October 06, 2008
Wine and Spirits Work Their Way Into 'Beer Happenings'
When the Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce organized a jazz night at a Toronto microbrewery recently, it didn't think twice about getting a special licence to serve wines along with the brewer's ales. Organizers figured that a lot of guests don't want to limit themselves to beer 
and like to sip wine. That surprised wine drinker Diana Burandt, who attended the event and didn't expect to find wine there.
"There's a lot more choice and variety," said the 47-year-old semi-retired saleswoman.
Then again, she said, “it's getting easier for her to order her favourite rosé or zinfandel at bars and other places where beer used to be the staple offering.”
The decision to serve wine at a microbrewery event reflects a profound change in what the industry calls "beer happening" - sporting events, rock concerts and gatherings at the local bar.
Today, beer occasions are under siege in North America. Those events - at which people traditionally ordered a Miller Genuine Draft or Budweiser - are turning into wine and hard-liquor occasions as consumers increasingly down those drinks instead of beer.
That sea change in drinking habits is one of the chief reasons behind the planned marriage of two giants in the U.S. beer sector, SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing, announced this week.
The heft of their combined U.S. operations, which will create the second-largest market player behind Anheuser-Busch, will help woo back consumers to ales from merlot, the companies predict.
"Wine and spirits isn't just for the sophisticated nightclubs any more," said Pete Marino, a spokesman for Miller in the United States.
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"Today, at sporting events or fairs and festivals which have traditionally been dominated by beer you're seeing a lot more wine and spirits. Even when you're at ball games with your friends, you'll see wine and spirits making inroads."
The move toward wine and spirits and away from beer is linked to consumers' growing appetite for upscale goods, especially those that come at a reasonable price.
"People are willing to trade up and spend a little more," said Zsoka McDonald, a spokeswoman for global giant Diageo, which sells wines, spirits and beers. "This is an accessible luxury. It's not a $10,000 watch, but it might be a $14 cocktail."
One of the defining moments in the shift away from beer came two years ago when racing fans started to notice liquor brands being plastered on popular NASCAR racing cars, said Frank Coleman, a vice-president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
Up until that point, distilleries weren't permitted to sponsor race drivers, and beer had been the drink of choice at the racetrack. Now, racer Jamie McMurray steers from the cockpit of a Ford trumpeting the Crown Royal name, and Clint Bowyer drives a Jack Daniels Chevrolet.
"That's the most significant example of spirits taking drinking occasions from beer companies," Mr. Coleman said. "It was the biggest splash."
And the splash hasn't gone unnoticed by consumers. Indeed, NASCAR racing fans are three times as likely as non-fans to try to purchase the products of NASCAR sponsors, according to data from market researcher Ipsos.
"The cars are rolling billboards," said Andrew Giangola, a spokesman for NASCAR. "The fan is visually following their logo for four hours on a Sunday afternoon. And there's a very strong connection between purchase patterns and sponsorship, which is the Holy Grail in sponsorship."
Distilleries - and to a lesser extent wineries - have also made a concerted effort over the past several years to persuade owners of stadiums, sporting events and bars to carry and tout their drinks, Mr. Coleman said.
Spirits companies were the most aggressive because they had grappled for so long with bans and restrictions on trumpeting their wares. Now, distilleries send sales teams to restaurants and bars to "educate" bartenders on "what's special about" scotch whiskies, tequilas and rums, he said.
Diageo partnered last month with consumer survey specialist Zagat to create a guide to drinks at bars and restaurants. As part of the program, Diageo provides six hours of training to bartenders on the art of mixing drinks, using the company's Crown Royal, Smirnoff and other brands.
Source: “Wine and spirits muscle in on 'beer occasions',” Marina Strauss, Globe and Mail, October 6, 2008
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August 06, 2008
Sangria Old or New: Trendy Cocktail of the Moment
Most summer drinks are quick, easy, and straightforward: beer, gin & tonic, spiked watermelon, you get the idea. Sangria, though popular, is a different kind of beast. Strictly speaking, it is neither wine nor cocktail but a hybrid (technically a punch, though also referred to as a "winetail" by some libation geeks). The recipe has always been purposefully vague, even sloppy: Use what you have. This makes it very adaptable and forgiving. But never simple. Proportion is the name of the game and everyone's palate is different.
Usually, there's nothing more than cheap red wine, brandy, sugar, chopped fruit, and a little club soda or ginger ale. Bartenders in recent years, however, have rediscovered and reinvented the drink. They're swapping out everything imaginable, losing the brandy, the sugar, and sometimes even the wine.
New versions of sangria from around the country play with three key elements: the wine, the spices, and the supporting cast of liqueurs.
