The Friday Tipple: Calendula Cure-All

We’re broke, Boozers. And by broke, we mean broken, literally. Using a cocktail shaker with one hand is no easy trick, we can assure you, so we’ve had to reconsider the options for making a tasty cocktail – purely for medicinal purposes, of course. Time for apothecary cocktails – in bulk.

Apothecary cocktails are based on the herbal concoctions popular at one time in the 19th century. Purported to cure everything from baldness to cancer, these bottled wonders generally proved to be little more than alcohol and a few herbs and sugar – basically, bottled cocktails. Poured over ice, they might’ve been a perfect sipper to enjoy on the porch at the end of a weary day.

Our Calendula Cure-All will certainly provide relief for whatever ails you. Chock full of anti-inflammatories from calendula and mint, and antibacterial properties from juniper berries, which are used liberally in the making of gin, we feel certain that this is one bottle of medicine that you will always want to keep on hand… just in case of emergency, of course.

Calendula Cure-All

Marigolds, also known as calendula, are a common flower in most gardens, making them a perfect ingredient for use in cocktails. Both the leaves and the flowers can be used, dried or fresh, and the petals impart a lovely saffron color. This Cure-All can be made in advance, bottled, and refrigerated for up two weeks, allowing you to pour yourself a tot whenever you feel a bit weak.

1 cup fresh marigold flower heads
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
Quarter cup fresh marigold leaves
2 cups white wine (try a nice local Chardonnay)
3/4 cup gin (we like Catoctin Creek)
1/2 cup limoncello (our favorite is Don Ciccio & Figgli)
1/8 cup lavender honey

Put all ingredients into an empty wine bottle and mix thoroughly. Cork and place in refrigerator to chill for two hours before serving. May be served over ice with a garnish of fresh lemon.

The Friday Tipple: Mother’s Little Helper

Mamma mia, Boozers. Mothers everywhere are steeling themselves for an onslaught of sappy Hallmark cards, flowers stuffed into coffee mugs emblazoned with “World’s Best Mom”, and crowded brunch buffets. It’s the thought that counts.

Motherhood is no easy gig, and whether the nurturing woman in your life has been a mother, a grandmother, an aunt, a sister, or a family friend, it is nice to thank her for her contribution to your existence. What she probably needs is a stiff drink, but, like any true maternal figure, she doesn’t want to be too obvious about it. The Mother’s Little Helper is an excellent way to add a special kick to any drink, in the guise of a booze-filled fruity ice cube. She can add it discreetly to a glass of seltzer water or enjoy it with a proper glass of bubbly. Have a toast in her honor and give her a call — she’s always there, ready to offer advice and blushingly brush off your words of gratitude. Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Little Helper

A nice light spirit adds the right note to these cute little cubes. Vodka tends to have a crisp taste while gin provides a slightly herbaceous undertone, so either lends itself well to the strawberries. As always, we suggest you support your local distillers, which are seemingly popping up everywhere these days. We enjoy Smooth Ambler vodka and Catoctin Creek gin — local and flavorful!

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/4 cup vodka or gin

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Champagne or sparkling wine

Mint sprig, for garnish

Place strawberries in a blender and roughly chop, then add vodka or gin and sugar. Blend together on high until smooth (you can strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds if you want, but this is entirely optional); pour into ice cube tray (a silicone ice cube tray comes in handy here) and freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months at this point. Yield: about 6 cubes.

Put a cube in a glass of chilled champagne, garnish with mint, and kiss that special woman on the cheek.

The Friday Tipple: Breaking News

It has been quite a week, dear Boozers. In times such as these, as we huddle near the glow of the evening news telecast or sit in the driveway unable to switch off the car radio, it is difficult to think of anything but sharing in community together. As we have always advocated, cocktails create community and support the local economy. Disasters of many kinds, both natural and man-made, can disrupt the life of a town and its people indefinitely.

After we’ve had our morning coffee, a beer may be in order as we try to absorb the news of the day. For us, it may be the satisfying fizz of our local DC Brau’s aptly-named The Citizen; in Connecticut, the choice might be Thomas Hooker’s Liberator Doppelbock, while Texans might reach for Namaste Brewing’s Post Colonial IPA. Whether you are in Boston, or Aurora, or Oklahoma City, or the south side of Chicago, this is a time to celebrate our communities, embracing our differences without passing judgement.

Support your local breweries by checking out The Beer Mapping Project.

 

The Friday Tipple: Sequestration Sour

Tighten your belts, Boozers. The much-anticipated Sequester seems to be on its way, unless some eleventh hour deal is inked in the cozy confines of a Capitol Hill cloakroom. Our expectations are low, however, so we’ve decided that it’s time to cull 10% of the liquor cabinet. And, because such a sequester calls for neither rhyme nor reason, we’ve decided to throw any old thing into a cocktail shaker and make what we like to call a Sequestration Sour.

