon twist rubbed on the rim and dropped in (if you like the lemon perfume).

[jmfangio]

Chris,

Have you tried pairing the lavender honey syrup with No. 209 gin? It has (to my palate, at least) a distinct lavender note, so I wonder if it would make for an interesting layering of flavors, or a bit of clash and overkill?

BTW, I have to make some of that syrup - the recipes you're posting sound fantastic.

[Chris Amirault]

I can't find 209 around here, so I haven't had the chance to try. But if you can find dried lavender around town, it's a simple syrup -- so to speak -- to make. Give it a go.

[Chris Amirault]

Realized I hadn't played with the Bee's Knees (gin, honey or honey syrup, lemon) and thought it might be interesting to try it with genever. Works pretty well:

Bee's Nose

2 oz genever (Boomsma oude)

3/4 oz lemon juice

3/4 oz lavender honey syrup

dash Angostura

Shake, strain, flaming lemon rind.

[bostonapothecary]

Realized I hadn't played with the Bee's Knees (gin, honey or honey syrup, lemon) and thought it might be interesting to try it with genever. Works pretty well:

Bee's Nose

2 oz genever (Boomsma oude)

3/4 oz lemon juice

3/4 oz lavender honey syrup

dash Angostura

Shake, strain, flaming lemon rind.

←

i like this drink with some of the really exotic single varietal honeys... look for the rhododendrons and the dandelions from italy. if they are too solid i dissolve them without heat in vodka or cognac... genever and good honey is real serious...

[mkayahara]

Via Paul Clarke's blog, I just came across this recipe for a cocktail called the Smallflower that combines lavender honey syrup with tequila and... Laphroaig. Might be worth a try, Chris!

[Chris Amirault]

Not that I need a reason, but that's a good one to score a bottle of Laphroaig, which I've lacked for a year or two....

[Chris Amirault]

Just made a New Pal, which they see as an Old Pal variation and I see as a Negroni variation. Either way, it's tasty, even if you're lacking orange and flame up a lemon:

1 oz rye (Rittenhouse BIB)

1 oz Campari

1 oz sweet vermouth (Punt e Mes)

1 dash Peychaud's

2 dashes Herbsaint

Stir, strain, flamed orange rind (lemon works too). Rub the rind on the rim, whatever it is.

[mkayahara]

I had some friends over for drinks a couple of weeks ago, and while I was mixing their Sidecars, gave them my copy of The Art of the Bar to page through. One of them spotted the instruction to flame an orange peel for "The Little Easy", and asked me for an explanation. So I demonstrated by mixing up the drink which, for some reason, I had never really noticed before. It was delicious, even with the (I hope minor) substitutions I made.

Sugar (it calls for 2 cubes, but I used syrup)

2-3 dashes Regan's orange bitters

1.25 oz. single malt Scotch (I used The Macallan Fine Oak 10 year old)

0.25 oz. Averna (I used Amaro Ramazzotti)

Herbsaint (I used Kubler absinthe) to rinse

Muddle the sugar and bitters, then add the Scotch and amaro. Stir with ice, then strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass rinsed with Herbsaint. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

Also, I mixed up a "Sangre de Fresa" last night. I don't really have a lot of experience with drinks in the mode of "muddle fruit + herb + sugar/syrup, top with booze, shake, strain over ice, top with soda," but this one was definitely tasty. I'm looking forward to trying the "Peaches & Herb" when peach season arrives this summer.

[MattJohnson]

I'm curious, what are the ratios for the lavender syrup. Upthread, I misread and saw a 4:2:1 mentioned. I made some with that ratio and its quite tasty, but seeing how the ratio was intended for the drink (not the syrup), now I'm wondering if it could be better with the "correct" ratio.

[mkayahara]

I'm curious, what are the ratios for the lavender syrup.  Upthread, I misread and saw a 4:2:1 mentioned.  I made some with that ratio and its quite tasty, but seeing how the ratio was intended for the drink (not the syrup), now I'm wondering if it could be better with the "correct" ratio.

←

No, you were right the first time: the ratio is 4 parts water, 2 parts honey, 1 part dried lavender.

On a separate note, I tried the Elixir No. 2 last night, since it calls for half an ounce of brandy, and that's all I had left. On paper, it looks... implausible. 1.5 oz. gin, and a half ounce each of creme de menthe, maraschino and brandy, with a lemon twist? Uh, OK. In the glass, it worked pretty well, though I won't be rushing back to it anytime soon. As one might imagine, the creme de menthe (Brizard) pretty much dominated, though the maraschino gave it a run for its money. I'm intrigued by the combo of gin and brandy, though: I wonder what this drink would taste like with something like Genevieve or an aged gin like Citadelle Reserve, instead.

[bostonapothecary]

why does the syrup recipe have so much water in it? if most honeys are 80% sugar going 1:1 would put you in the range of many commercial liqueurs...

to get an elegant menthe-fruit contrast i've had luck mixing equal parts strega and stock maraschino. its less severe than going the creme de menthe route. seagrams distillers reserve gin is pretty cool and has a high enough proof that you can mix 1.5 oz. with .5 oz. dry sherry to gain that rich barrel taste but with more acidity to give a little extra structure to those sweet liqueurs.

[slkinsey]

As one might imagine, the creme de menthe (Brizard) pretty much dominated...

I've taken to substituting Branca Menta for crème de menthe to get a more restrained mint flavor along with some herbal complexity and a bit less sweetness. Credit where credit's due: I got the idea from Audrey and her Goodnight Irene (2 oz bourbon, 1 oz branca menta over crushed ice).

[MattJohnson]

I'm curious, what are the ratios for the lavender syrup.  Upthread, I misread and saw a 4:2:1 mentioned.  I made some with that ratio and its quite tasty, but seeing how the ratio was intended for the drink (not the syrup), now I'm wondering if it could be better with the "correct" ratio.

←

No, you were right the first time: the ratio is 4 parts water, 2 parts honey, 1 part dried lavender.

On a separate note, I tried the Elixir No. 2 last night, since it calls for half an ounce of brandy, and that's all I had left. On paper, it looks... implausible. 1.5 oz. gin, and a half ounce each of creme de menthe, maraschino and brandy, with a lemon twist? Uh, OK. In the glass, it worked pretty well, though I won't be rushing back to it anytime soon. As one might imagine, the creme de menthe (Brizard) pretty much dominated, though the maraschino gave it a run for its money. I'm intrigued by the combo of gin and brandy, though: I wonder what this drink would taste like with something like Genevieve or an aged gin like Citadelle Reserve, instead.

←

why does the syrup recipe have so much water in it? if most honeys are 80% sugar going 1:1 would put you in the range of many commercial liqueurs...

to get an elegant menthe-fruit contrast i've had luck mixing equal parts strega and stock maraschino. its less severe than going the creme de menthe route. seagrams distillers reserve gin is pretty cool and has a high enough proof that you can mix 1.5 oz. with .5 oz. dry sherry to gain that rich barrel taste but with more acidity to give a little extra structure to those sweet liqueurs.

←

Having thought I made it wrong, but actually made it right, I'd say that if you had much less water, it might be difficult to keep the drink from getting too cloying. Although you could cut the water in half and reduce the amount in the drink, I suppose.

Edited May 11, 2009 by MattJohnson (log)

[bmdaniel]

Bump to ask: How does that lavender honey syrup hold up over time? Does it need to be consumed pretty quickly?

[Chris Amirault]

It loses the floral nose slowly, and is noticeable after maybe a few weeks or so.