JUST ADD OTHER LIQUEURS
Eben Freeman, the master mixologist at Tailor restaurant in New York, sticks to the classic recipe but adds orange liqueur (such as Triple Sec) and lemon juice. He recommends using a light Spanish red, like a Rioja, and Spanish brandy to keep in all from the same country. And he believes the added sugar is optional. You can view his "How to Make Sangria" video, and related recipe in the cocktail database at Epicurious.com. Creative types can also play with Chambord, which will darken the drink. Or Limoncello, which will not.
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JUST ADD SPICES
In San Francisco, Duggan McDonnell of Cantina makes sangria shots, Caribbean style. His cocktail recipe features hibiscus syrup, a traditional Barbados spirit called falernum (flavored with lime, cloves, and almonds), and Jamaican black rum, in addition to red wine. Spice fans can also add chopped mint, dill (as a garnish), and/or cinnamon sticks, perhaps for use as a stirrer. Depends on what you like, as always.
JUST ADD WHITE WINE
"White sangria" functions as the natural counterpoint to red sangria. Like white wine in general, the flavors are less berry and more apple/peach. Vermillion, in Chicago, offers a Latin-Indian variation called the Herbed White Sangria made with white wine (fruity Chenin Blanc or Gewürztraminer), brandy, Cointreau, mint, lemongrass, tamarind and passionfruit juices, mandarin syrup, ginger water, and lychees. To make a less exotic, scaled-down version at home, you can try pairing sparkling wine, Cointreau, orange juice, apple juice, slices of fruit (nectarine, paech, orange, pear, apple), and a dash of club soda.
JUST ADD BEER
At Boqueria, a tapas restaurant in New York's Chelsea region, the cocktail list includes an odd signature drink, the beer sangria. They combine Corona, lemon juice, pear puree and Triple Sec; pour the mixture over ice; and garnish it with fresh summer fruits (most people use slices of orange, apple, and lemon though you could add cherries or grapes too). The beer-based libation is yellow (not red), pairs nicely with grilled meats, and should appeal to brew fans more than wine snobs. It's probably best served in a pitcher, rather than by the glass, if only so you can have seconds and thirds without needing to make a new batch every time.
For 26 more sangria recipes, check out the Epicurious.com cocktail collection.
Source: “Cocktail Trend of the Moment: Sangria Old and New,” James Oliver Cury, Epicurious, August 6, 2008
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June 28, 2008
Hold the Wine, Wine Cocktail...
When Jill Zimorski recently added a new wine cocktail to her innovative list of liquid offerings at Washington, DC’s Café Atlantico, she deliberately omitted one key ingredient—wine. Quite the oenophile (her role as Beverage Director does, after all, include that of Sommelier), Zimorski sought to build a drink sans vino that evokes the aromas and flavors of a Northern Rhône peppery red. “I settled on Syrah for its distinctiveness and popularity,” explains Zimorski, “and the fact that the aromas and flavors I could incorporate might make for a tasty beverage.” The Faux Syrah, Syrah was born.
Zimorski selected Hangar One Vodka for the base spirit—a natural choice, as it’s distilled partially from Viognier grapes, the white varietal often blended into Northern Rhône reds to add a whiff of floral. Blackberry purée mimics the wine’s fruit notes, and a savory simple syrup steeped with black peppercorns and infused with smoke completes the profile of this famous French bottling. The imitation libation is garnished with a few twists of the peppermill and an aromatic rim of crushed candied violets.
Fascinated and inspired by the range of complex aromas and flavors coaxed from grapes during the winemaking process, Zimorski is exploring other wine-counterfeiting recipes. In the meantime, her funky and unexpected Syrah cocktail clone has been a popular choice at Café Atlantico. She recommends sipping it with food, or all by itself. “As long as someone's enjoying it,” she says, “I'm happy.”
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Faux Syrah, Syrah
Courtesy of Jill Zimorski of Café Atlantico, Washington, DC
2 ounces Hangar One Straight Vodka
1.5 ounces blackberry purée (Zimorski uses Les Vergers Boiron, or use fresh)
1 ounce black pepper- and smoke-infused syrup (see recipe below)
Juice from 1 lemon wedge
Coarsely crushed candied violets for garnish (Available through www.indiatree.com)
Freshly cracked pepper for garnish
Combine first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake well. Strain into a martini glass rimmed first with the black pepper/smoke-infused syrup, and then dipped into the candied violets. Garnish with five turns of a pepper grinder on a coarse setting.
Black Pepper- and Smoke-Infused Syrup
Zimorski uses a fan and tubing to blow smoke from smoldering pecan chips into the tightly wrapped container of syrup. Here, liquid smoke is substituted.
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
5–10 whole black peppercorns
Liquid smoke (pecan or hickory)
Combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add black peppercorns. Let mixture steep for 1 hour. Remove peppercorns and add a few drops of liquid smoke, to taste. Makes 1 1/3 cup.
Kelly Magyarics is a freelance writer and wine educator in the Washington, DC area. She can be reached through her Web site, www.trywine.net.