A basic Sour cocktail calls for liquor, simple syrup, citrus juice, and an egg white. To give it South American flair, add a few drops of bitters. Shake it with ice, strain it into a glass, and drink up. Sounds simple, right? Ah, if only those Congressional sourpusses sucked down some Sours and embraced bipartisan camaraderie, we might not be wondering if the air traffic controllers will be at work tonight. We think we’ll stay home in the meantime.

Sequestration Sour

Some people may be afraid of putting a raw egg white in a cocktail, conjuring images of Rocky in training. However, there’s little evidence to suggest that it’s not perfectly safe to drink a small amount, especially if you have reasonably fresh eggs that haven’t been sitting in your refrigerator for three months. You can make a sour without the egg white, but it simply won’t have the same creamy mouthfeel and that luscious foam that makes a simple cocktail seem decadent, even in the midst of a budgetary meltdown.

2 ounces of whatever alcohol needs to get the axe (we used Catoctin Creek Mosby’s Spirit, but, honestly, use whatever you like — vodka, tequila, whiskey, Pisco, grappa, and Amaretto are all good candidates)

1 ounce simple syrup or agave nectar (even honey would work nicely for a bourbon-based sour)

1 ounce fresh citrus juice (we used a combination of lime and grapefruit juice, as that’s what we had on hand)

1 teaspoon egg white (basically, about half of an egg white — so we suggest doubling the above ingredients and using the whole egg white, allowing you to make a drink for a friend now rendered obsolete by the Sequester. Misery loves company.)

a few dashes of bitters

Place all ingredients except bitters in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Add a few ice cubes, shake again until well-chilled, and strain into a rocks glass. Add a few drops of bitters and serve immediately.

The Friday Tipple: Lincoln’s Oscar

We’re heading back to the red carpet, Boozers. Last week we celebrated the excellent judging in at least one category at the Grammy Awards, and today we begin preparing for the Academy Awards. Oscar night should rightly be observed with glamorous gowns, trays of canapés, and a special cocktail. Or two.

Film aficionados seem to agree that Steven Spielberg’s monumental “Lincoln” will win big at the Oscars this year, which led us to wonder “What would Lincoln drink?”. People often characterize the 16th president as a teetotaler, but it is perhaps more accurate to say that he was not much interested in indulging in alcohol or tobacco, preferring to imbibe typhoid-inducing water. However, Lincoln was known to have spent a certain period of time drinking lager, which had been recommended to improve his health. Ah, how we love 19th-century medicine.

Lincoln’s Oscar is, therefore, a beer-tail that is an ode to a complex American born in a log cabin who loved to dance at balls — lager combined with liquor and elegantly served, red-carpet ready, in a coupe. And the winner is…

Lincoln’s Oscar

Lager has a light refreshing fizziness — the champagne of beers — that lends itself to festive cocktails. We chose to combine it with a rye-based gin, such as Catoctin Creek Watershed Gin and St. George Dry Rye Gin, because it has a certain bold peppery quality that we find quintessentially American, but it could work just as well with a more floral variety like Green Hat Gin or Dry Fly Dry Gin.

3 ounces chilled lager (we chose Flying Dog’s UnderDog Atlantic Lager, because Lincoln loved an underdog)

1 ounce gin

1 ounce reduced apple cider (instructions below)

1/2 ounce St. Germaine liqueur

few drops of celery bitters (yes, invest in this — perfect combination with the apple cider, and with gin in general)

one apple slice soaked in Leopold Bros. New York Apple Whiskey (apple brandy or calvados will also work)

Put one cup of apple cider in a small saucepan and simmer over very low heat until reduced by half. Cool completely before using. Soak the apple slice in an ounce or so of the apple whiskey or brandy for about 30 minutes.

In a cocktail shaker, mix together the gin, apple cider, and St. Germaine, then add the beer and stir briskly. Add the bitters (without stirring) and pour directly into a chilled coupe or a wide-mouthed wine glass. Float the apple slice on top and make your entrance.

The Friday Tipple: Blizzard Shot

Stockpile the snowshovels, Boozers — a storm’s a-comin’. Some of you in the upper Midwest may already be digging out, while those New Englanders are getting their yardsticks ready in anticipation of a truly measurable snowfall. A storm of such proportions deserves a special tipple, so today we bring you the Blizzard Shot.

We were initially inspired by the Sagaform ice shot glass mould that we picked up in our ‘hood at Hill’s Kitchen. These clever shot glasses are made of water, which is frozen into nifty little drinking vessels — although we hope someone with a shot glass mold in the storm’s path will pack the molds with snow and send us a pic. While the resulting shot glasses are really cool — bloody cold, actually — we thought filling them with a hot shot could be a nice contrast, especially on a wintry day. It will cool off quickly, so gulp it down.

