Rogue (now beta) Cocktails

[FrogPrincesse]

After the Arsenic and Old Lace from the other night, I was looking for something with a little more … va-va-voom. I looked through my copy of beta cocktails and the All Fair’s caught my eye. Usually the drinks from that book are challenging for my husband, but since this is essentially a Manhattan with rum, I thought I should give it a go. I happened to have the rum that it called for (El Dorado 12 year). The other ingredients are sweet vermouth (I substituted Dolin for Carpano Antica), curaçao (substituted Clement for Marie Brizart), mole bitters, salt “tincture” (aka salt solution), and an orange twist.

The cocktail is the first in a series of three that are meant to depict the evolution of a relationship. This one is clearly the honeymoon phase; you can tell right away by its beautiful smell. It is a very aromatic cocktail with layers of rich flavors highlighted by the mole bitters, and just a hint of salt at the end. Like spending your honeymoon in the Caribbean - it's described as an "Island Manhattan" in the book. It’s very easy to fall in love!

The name and style of the cocktail seemed familiar, but it took me a day to figure out why. The cocktail is clearly based on the Fair and Warmer from the Savoy cocktail book, a cocktail I tried a few months ago which is also a Manhattan variation with rum (the version I had tried was the Bartender's Choice app adaptation of the Savoy creation and has different ratios). The ingredients in the Fair and Warmer are white rum, sweet vermouth, curaçao, and an orange twist. The changes in the beta version are the use of aged rum instead of white, and the addition of bitters and salt. It elevated this already enjoyable drink to something even more memorable.

[tanstaafl2]

Do you find any difference in a drink with Creole Shrub as compared to using Curacao? Seems like the shrub would bring something slightly different the way the brandy based Grand Marnier is a little different from Cointreau/Curacao.

[FrogPrincesse]

Do you find any difference in a drink with Creole Shrub as compared to using Curacao? Seems like the shrub would bring something slightly different the way the brandy based Grand Marnier is a little different from Cointreau/Curacao.

Not a huge difference as far as I can tell. The Clément Créole Shrubb is rum-based and therefore it makes sense to use it in rum cocktails. I prefer it to Cointreau in Mai Tais for example, although the difference is quite subtle. Grand Marnier being cognac-based is not very versatile in cocktails in general and I hardly ever use it (for Crêpes Suzette maybe).

There is an extensive review of orange liqueurs on the Oh Gosh! blog that I found very informative.

Edited January 10, 2013 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Adam George]

I've made the Flip and Hotel Room Temperature from that series of drinks and they are both great. I like concept drinks.

[FrogPrincesse]

I've made the Flip and Hotel Room Temperature from that series of drinks and they are both great. I like concept drinks.

These are next on my list... I am just worried about how this affair is going to end!

Out of curiosity, do you remember what rum/sweet vermouth/curaçao you used?

[tanstaafl2]

Do you find any difference in a drink with Creole Shrub as compared to using Curacao? Seems like the shrub would bring something slightly different the way the brandy based Grand Marnier is a little different from Cointreau/Curacao.

Not a huge difference as far as I can tell. The Clément Créole Shrubb is rum-based and therefore it makes sense to use it in rum cocktails. I prefer it to Cointreau in Mai Tais for example, although the difference is quite subtle. Grand Marnier being cognac-based is not very versatile in cocktails in general and I hardly ever use it (for Crêpes Suzette maybe).

There is an extensive review of orange liqueurs on the Oh Gosh! blog that I found very informative.

Thanks. I quite like Clement Creole Shrubb myself but haven't done anywhere near the amount of cocktail experimenting you have! I have been through the Oh Gosh! orange liqueur threads before but was just curious on your thoughts given you have seem to be playing with different types almost everyday.

I need to try to do more. I don't have as many different options as on the Oh Gosh! site but I have managed to end up with 8-10 different orange liqueurs that deserve more regular use.

Edited January 11, 2013 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

Variation on a Theme

2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom gin

1/2 oz cherry liqueur

1/4 oz Campari

1/2 barspoon Maraschino liqueur

1 dash Regan’s orange bitters

Stir, strain

Orange twist garnish

Hayman's Old Tom gin may not work in Chris' Lindbergh's Baby, however it is great in this drink. This cocktail is a beauty of balance (and restraint). Cherry and orange flavors intermingling in harmony. I really like it.

As a side note, I could not find it in the book but it was on the Beta Cocktails website.

Edited January 23, 2013 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[mkayahara]

It's one of the ones from the first printing of the book, under its initial title, that was not reproduced in the newer edition. I'll have to give it a try; it looks good!

[FrogPrincesse]

It's one of the ones from the first printing of the book, under its initial title, that was not reproduced in the newer edition. I'll have to give it a try; it looks good!

I wonder why it was left out of the new edition. Maybe it's because it's a lot more subtle than most drinks in the new edition - it felt quite different in style.

[mkayahara]

There are a few like that. The new edition wasn't a strict reprint; it was a revision.

Edit: Which was really frustrating when I was last at Violet Hour and wanted to try the Black Cat (from the new edition), but they only had the old edition on hand.

Edited January 23, 2013 by mkayahara (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

The Heering Flip with Luxardo cherry liqueur, mole bitters, whole egg, salt.

It tasted like a very nice hot chocolate, spice and all. The finish was quite bitter though.

[FrogPrincesse]

I tried Don Lee's DLB last night (rhum Barbancourt 8yr, Fernet-Branca, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura, orange, and Peychaud's bitters). It's a good thing that I had only made a half cocktail, because all I could taste was burnt rubber with a touch of grapefruit. The flavors were way too crazy for me. I had to drink it very slowly because there was too much going on and my brain could not process all the weird sensations.