Source: “One Wine Cocktail, Hold the Wine,” Kelly A. Magyarics, Wine Enthusiast, June 28, 2008
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May 28, 2008
Three Cool Wine Slushes for a Hot Summers Day
Frozen wine slushes are hot. An appealing alternative to sangria or a wine spritzer, they are surprisingly refreshing, and retain the wine's character while adding and enhancing its attractive fruit flavors. Thirst quenching, not cloying, wine slushes are the perfect way for wine lovers to indulge their taste this summer while lounging by the pool or relaxing on the deck.
The most inviting wine slushes usually start with a dry, yet fruity white or red wine. (Some smart choices are Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Rioja, or Merlot.) Add a combination of fruit juice and/or fresh fruit, blend until smooth, and freeze until the desired consistency. (The alcohol in the wine will prevent the mixture from totally freezing solid). For a smoother, quicker result, pour the blended mixture into an electric ice cream maker and process until slushy. Serve in colorful acrylic tumblers or Margarita glasses.
Although your guests will no doubt be perfectly content to sip wine slushes all by themselves, you can also serve them with food. Experiment with the following recipes and food pairings, or create your own concoctions. Either way, these beverages prove that wine doesn’t always have to be taken seriously, or served in proper stemware, to be delicious.
Recipes:
Zingy: 1 bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc; 1 can frozen limeade concentrate; 1 cup cranberry juice.
Food pairings: chips and salsa; grilled shrimp Caesar salad; New England clam chowder.
Tropical:
1 bottle unoaked Chardonnay; 6 oz. mango nectar (look for cans of Jumex or another brand); 1 cup pineapple juice.
Food pairings: Grilled shrimp skewers with pineapple salsa; cheddar cheese fondue; fruit and cheese tray.
Jammy:
1 bottle California or Australian Merlot; 1 cup pomegranate juice (POM or another brand); 1 pint blackberries.
Food pairings: Grilled rib-eye steaks topped with bleu cheese; seared tuna; antipasto platter.
Source: “The Hot Trend of Cool Wine Slushes,” Kelly A. Magyarics, Wine Enthusiast, May 27, 2008
Kelly Magyarics is a wine writer and educator in the D.C. metro area. Kelly can be reached through her website, which is www.trywine.net.
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May 20, 2008
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May 07, 2008
NATIONAL ICED TEA MONTH
Iced Tea has a history. Many foods and beverages we enjoy today made their debuts at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. Iced tea joins the others. It appears to have something to do with a Richard Blechynden, from England. He came as a representative from the Far East. He was trying to introduce the rewards of tea leaves. The days were so hot that fairgoers kept passing by the Far East Tea House looking for cold drinks. Blechynden decided if cold is what they want cold is what they will get!
After a bit of experimenting, and stimulation to the dry parched tongues of fair goers, Richard Blechynden succeeded. Iced tea was on its way to becoming one of America's favorite summertime drinks. As for the instant tea we scoop out of the can, it was developed in the 1950's. It is a powder made from a concentrated brew. The water is removed by drying. One pound of leaf tea makes enough powder for 200 servings
How to make Iced Tea:
1. Bring 1 quart fresh cold water to a full boil.
2. Remove from heat. Add 15 teabags or 1/3 cup loose tea.
3. Stir, cover, let stand 5 minutes.
4. Stir again, strain.
Pour into pitcher containing an additional quart of fresh, cold water.
Southerners drink iced tea year-round, and have been doing so since the 19th century
when ice became generally available. If you order tea in a restaurant in the South you'll
get iced tea - probably sweetened, so if you want it hot or unsweetened, you'd better say
so!
The tea plant, a bushy evergreen shrub that can grow to a height of 30 feet, is thought to be indigenous to a region covering Tibet, western China and northern India. There are several tales about the origin of tea as a beverage. One story goes back to 2374B.C. Chennung, a reigning sovereign at that time, decided to boil some water to quench his thirst and placed the pot in the shade of a tea plant where a breeze blew tea leaves into the pot. Upon tasting it, Chen-nung was pleased by its flavor and aroma.
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Tea became such a popular beverage by the sixth century in China, that merchants commissioned a book extolling the pleasures of drinking tea. Tea drinking spread to Europe in the sixteenth century, when trade with China became commonplace. Today, England is the world's number-one tea consumer.
English and Irish colonists made tea a popular beverage in North America up until the Boston Tea Party in 1773, when settlers opposed the heavy taxes and stormed tea ships in the Boston harbor. The British continued to dominate the tea market until 1859, when Americans George Huntington Hartford and George Gilman began to buy tea directly from the ships and sold it to their customers for one-third the price charged by others. They established the "Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company", which later grew into a chain of supermarkets under the name "A&P."
By the late 19th century, Americans were enjoying "iced tea", which was popularized by Richard Blechynden at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Many people still start with bulk tea or bags, but today you can get tasty iced tea in cans, from liquid concentrates, and from powder. One of the latest developments is Lipton's new Cold Brew Blend. These tea bags are 100% natural tea and actually infuse in cold water. According to Lipton, in a blind taste test, more than 95 percent of consumers could not tell the difference between new portable Cold Brew and traditional iced tea.