Elegant in its simplicity and made of essential pantry staples (everyone keeps cocoa powder, instant coffee, and whiskey on hand for emergencies, right?), the Blizzard Shot is sure to make your toes tingle as the inches pile up outside. Stay warm, Boozers.

Blizzard Shot

Don’t have a silicone shot glass mold? Don’t despair — here’s a DIY version to keep you busy when you’re not shoveling snow off the roof.

2 teaspoons instant coffee

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon light agave nectar (you can substitute simple syrup)

4 ounces whiskey (we used our local Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye)

Put the first 3 ingredients into a small bowl and stir together into a slurry. Pour into a small saucepan with the whiskey and blend thoroughly over low heat until hot but not boiling. Unmold the ice shot glasses, pour the hot liquid into each one, and drink immediately. Makes four shots.

The Friday Tipple: Arctic Char

It’s time for a reality check, Boozers. Reality television, that is. We enjoy curling up on the couch on a cold winter night to watch the sordid machinations of complete strangers trapped together in an alternate reality. Who’s in, who’s out, who came up with the snarkiest comment about a fellow castmate. Ah, guilty pleasures.

This week, we were captivated, as always, by Top Chef, and particularly intrigued by the burnt lemon garnish whipped up by the kindly and unassuming Sheldon for the Quick Fire Challenge. Pulverized into dust, he claimed it would have a concentrated smoky essence of lemon. How could we resist?

Turns out, “citrus charcoal” is an ingredient found in the Mid East and Asia, and, as you can imagine, is pretty easy to make, and, when mixed with agave nectar, has exactly the same flavor as the lovely charred skin of roasted marshmallows, with a lightly citrus undertone. Inspired by the recent snowfall in our area, we wanted to create a cocktail that was both bright and smoky, able to combat the frosty chill: the Arctic Char. Because life is a reality show, Boozers. Drink up.

Arctic Char

To add to the smokiness of this cocktail, we roasted several pieces of orange over an open flame. We used Catoctin Creek Mosby’s Spirit, an unaged whisky: its warm bite provides the right counterpoint to the sweetness of fresh orange, and unaged whisky, or moonshine, is readily available these days from small distilleries across the country. 

3 ounces smoked orange juice (technique below)

1/2 ounce triple sec or Cointreau

1.5 ounces unaged or white whisky

2 – 3 drops of bitters (The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters adds a nice dimension)

1/4 teaspoon orange charcoal (technique below)

1/2 teaspoon light agave nectar

Wheel of roasted orange for garnish (just quickly roast over open flame)

Put the smoked orange juice in a cocktail shaker with the triple sec and set aside for 15 minutes. In the meantime, mix the orange charcoal and agave nectar together into a paste and put in the bottom of a cocktail glass. Put the strained juice, whisky, and bitters into a clean cocktail shaker with a single ice cube, stir, and strain into the glass. Garnish with a wheel of roasted orange.

Orange Charcoal: You guessed it: Citrus charcoal is made by burning citrus peel (we used orange, but lemon, grapefruit, etc. will also work). This can be done fairly quickly by holding pieces of the peel with a pair of tongs over a flame; the peel will spark slightly as the natural oils in the skin heat up. As you burn each piece to a crisp, set it aside to cool slightly, then pulverize the pieces in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle until fine.

Smoked Orange Juice: Peel an orange and hold each section over an open flame for 15 seconds per side or until it begins to lightly char. Put warm sections into a glass or cocktail shaker and muddle thoroughly. Add the fresh juice of another orange and set aside for 30 minutes before straining thoroughly (you may want to use cheesecloth).

The Friday Tipple: Breakfast Bellini

We feel like celebrating, Boozers. Whether it’s for the holidays or the end of the world as we know it (the day is still young), sometimes you just want a glass of bubbly. And, as we want it for breakfast, we like to make it easy: we are not at our most alert early in the day.

Enter the cube, which, loyal Boozers, we like to employ whenever we can, as cubes of fresh juice or fruit can be made in advance and stored in the freezer for use at any time. Our Breakfast Bellini needs some peach, but you could use any berries or citrus that you like. So whip up some cubes and pop the cork — take a moment to celebrate whatever your heart desires.

Breakfast Bellini

Some people put a shot of peach schnapps into a Bellini, which ain’t bad at all, but this is also a great time to break out that special bottle of peach brandy — we’re lucky enough to have some from Catoctin Creek on hand — for an extra little kick of goodness.

One peach cube

4 ounces chilled champagne or sparkling wine

1 ounce peach schnapps or peach brandy

To make the cube: you can do this two ways, either by filling an ice cube tray with peach nectar or by pureeing some peaches in a blender and then freezing into cubes. As fresh peaches are not in season, you can use thawed frozen peaches, canned peaches (preferably in their own juice, not a syrup), or even some lovely preserved peaches if you are fortunate enough to have some.

