Ardent Spirits e-letter
Volume 9, Issue 12, August 9, 2007
by Gary Regan and Mardee Haidin Regan
© 2007 Reganomics, Inc.
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In This Issue:
The Cocktailian
image courtesy of the good folks at
quanya
The Interesting Cocktail
July 20, 2007
I was in London for the Bar Show in June, and I had the good fortune to be
invited to a wrap party in a private home. I was in the presence of greatness.
It came flying at me from every direction. Palpable, it was. Some of the world's
very best cocktailian bartenders were there. Each and every one of them made
drinks for us. It was a glorious night . . .
Hot Links
You never met Alberta Straub? She's one of a kind, and that's for sure.
Click on the logo above and go see the Flighty Hostess herself. You won't
regret it.
Bar Code
Our buddy "H", more properly known as
H. Joseph Ehrmann
(gedda load of that picture, huh?), the guy who
owns Elixir, one of San Francisco's most wonderful neighborhood joints, has been
getting all creative with us. Making up some new cocktails with a wine
base, he has. Thought you might want to sample one or two of these, so
we're bringing you the recipes. And we're bring you H's note on the
drinks, too. It's always interewting to get a glimpse into a bartender's
creative mind, right?
The Star Gazer
2 ounces Night Harvest Chardonnay
1 ounce dark rum
˝ ounce vanilla bean syrup
˝ ounce pineapple juice
1 lime wedge
In a Boston shaker, add all ingredients and shake
vigorously for 10 seconds. Fill a 10.5 ounce highball glass with ice and strain
the cocktail over the fresh ice. Squeeze the lime over the top of the drink, and
drop the lime in to finish the drink.
Mixologist’s Notes
The Night Harvest Chardonnay has bright, crisp, apple
and pear notes with a hint of pineapple on the nose. I chose to build on the
pineapple and create a summery, tall cocktail. The dark rum highlights the
tropical flavors and brings out the oak. To further highlight the oaky vanilla,
I used vanilla bean syrup as the sweetener. Shaking the drink hard creates a
frothy head, and the addition of a tiny bit of lime juice on top brightens it
all.
Yuletide Moon
4 pitted bing cherries
1/4 ounce of simple syrup
1 1/2 ounces Night Harvest Merlot
1 ounce bourbon*
one wheel slice of lemon
fresh nutmeg to grind
In a 16 ounce mixing glass, muddle the cherries (if
not pitted, just remove pits after muddling). Add simple syrup, merlot, bourbon
and lemon slice. Top with ice to 2/3 full and shake lightly. Empty entire
contents into a 10.5 ounce Old Fashioned glass. Top with grated nutmeg and
enjoy!
*The Gang at Ardent Spirits go for a soft bourbon here. Try
Maker's Mark,
W.L. Weller, or
perhaps even the Bernheim
Original Wheat Whiskey--it's great for mixing.
Woodford Reserve isn't
soft, per se, but we think it would work here, too.
Mixologist’s Notes
The Night Harvest Merlot has delicious cherry flavors
and slight oak to it, so I focused on those cherry and oak notes as the building
blocks of the cocktail – a riff on a classic Sangaree. Cherry and Bourbon are a
natural pairing for me, so I decided to cut the drink with Bourbon, which blends
superbly with the Merlot. The lemon brightens the drink and makes it
surprisingly refreshing and light, while the nutmeg provides a wonderful nose on
every sip.
Sunset on Dunnigan
2 ounces Night Harvest Sauvignon Blanc
1 ounce citrus forward, light juniper gin (G'Vine,
Hendrick's or
Tanqueray No. TEN, perhaps? ed.)
1/2 ounce elderflower cordial (the gang at
ardent spirits suggest St. Germain
Grapefruit zest to garnish (either thin strips or a
simple round slice without pith)
Pour all ingredients over ice and stir for 15
seconds. Julep strain, and serve up in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a 2” pass
of a bar zester over a fresh grapefruit rind, directly over the cocktail so as
to spray the oils over the surface of the cocktail. Drop the zest into the
drink.
Mixologist’s Notes
A romantic cocktail that will brighten your evening,
the Sunset on Dunnigan complements the citrusy herbal qualities of the Night
Harvest Sauvignon Blanc with the same notes in the spirit, while simultaneously
adding the botanical dryness of a crisp gin. Elderflower cordial lends a
summery, floral aspect that balances the drink nicely with its light sweetness.
The slight bitterness of a spritz of grapefruit zest ties it all together.
TV Watch
Great Cocktails, a new series on the Fine Living Network, is ready to roll.
We haven't seen previews, but we think that this one's going to be a doozy.
Gary filmed a few segments for this series last year. We don't know which
specific episodes will contain his bullshit, but the producer told us that he's
"sprinkled throughout the series." Be warned.
A One-Hour Special airs this Saturday at 10 p.m., and the
series begins the following day at 8 p.m..
Series Schedule Here
Ardent Events Calendar
September 9 - 12
Fancy a Few Days in the South of France with
Mardee & Gary?
Cocktails on an Island
Basics
Three days on the French
Isle de Bendor with Mardee and Gary
and a bunch of people just like you
1,500 Euros
includes workshop, boutique hotel accommodation, facilities, transfers and
ferries, all meals and refreshments.
Should be fun, huh?
Come Join Us Why Doncha?
Click
Here for More
Details or
Contact Isabelle Ferchaud on +33 4 94 05 15 61 or
Write to
efossard@barbusinessschool.com
September 15
Presents The Spirits of Mexico
Details Here
On the House with Jack Robertiello
Don’t forget to visit our friend, Jack Robertiello’s round up of blogs from cocktail geeks far and wide:
On the House with Jack Robertiello
*Ardent Spirits accepts advertising dollars only from products that are, in the
opinion of the editors, of superior quality.
For details on advertising rates, etc., please contact Gary at gary@ardentspirits.com