Tea contains a number of substances, including caffeine, essential oils, enzymes, tannins and phenolic compounds. It also contains potassium and magnesium. Tea (with no cream or sugar) has 2 or 3 calories per 6 ounces.
Keep bulk tea for up to 18 months in an airtight container, preferably metallic. Chinese teas keep for up to 3 years.
Try some of these tea recipes:
Southern Iced Tea
Ingredients:
• 3 cups water
• 3 teaspoons (heaping) fresh orange pekoe bulk tea
• 4 cups cold water
Preparation:
Bring the water to a boil in a non aluminum saucepan. Reduce heat to low and add tea; cover and let tea simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain into a large pitcher and add 4 cups cold water.
Mint Tea With Lemon
Ingredients:
• 4 tea bags
• 8 fresh mint sprigs
• 4 cups boiling water
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, or to taste
• 3 cups hot water
Preparation:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add tea bags and mint; cover and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher. Remove tea bags from tea mixture; add to pitcher and stir well.
Chill. Serve over ice.
Makes 2 quarts.
May 7, 2008
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May 06, 2008
JUNE IS NATIONAL ICED TEA MONTH
Remember the good ol’ days when you were a kid and you stood on the street corner selling lemonade and iced tea to the passers by? You never made very much money, but you loved the experience. It was your first glimpse at the business world and it was pretty exciting.
COCKTAILS BY CASTLE BRANDS FOLLOW!
Now you’re all grown up, you’ve had more than a glimpse of the business world, and you have to admit, it was a bit more exciting with your crate, paper cups, and tin can full of change out on that street corner. One thing that hasn’t changed is the delight and refreshment that iced tea brings on a hot summer day. And now that you’re all grown up, you can enjoy iced tea like a grown up. This June, celebrate National Iced Tea month with special iced tea cocktails brought to you by Castle Brands. They will make growing up almost seem worth while.
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March 17, 2008
St. Patrick's Day Cocktails
Shamrock Tini:
Once celebrated with green beer and heavy stout, St. Patrick's Day steps into the limelight this year, with a stylish martini from top-shelf Van Gogh Vodka. No need to say, "Kiss me, I'm Irish." Bright and 
delicious, the green shamrock-tini guarantees your day will be kissed with good cheer. Courtesy Van Gogh Vodka.
1.5 ounces Van Gogh Melon Vodka
1 ounce Midori (melon liqueur)
Splash of orange juice
Pour Van Gogh Melon Vodka, Midori and orange juice into cocktail shaker. Add crushed ice and let stand for five seconds. Shake vigorously for five seconds. Strain into martini glass and garnish with an orange slice.
Malibu Pot O' Gold
Pernod Ricard USA's Spirits Desk offers an alternative to the typical green beer served at Paddy's Day parties throughout the country. The following 4 original St. Patrick's Day cocktails were created so that taste and style do not have to be compromised while toasting on March 17th. Recipe courtesy Malibu.
1/2 part Malibu Rum
1/2 part Malibu Pineapple Rum
1 part pineapple juice
Shake all ingredients together and serve up in a martini glass; garnish with a shamrock (widely available in craft stores).
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Kahlua White Leprechaun
Recipe courtesy Kahlua.
2 parts Kahlua
1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey
2 parts half & half
Shake well with ice and strain into a rocks or martini glass. Garnish with fresh mint and vanilla bean.
Beefeater Emerald Isle-tini
Recipe courtesy Beefeater Gin.
2 parts Beefeater Gin
1 part simple syrup
1 large mint leaf
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with sprig of mint.
Tezon Shamrock Shooter
Recipe courtesy Tequila Tezon .
1 part Tequila Tezon Blanco
1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey
1/2 part melon liqueur
1/2 part orange juice
Juice of lemon wedge
Serve either over ice in a highball glass or as a shooter. Garnish with a single shamrock.
Courtesy Wine Enthusiast, March 17, 2008
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March 11, 2008
Latest Trends on the Drinks Front
Just when we thought we’d seen it all--twice-infused liquors, artisanal syrups--now innovative bartenders are tinkering with the last element of cocktails: the ice. Some are dressing up cubes by encasing bits of fruit or flower petals inside; others are adding flavors and colors; still others are using ice for sheer dramatic effect.
At New York’s Pamplona, chef and owner Alex Ureña offers “The Moor 10”, putting an unusual Spanish twist on the classic gin and tonic with the addition of saffron-infused ice.
“It’s about the taste and the color,” Ureña explains. He mixes and freezes simple syrup and saffron. As the cubes melt, they impart a faint yellow color and gradual savory-sweetness to the drink.