Place a peach cube in a champagne flute, top with champagne, and float some peach schnapps or brandy over the top.

The Friday Tipple: Potlikker Sangria

We’re on a warm drink kick, Boozers. The chill has set into our bones and we crave a hot cup in our hands as we sit by a crackling fire. What inspired us this time, however, was a sip of a local fennel-laced liqueur at Sixth Engine, a cozy bar close to our ‘hood; Don Ciccio & Figli’s richly dark liqueur, thick as molasses, made with cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, and a host of spicy elements, poses a conundrum that we couldn’t resist: how can you mix it into a cocktail? And for those of you who bought that bottle of Root on a whim, we’ve got you covered.

So we started with a potlikker. Usually, this is the highly-nutritious liquid that is boiled down from a pot of collard greens, but our version is made with fruit, which is simmered into a concentrated liquid that forms the base for a winter sangria. This is guaranteed to be the drink of choice for your flask as you tramp through the snowy woods in search of the perfect tree — or sit on the stoop bah-humbugging at the carolers.

Potlikker Sangria

We happened to have licorice root on hand to toss into our pot, which perfectly complements root-based liqueurs, but you can use a chunk of fresh fennel or some star anise instead, or, in a pinch, a cinnamon stick or a split vanilla bean.

1 large orange, cut into quarters with the rind on

2 lemons, cut into quarters with the rind on

1/2 cup pitted cherries (frozen is fine)

1 can of mandarin oranges in syrup (lychees would also work)

4-inch piece of licorice root, or a chunk of fresh fennel

cinnamon stick and/or split vanilla bean

2 cups water

1 bottle of red wine (go for something rich and fruity)

Root- or anise-based liqueur (we recommend Don Ciccio & Figli, if you can get it, or Root — or Sambuca, Ouzo, Pernod, Pastis, or Galliano otherwise).

Put the fresh, frozen, and canned fruit into a 3-quart saucepan; be sure to include the syrup from the canned mandarin oranges or lychees. Add the licorice stick or fennel and the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean and cover with the 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat slightly and continue to simmer for 30 – 60 minutes or until liquid is slightly thickened and reduced by half. Remove from heat and strain out solid ingredients. Return liquid to the pan and add wine. Warm gently over very low heat.

To serve: Warm a wine glass; pour one ounce of liqueur into the bottom of the glass, then top with 3 ounces of the warm sangria. Garnish with half of a fresh clementine or mandarin orange.

The Friday Tipple: Mexican Cocoa Martini with Drunken Fluff

Yeah, you read that right, Boozers. We are in full holiday mode and nothing will do but a warm chocolate cup of cheer when we get home from a weary day of fighting the crowds of shoppers. Believe us, one sip of our Mexican Cocoa Martini and you’ll forget that tug-of-war you had with some pimply-faced teenager over a discounted Snuggie.

And, as if that weren’t enough, we had to top the whole thing off with a dollop of our Drunken Fluff, which, admittedly, is a bit over the top, but we know you’ll agree that it’s as necessary as a shiny red bow on a beautifully-wrapped box. In fact, we predict that you’ll be looking for excuses to add it to waffles, ice cream sundaes, and your morning cup o’ joe.

Mexican Cocoa Martini with Drunken Fluff

This little cocktail packs a powerful punch, so eat a snack before you suck it down. The Drunken Fluff can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer — it won’t freeze solid, and can be scooped out whenever you need a little boozy puff of happiness.

2 ounces vodka (we like Boyd & Blair, but please support your own local distillery)

1 ounce Kahlua

Splash of Creme de Cacao

1 teaspoon cocoa powder mixed with  1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 large spoonful Drunken Fluff (recipe below)

Put vodka, Kahlua, and Creme de Cacao in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cinnamon until it is thoroughly blended and the liquid is hot but not boiling. Warm the martini glass slightly and pour in the Mexican Cocoa; top with the Drunken Fluff.

to make the Drunken Fluff:

3 egg whites at room temperature

1 cup castor sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 vanilla bean, split

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup whiskey (we used Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye — you could also use bourbon, rum, or whatever strikes your fancy)

First, make the whiskey sugar syrup. Put the sugar, corn syrup, water, whiskey, and vanilla bean into a saucepan and heat slowly over low heat, stirring constantly for a few minutes. Bring to a low simmer and check the temperature with a candy thermometer — you want to heat it to 220 degrees Fahrenheit, but not any higher than that. Remove the vanilla bean.

While the syrup is coming up to temperature, whip the egg whites for about 5 minutes in an electric mixer, until they form soft peaks. Add the hot syrup slowly in a continuous stream with the mixer running at a medium speed, then increase the speed to high for several minutes until the mixture has a consistent creamy and fluffy texture. Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container in the freezer.