I forgot to add that it managed to mess up my taste buds because when I tried my husband's Manhattan after a few sips of the DLB, the Manhattan tasted overwhelmingly bitter.

Edited April 19, 2013 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[EvergreenDan]

I tried Don Lee's DLB last night (rhum Barbancourt 8yr, Fernet-Branca, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura, orange, and Peychaud's bitters). It's a good thing that I had only made a half cocktail, because all I could taste was burnt rubber with a touch of grapefruit. The flavors were way too crazy for me. I had to drink it very slowly because there was too much going on and my brain could not process all the weird sensations.

To anyone wondering, this is Don's Little Bitter. When I made it, I had to double the rum (I think, there's uncertainty in my notes). I used Clement VSOP and gave it 5 stars. Zachary also loved it with St James. Given that our tastes usually align, you might try again with more rum.

My Fernet-hatin' wife loved it too.

[tanstaafl2]

There are a few like that. The new edition wasn't a strict reprint; it was a revision.

Edit: Which was really frustrating when I was last at Violet Hour and wanted to try the Black Cat (from the new edition), but they only had the old edition on hand.

Which provides an excellent use for the memo pad on the iPhone (or other smart phone)! I routinely add drink recipes to it that I would like to try made by a professional so that I have them with me if the bartender is unfamiliar with them or to make for friends when I am away from home.

[mkayahara]

There are a few like that. The new edition wasn't a strict reprint; it was a revision.

Edit: Which was really frustrating when I was last at Violet Hour and wanted to try the Black Cat (from the new edition), but they only had the old edition on hand.

Which provides an excellent use for the memo pad on the iPhone (or other smart phone)! I routinely add drink recipes to it that I would like to try made by a professional so that I have them with me if the bartender is unfamiliar with them or to make for friends when I am away from home.

Believe me, I added it to my smartphone as soon as I got home. Now I'm never without it!

[FrogPrincesse]

Left to my own devices, I decided to go for something from beta cocktails, Erik Ellestad's Ashtray Heart. Equal parts Smith and Cross rum, Punt e Mes, and dry vermouth in a mezcal-rinsed glass. Book says to discard the grapefruit twist but it was shown in the accompanying photo, so I used it as a garnish.

Bitter and smoky (but not overpoweringly so), slight orange/caramel taste, grapefruit finish. Well done.

Erik kindly provided the updated version of this recipe, so here it is for everyone's benefit.

Ashtray Heart

1 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
1 oz Dry Vermouth
1 oz Punt e Mes Vermouth
1/4 oz Smoky Mezcal (for rinse)

Rinse chilled cocktail glass with Mezcal and pour out into a sidecar. Stir cocktail with ice and strain into Mezcal rinsed glass. Squeeze grapefruit peel over glass and discard. Serve with sidecar of Mezcal.

[Rafa]

That sidecar's a great idea, and I'm going to start doing that for a lot of my rinses.

The cocktail's also spectacular.

[FrogPrincesse]

Two Cups of Blood (Tonia Guffey): another equal parts cocktail, this time with mole bitters, Punt e Mes, Suze, mezcal + orange bitters and grapefruit zest (discarded).

Spicy, smoky, bitter. Mezcal and Suze played very well together. It had the tinny taste of blood as advertised (which is also perfect for Rafa's new profile picture!). Maybe not quite as good as blood but still very nice.

Edited May 3, 2013 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Rafa]

I thought: it's a cooking forum, I might as well dress the part.

That drink's near the top of my to-try list, by the way. Very Cinco de Mayo-appropriate.

[FrogPrincesse]

The Last Mechanical Art (Maks Pazuniak): equal parts Campari, Cynar, Punt e Mes, mezcal; orange zest. Burnt rubber, gasoline, smoke. Another slow sipper.

[ChrisTaylor]

Just made the Last Mech Art. A monster.

[FrogPrincesse]

Fatigue. Equal parts Jack Daniels (I used the Gentleman variant), maraschino and Angostura bitters with a grapefruit twist. It's okay. Somewhat kind of totally dominated by cinnamon. Drinkable but not repeatable.

This drink was created by a bartender for bartenders at the end of shift. It tastes very different after you have straw tasted 150 citrus drinks and 100 brown and stirred. You have serious palate fatigue, thus the name, and you need something with HUGE flavors. Trust me this is really tasty at 2:30am on a Friday night.

Unlike Chris, I really liked the Fatigue. A deliciously bitter banana-cinnamon smoothie.

[Markm]

Just made my second Last Mech Art.

Flavor is great! I played with dilution, but it still feels heavy and syrupy in my mouth.

I'm using Chichicapa.

Is this just the weight of the drink or do I need to stir a bit longer?

[FrogPrincesse]

For this month's MxMo Smoke Challenge, I tried the End of the Road by Chris McMillian in Beta Cocktails. With equal parts green Chartreuse, Campari, and Laphroaig I was quite nervous to say the least. I even managed to spill my cocktail in its entirety and had to prepare a second one amidst the Laphroaig vapors. But it was worth it - it's quite a fascinating drink. It's hard to describe because each sip was a little different. It's definitely on the bittersweet end of the spectrum.

[FrogPrincesse]

Hotel Room Temperature by Kirk Estopinal. The third one in a series portaying the various stages of a relationship. I had tried the All's Fair before and liked it a lot. I decided to cut to the chase and go straight for the last one. They all have the same ingredients and amounts; just the method of prep is different.

This one is served at room temperature. I find it amusing that they still specify a garnish in this context (apparently a good bartender always carries a peeler around!).

In any case, I got quite a different vibe from the first one. The vermouth is the first flavor to draw you in, then the rum takes over and it's quite intoxicating. Beware. The salt (of tears?) does not become obvious until the very end.