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Meanwhile, others aim to minimize dilution. San Francisco bartender Tim Stookey freezes chunks of pisco punch to float in the drink at the Presidio Social Club. Taking this a step further, French Culinary Institute culinary scientist Dave Arnold plans to avoid the “corruption of ice” when he eventually opens “the ultimate high-tech cocktail bar” by employing superchilled cocktail stirrers to create extremely cold drinks.
And then there’s the flamboyance of liquid nitrogen. In South Beach, Miami, Barton G uses rum popsicles to stir its variation on the mojito (though what a crime to do this to 21-year-old Ron Zacapa rum!), and offers up nitrogenized martinis with frozen vermouth swizzle sticks and frozen pearls of olive juice. As the “liquid ice” melts, a dramatic fog-machine effect envelops the cocktail.
Source: “Cool as Ice,” Kara Newman, Wine Enthusiast, March 11, 2008
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January 27, 2008
PALLINI FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
Italy's Favorite Liqueur
Limoncello is Italy's favorite liqueur. Pallini Limoncello is made in Italy by the Pallini family. This refreshing lemon liqueur is crafted from an authentic family recipe created more than 100 years ago by the Pallini family. It is made with Italy's finest Sfusato Amalfitano lemons that are hand-selected for optimal freshness and flavor.
Availability:
Pallini Limoncello is 26% ABV and is available in 750ml and 50ml sizes.
Rating: 90 - 95 SUPERB.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, BEST BUY, Wine Enthusiast
Valentines Drink Recipes Follow:
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Pallini Limoncello Tasting Notes
Pallini Limoncello:
Pallini Limoncello is a class act from start to savory finish. The liqueur features a true-to-fruit hue with the opacity of homemade lemonade. It has a featherweight body and a satiny smooth texture more reminiscent of a spirit than a liqueur. The alluring bouquet is generously imbued with the aroma of zesty, freshly squeezed lemons. Pallini Limoncello has a soft entry and quickly fills the mouth with a crisp, tangy and superbly delicious flavor. The relaxed, lingering finish is balanced and a genuine pleasure.
Pallini Peachcello:
Pallini Peachcello is a tantalizing elixir, a light, satiny textured liqueur brimming with appeal. Its generous bouquet showcases the tantalizing aromas of ripe white peaches. As great as the bouquet is, the liqueur's fruit-derived palate is even more sensational. The complex array of fresh, peachy flavors is laced with notes of vanilla and spice. The lightly sweetened liqueur rolls over the palate eventually fading away in a relaxed, flavorful finish. Pallini's luxurious liqueur is the real deal, a peach experience that rivals sinking one's teeth into ripe fruit right off the tree. Pallini Peachcello is without peer.
Pallini Raspicello:
Pallini Raspicello is a rare delight. It has a ruby, jewel-toned appearance and a silky, lightweight body. The aroma of wild vine-ripened raspberries is glorious. The bouquet more than sets the stage for what is to follow. The Raspicello's initial attach is somewhat demure yet remarkably smooth. As the liqueur washes over the palate, the fresh fruit flavors begin to grow in intensity, with the raspberry character attracting all of the early reviews. There are notes of other soft berries in the palate that are subtle, yet discernible for those who care to notice. The melange of delectable flavors lingers on the palate for an impressively long time. Raspicello is an exquisite, skillfully balanced liqueur.
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January 06, 2008
Two New Orleans Originals Bring Friends Together for Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is celebrated with good friends, great beverages, and a lively spirit. And nowhere is Mardi Gras recognized more than in New Orleans, where a local bartender founded Southern Comfort (SoCo) in 1874. This year, SoCo will be a part of Mardi Gras celebrations, ranging from small groups of friends to large city-wide celebrations, throughout the U.S., from New Orleans to St. Louis to Buffalo to San Diego, among other great cities.
SoCo & Lime Hurricane is a Twist on the Classic Mardi Gras Cocktail...
“New Orleans is home to one of the greatest Mardi Gras celebrations in the world,” said Phil Cusimano, Southern Comfort Global Brand Ambassador and native New Orleanian. “While we know everyone can’t make it to New Orleans for our celebration we hope everyone gets to enjoy some Bourbon Street flavor wherever they are with their friends.”
"Mardi Gras is a time to get your krewe together to honor the spirit of Mardi Gras," said Laura Petry, Southern Comfort Brand Manager, U.S. "As a New Orleans original, SoCo is proud to be a part of Mardi Gras celebrations worldwide. We encourage friends to celebrate responsibly together."
A krewe (pronounced “crew”) is a group or organization that sponsors a ball, parade or similar activity related to Mardi Gras festivities. Krewes often have a hereditary membership.
Lagniappe – A Little Something Extra
Mardi Gras is traditionally toasted with a beverage first created in New Orleans called the Hurricane. The SoCo Hurricane, a combination of two New Orleans’ originals, is a refreshing Southern Comfort and fruit flavored cocktail served in a unique glass.
