Thinking out loud over here

I’ll start by saying this… 2020 has been wild and is shaping up to get even more sideways. Being a parent in a COVID world is nuts but throw in your revenue stream being bars and restaurants and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a mental breakdown. We’re fine. I’m fine. Staying positive gets harder everyday but we’ll make it through.

The beverage industry is in a really odd spot. You’ve got imported spirits and wines stuck on boats waiting to be checked in at borders, outages, and shortages. More so than normal and not just because some spirit category is hot right now. But amazingly, new trends are developing everywhere with bartenders, mixologist, and restauranteurs getting extremely creative with to go cocktail programs. Not to mention all the spirit companies jumping in with ready to drink cocktails in cans. The creativity of this industry is really flourishing under unprecedented times. And there’s another thing happening.

Seeing an industry band together to lift each other up is epic. Companies are donating to out of work hospitality works which gives me hope. I’ve see restaurants offering family meal to furloughed servers and bartenders a couple of times a week. I’ve seen local companies donate money to funds specifically for said workers in our local communities.

With that, I’ll say this… the bartenders and servers that are out there working right now are risking their lives and the lives of their loved ones to provide service to their customers. A lot of them have to because that’s just the way it is. They have to work. They rely on tips to make a living. That being said, people should respect that. Respect that sacrifice. Wear a damn mask and comply with the ordinances that are imposed on the business to safely operate. It’s our new normal as my wife tells me all the time. I wish I had all the money to tip every server and bartender just for clocking in but I don’t. As Glassjaw titled one of my favorite tracks from the Worship and Tribute record, “Tip Your Bartender.” ….and wear a mask.

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Sippers: Herradura Silver Tequila

I’ve long heard the name Herradura mentioned but hadn’t tried it until recently(within the last year). As it turns out, Herradura is part of Brown-Foreman(Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, etc.) and it’s part of the portfolio of spirits I sell. When I started this job and was looking through our portfolio, I saw Herradura and got super excited. So here’s what I learned:

Herradura Silver is actually aged in American White Oak. Most sliver or blanco tequilas are bottled right after distillation. Legally they don’t have to be aged but can be aged up to 2 months to be designated as “Silver.” Herradura Silver is aged right up to the Reposado time line. What that time aging in oak does is and several layers of complexity to the Tequila and also gives it a slight tint which is why it looks different than other silver Tequilas.

This Tequila has a unique white pepper, vegetal Agave flavor. Those flavors are what makes this a great cocktail Tequila and a favorite of mixologist everywhere. You can easily enjoy this Herradura Silver in a traditional Margarita but…

Instead, try this super easy cocktail out. It’s easier to make than a Margarita and is much tastier:

Herradura Horseshoe Paloma

2oz Herradura Silver

0.5oz Lime Juice(fresh, not concentrate)

Q Mixer Grapefruit Soda

Recipe: In a highball glass, rim the glass with a lime wedge then salt the rim. Fill with ice, then add Tequila then lime juice. Finish by topping with Q Mixer Grapefruit soda. Garnish with a lime wheel if you’re feeling fancy.

That’s a great and easy cocktail but I like to enjoy it in an Old Fashion glass with a large ice cube and a big ole orange swath. The orange essences plays so well and adds a kind of synergy to the white pepper and vegetal agave flavors.

Missing the orange swath because I got trigger happy with the photo.

If you are a Tequila fan or becoming one, try this one out next time.

It’s Been Too Long

It’s been a while and I apologize. My life got a little busy with a new baby. He’s awesome and I love being a dad. While I’m a dad now, I’m still pretty stoked about my job. I’ve been tasting through a lot of wines and spirits and found a few gems. Here’s some of my favorites:

Caperitif, Swartzland, South Africa

So I know this one sounds weird and out there. Stick with me because this is worth a taste. This is basically like a vermouth. It has a Chenin Blanc based fortified wine with 32 different botanicals from South Africa. Chenin Blanc is one of the largest produced wines coming out of the region. It sometimes goes by the name Steen. Caperitif is an amazing aperitif on it’s own with a twist of orange or lemon. BUT, it makes a great cocktail. Try it with a barrel aged gin.

Erna Schein “The Frontman,” Napa, CA 2014

88% Merlot/12% Cabernet Sauvignon 

This winery makes some serious wines that are crazy fun. My first introduction to Erna Schein was their Saint Fumee red blend. It, exactly like Frontman, has an incredibly gorgeous label. Frontman is a right bank Bordeaux style blend with Merlot dominating. Lots of depth and density. Black and blue fruit on the nose with some dark chocolate. Blackberry and blueberry with some spicy oak in the palate. Medium acidity and medium tannins with a velvety finish. All this make Frontman seem unapproachable to a novice wine drinker. I think this is actually a great special occasion wine for the amateurs that cane really cultivate an appreciation for nicer wines. It’s not cheap, but it’s totally worth it.