SoCo Hurricane:
1 1/2 oz. Southern Comfort
1 1/2 oz. sweet and sour mix
1 1/2 oz. orange juice
1 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
Splash of grenadine
Fill a hurricane glass, or whatever glass you have on hand, with ice. Add all ingredients to glass and stir. Garnish with an orange wedge and cherry. If you are making it for your group of friends, mix a batch in a pitcher in advance. Pour over an ice-filled glass and serve responsibly immediately.
For a twist on the Mardi Gras classic, try a SoCo & Lime Hurricane. It combines the sweet flavors of a traditional Hurricane with the sour notes of lime for a complex, flavorful, and fun cocktail.
SoCo & Lime Hurricane:
3 oz. Southern Comfort
1 1/2 oz. sweet and sour mix
1/2 oz. blue curacao
1/2 oz. sweetened lime juice
Fill a sugar-rimmed hurricane glass with ice. Add all ingredients and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge and cherry.
Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday.” Fat Tuesday always precedes Ash Wednesday, but can fall anywhere from February 3 to March 9. The floating date is always 47 days before Easter, which falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox. This year, Mardi Gras will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 5.
Southern Comfort, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was founded in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is sold in 80 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand. SoCo has won the “Adams Growth Brand Award” in the Established Growth Brand segment for six consecutive years. Start things up with Southern Comfort. Visit us at www.SouthernComfort.com.
Start and End Things Right. Please drink responsibly.
Liqueur, 21-50% Alc. by Volume, Southern Comfort Company, Louisville, KY
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January 02, 2008
Morning Bloody Mary Make Overs or Today’s Lunch
With the growing dinner-table popularity of the often misshaped, multihued heirloom tomatoes, we were curious about what would happen if we substituted their yellow, orange, green and purplish juices for the traditional bright-red ones that flow into that iconic American cocktail—the Bloody Mary.
So we asked a few bartenders, mixologists, even flavor-conscious chefs how they would approach the challenge.
At least one—Peter Birmingham, who has been king of the bar at Rose Pistola in San Francisco and Norman’s in Los Angeles—has already shaken his swizzle stick at the idea.
“An heirloom needs to have a good juicy component,” he says, “and you need to achieve the proper sweet/acid balance.” For example, a Cherokee Purple is on the sweet side, while a Yellow Pear is acidic, but the juices can be “corrected” with proper seasoning.
“The juice needs to be fresh,” says Phil Pyle of the Fair Hill in Maryland. “The tomatoes should be blanched, peeled, puréed and strained to get ‘free-run’ juice.”
Next comes the spicing. Using Green Zebra tomatoes, Nikki Farley of Harvey’s Seafood Grill in Wilmington, Deleware, would add cilantro and lime. With a yellow heirloom, Kate Applebaum, Farley’s colleague at sister restaurant Harry’s Savoy Grill, would employ a Spanish twist, using spicy paprika in the mix and glazing the rim with a golden tinge of sea salt and saffron.
For garnish, Applebaum would top her creation with a pickled green bean. Wayne Jones of The Palm in Nashville likes “a slice of red pepper to signify that it’s a Bloody Mary, whether the juice is green or yellow.” If the juice is a little acidy, Pyle would counter with a plump shrimp hanging on the rim.
Suggestions for vodkas (“vodka from rye is best,” says Birmingham) and vodka-substitutes are numerous—Tequila reposado for a Mexican turn, Irish poteen for a richer flavor or Yazi ginger vodka for an Asian accent.
The way we look at, pour it on—the more recipes, the Bloody Mary-er!
BLOODY MERRY:
Recipe courtesy Phil Pyle, Fair Hill Inn, Maryland
2 parts Green Zebra (or other green heirloom) tomato juice
fresh basil leaves (4 muddled)
1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
2 parts Yazi ginger vodka
Spice to taste
Stir ingredients with ice and garnish with red cherry tomatoes, such as Matt’s Wild Cherry.
MELLOW MARY: 
Recipe courtesy Kate Applebaum, Harry’s Savoy Grill, Deleware
2 parts Sobieski vodka
2 parts Lillian’s Yellow (or similar) tomato juice infused with saffron by cooking briefly
Spicy paprika to taste
Salt rim with sea salt and saffron ground together in a mortar
Stir ingredients with ice and garnish with pickled green bean.
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MARIA MORADO: 
Recipe courtesy Peter Birmingham, mixologist-at-large, Los Angeles
1 ¾ ounces Siete Leguas Tequila reposado
2 teaspoons Worchester sauce
6 ounces Black Krim (or similar) tomato juice
½ ounces sweet & sour mix
To taste: Tabasco, Pickapepper, fresh horseradish, celery salt, black pepper
Shake ingredients with a blend of crushed and cubed ice. Garnish with slice of jicama, marinated in lime, with Cayenne edge.
Source: “The Bloody Mary Makeover,” Roger Morris, Wine Enthusiast, January 2, 2008; Photo Cretits: Photo by Ella Moris & Granny Geek
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October 25, 2007
A New Fall Classic The Pomegranate “Autumtini”
The "Autumtini" is a beautiful deep red cocktail with a fruity, not too sweet, finish. It just tastes like fall!
The pomegranate is an ancient food, symbolic of abundance and generosity. Believed to be native to Persia (Iran) and neighbouring lands, the Punica granatum tree was part of the Mediterranean landscape in the distant past. Cultivation spread through the Arabian Peninsula, progressed to Afghanistan and India, and the pomegranate rose to prominence and was welcome all over the Orient.
The cocktail, comprised of Pear Absolute Vodka, sparkling apple cider and pomegranate juice with a candy apple slice garnish or floating cranberry, which ever you prefer, looks great presented in champagne or martini glasses, sitting on a pain of glass suspended over a table by row after row of fresh pear halves.
AUTUMTINI RECEIPT:
Ingredients:
Absolute Vodka, Pear flavor
Sparkling Apple Cider
Pomegranate Juice
Garnish:
Candy Apple Alice or
Floating Cranberry, which ever you prefer
Some Pomegranate History and Folklore:
Long before, prophet Mohammed praised this ancient fruit, and recommended, "Eat pomegranate, for it cleanses the body of hatred and envy." Jews and Persians held the pomegranate in high regard as the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil mentioned in the Bible. The word pomegranate is derived from middle French "pome garnete' and literally means 'seeded apple."
Luckily, humans were not denied temptation of the pomegranate, and even the legendary King Soloman owned an orchard of the precious fruit. Ancient Egyptians had a taste for the pomegranate, which they consumed fresh or pressed out to obtain a refreshing beverage. And according to Biblical account, after the flight from Egypt, the Israelites yearned for the cooling pomegranate juice during their wandering.
India was introduced to a number of culinary innovations by Arabs and Persians, and owes the presence of pomegranate and sesame seeds in certain dishes to these influences. The Chinese valued it as one of the three blessed fruits of Buddha. Chinese women offer it to their goddess of mercy when praying for children. In Turkey a bride would throw a pomegranate on the floor to ascertain the number of children from the number of seeds scattered. The Greeks regarded the pomegranate as the symbol of love and fertility, as the fruit was believed to have sprung from the blood of Dionysus - a spring fertility god. To the Romans it was the "apple of Carthage." In Persia, the pomegranate was a popular amulet against evils.
In one of the earliest Homeric Hymns there is an interesting reference to Pomegranate. Pluto, the king of the dead souls had abducted Persephone and took her as a bride to his underworld kingdom. Persephone's mother, Demeter was the goddess of harvest and in grief she rendered the earth barren. She would not allow the earth to bear fruit until she had seen her only daughter. Finally Zeus urged his underworld brother to return Persephone. Pluto had to relent but he made his wife eat a pomegranate seed, knowing that if she did, she must return to him. Demeter was happy to see her daughter but grieved to learn about the pomegranate seed, fearing that she could not keep her daughter with her. There on, Persephone spent four months with her mother and returned to the world of the dead for the remaining part of the year. Ancient Greeks associated pomegranate with the dead as its color resembled blood and they believed that the dead needed blood for their strength. For this reason, ancient Greek tombs bear the symbol of this forbidden fruit.
The Byzantine emperor Justinian (483-565), who shared his throne with the beautiful Theodore, a notorious second generation Cypriot harlot, was fond of pomegranate juice. And alongside Chilled Chaos wine, snow chilled pomegranate juice flowed at the imperial banquets prepared by Theodore's chef under her supervision. The chef, who hailed from India, had a penchant for creating exciting menus for which he found inspiration in the cuisines of Persia, Greece and India. And Theodore entertained lavishly and with brilliant results, for she was a proud advocate of high gastronomy.
The delights of the pomegranate have been extolled by writers and poets, past and present. Even Oscar Wilde (1856-1900), the wit and playwright, compares, "As a pomegranate cut in twain; white-seeded is her crimson mouth." On a similarly lyrical note, cooks and epicures have assigned a special place to the pomegranate. For though the fruit is not popularly regarded as a versatile cooking ingredient, it offers a wide range of tempting possibilities. In fact, the pomegranate is full of wonders. It may be used as flavoring, sauce, marinade, in cakes or pudding, or simply as a garnish. And the crimson seeds or their juice will swiftly transform a humble dish into an exotic specialty. Used lavishly in Lebanese cuisine, its juice concentrate imparts a tangy flavor to meatballs, stuffed fish, and chicken.
For more information about Pomegranates visit Shaheen Perveen’s article “Pomegranate History and Folklore,” in Food & Beverage International.
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July 29, 2007
What Is Absinthe?
Absinthe is a strongly alcoholic aperitif made from alcohol and distilled herbs or herbal extracts, chief amongst them grand wormwood (artemesia absinthium) and green anise, but also usually including other herbs such as petite wormwood (artemesia pontica), melissa, fennel and hyssop.