Great Raft Brewing’s Creature of Habit Coffee Imperial Brown Ale, Shreveport, LA

Sorry I don’t have a photo of this, I end up finishing them before I can snap a photo. I got this one from the Great Raft Brewing site.

It’s no secret that I love GRB. This is probably one of my favorites that they do. I think the new recipe perfects the beer. Brewed with locally roasted coffee beans, the new recipe increased the alcohol content. It’s got some great roasted coffee note, nice maltiness, and a silky finish. I don’t think I’m off base by saying this is a killer breakfast beer.

Cesar Florido Moscatel Dorado, Chipiona, Spain

I have to confess, I didn’t find this wine. My colleague, Mario, introduced this wine to me at a South American wine dinner of all things. This is a fortified dessert wine and man, it’s uhh-mazing. There’s a little of forest floor/decay on the nose. I know this sounds off putting but it really balances out the heavy caramel, candied sweetness. It was served with crepes with a dulce de leche sauce. Absolutely divine pairing.

Whiskey Sours Aren’t Gross

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been really working on cocktails for the new spring menu. I happen to get a slight obsession with sours because of a bartender that posted a video about about an Amaretto Sour. I’ve brought it up a couple of times to several bartenders and I always get the same disgusted look. Hey bud, if you tried to tell me you’ve been lovin’ on a drink that consists of good whiskey and crappy, processed corn syrup that is supposed to taste like chunky citrus juice; I’d look at you grossed out too. But that’s not what I’m talking about.

Sours are a group of cocktails that use fresh citrus juice(usually lemon) and simple syrup(1:1 sugar and water). And optional but crucial component in my opinion is the egg white. So here’s what you’ll need: 

.75 ounces of Simple Syrup (Boil 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar, keep it going till the sugar dissolves. Let it cool and BOOM: Simple Syrup)

.75 ounces of Lemon Juice (Seriously, just juice the lemon. It takes only a second and makes all the difference in the world)

2 ounces of your favorite whiskey (I always have Buffalo Trace at home but anything you like to sip works)

1 egg (whites only: gently crack the egg and work the yolk back and forth into the shell halves until the white drops in the shaker)

Combine your Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice, Whiskey, and egg white into a cocktail shaker. Dry shake the crap out of it(a dry shake is shaking all the ingredients with no ice. It helps to emulsify and froth up that egg white while evenly blending the other liquids)! Now, add ice to the shaker and shake till you get frost on the outside of the shaker tin. Now strain that deliciousness into a chilled old fashion glass with a large ice cube in it. The large cube slows the dilution so you get the rich, creamy texture through the whole drink.

At this point you could float wine on top, add a couple dashes of your favorite bitters, or just garnish with a cherry and dive in. It’s a classic that is super easy to make and enjoy.

Don’t Worry, I’ve Been Drinking Lately.

It’s been too long my friends. Finding extra time to write has been a bit difficult lately but, we’re going to get right back at it. So what’s new? I’ve been working with some new people that are very well educated on wine and have been working in the restaurant/hospitality business for many years. They’ve brought a new set of eyes to my work and helped expose and educate me on a lot things. It’s been a really humbling experience but also extremely valuable. In this business of drinking for a living, you can never assume you know everything. Because someone will always come along and prove you wrong.

Here’s something I’ve been schooled on: Argentina wines. Once believed to be strictly Malbec country with some smatterings of Cabernet. A lot of these wines are starting to give California Cabernet a run for their money. Seriously, the money though. They aren’t $15 a bottle but the $30 Argentina bottles can give a $50 Cali Cab some serious competition. There are are a few that I’ve run into that deliver on a grand scale if you like a big, fruit dense red with a smooth but grippy tannic finish.  

Ben Marco “Expresivo” from Mendoza, Argentina is a solid buy at $30. It’s a big, densely fruited red. Opaque in color and aromatically it’s a black and red fruit quaffer. But how does it taste? Bulky and balanced. Lots of dark cherries, blackberries, some baking spice, sweet pipe tobacco, and richly apparent tannins. This is a solid steak night pairing. 

My most frequented bar these days is my couch. I’ve had a resurged interest in classic cocktails. I feel like they are the bone structure of modern cocktail culture. The classics are the beverage architecture I build on and tweak. My main stay at home has been an Old Fashion. I’ve even lured a friend or 2 over to visit with the offer of one. Here’s how I make it:

My personal recipe is boozy but I really just use the whiskey and sugar as a constant to test bitters, if that makes sense. But here’s my recipe: 2oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon, a bar spoon of 1:1 simple syrup and 4 dashes of Aromatic Bitters(Angostora) and 2 dashes of Orange Bitters. Drop all those ingredients into a frozen rocks glass and stir with a bar spoon. The frozen glass is part of the craft of it drink. It truly makes the difference. Then I add a large, single cube of ice(specialty ice cube tray you can get just about anywhere) and stir till chilled. Then I take a large swath of Orange peel an express the oils directly over the glass and drop it in. Enjoy.