Some regional recipes also call for additional herbs like star anise, sweet flag, angelica, dittany, coriander, veronica, marjoram, lemonbalm or mint.
Grand and petite wormwood were historically cultivated near Pontarlier in the Doubs region of east France and in the adjoining Val de Travers in Switzerland, the two traditional homes of absinthe, while the other herbs were shipped in: fennel from the Gard region of France and even from Italy, the anise from the Tarn region or from Andalusia.
In modern Spanish absinthes star anise (badiane) is sometimes substituted wholly or partly for the green anise, but this tends to give a very one dimensional liquorice-like taste. Badiane was used only very sparingly if at all in traditional Swiss or French manufacture. So called Czech or German "absinths" sometimes omit the anise entirely, but these are not true absinthes and are best avoided. Home "absinthe-making kits" widely advertised on the internet, and based on adding dried herbs or essences to vodka or Everclear, do not produce even a rough approximation of the real drink - and the results, apart from being very unpleasant tasting, may be actively harmful.
High quality absinthes are always distilled rather than produced from herbal essences, and have a deliciously complex herbal and floral character, with an underlying bitterness caused by the wormwood. They are produced by a 3-step process: first maceration of the herbal mixture in a base alcohol, then distillation of the resultant liquid and finally chlorophyllic coloration by further herbal infusion. Each herb contributes its own subtle character to the blend - wormwood has both woody and bitter notes, anis gives its characteristic scent and rich mouth-feel, while hyssop adds beautiful green tints during the final colouring step.
Well made absinthes are generally a pale green in colour, but louche, or turn milky, when water is added. This is caused by the essential oils precipitating out of the solution, as the alcohol is diluted. Absinthes with a high percentage of star anise, such as those made in Spain, tend to
have a very dramatic and opaque louche, while the louche in more traditionally made absinthes develops slowly, and is more subtly translucent. Traditionally made absinthes are never a bright emerald green - those that are, have artificial colouring added.
Clear absinthes - often called La Bleue or La Blanche, and historically popular in Switzerland - are made without the final colouring step, and may also differ slightly in herbal composition. A red absinthe (originally coloured with paprika) has been made under the brand-name Serpis for
several decades in Spain, but this is an isolated oddity.
The traditional strength is 55% - 72% alcohol, or 110º - 144º proof. Historically the best absinthes, including those from Pernod Fils, were made from a base of grape alcohol, although cheaper grain or beet alcohols were also widely used.
Almost from its inception, absinthe has been known as “La Fee Verte” or “The Green Fairy”, a tribute to its reputedly seductive and intoxicating powers.
How is absinthe drunk?
All true absinthes are bitter to some degree (due to the presence of absinthin, extracted from the wormwood) and are therefore usually served with the addition of sugar. This not only counters the bitterness, but in well made absinthes seems also to subtly improve the herbal flavour-profile of the drink.
The classic French absinthe ritual involves placing a sugar cube on a flat perforated spoon, which rests on the rim of the glass containing a measure or “dose” of absinthe. Iced water is then very slowly dripped on to the sugar cube, which gradually dissolves and drips, along with the water, into the absinthe, causing the green liquor to louche (“loosh”) into an opaque opalescent white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. Usually three to four parts water are added to one part of 68% absinthe. Historically, true absintheurs used to take great care in adding the water, letting it fall drop by single drop onto the sugar cube, and then watching each individual drip cut a milky swathe through the peridot-green absinthe below. Seeing the drink gradually change colour was part of its ritualistic attraction.
One of the most evocative of all descriptions of the absinthe ritual is in Marcel Pagnol's The Time of Secrets: "The poet's eyes suddenly gleamed. Then, in deep silence, began a kind of ceremony. He set the glass - a very big one - before him, after inspecting its cleanliness. Then he took the bottle, uncorked it, sniffed it, and poured out an M amber coloured liquid with green glints to it. He seemed to measure the dose with suspicious attention for, after a careful check and some reflection, he added a few drops. He next took up from the tray a kind of small silver shovel, long and narrow, in which patterned perforations had been cut. He placed this contrivance on the rim of the glass like a bridge, and loaded it with two lumps of sugar. Then he turned towards his wife: she was already holding the handle of a 'guggler', that is to say a porous earthenware pitcher in the shape of a cock, and he said:
'Your turn, my Infanta!' Placing one hand on her hip with a graceful curve of her arm, the Infanta lifted the pitcher rather high, then, with infallible skill, she let a very thin jet of cool water - that came out of the fowls beak - fall on to the lumps of sugar which slowly began to disintegrate. The poet, his chin almost touching the table between his two hands placed flat on it, was watching this operation very closely. The pouring Infanta was as motionless as a fountain, and Isabelle did not breathe. In the liquid, whose level was slowly rising, I could see a milky mist forming in swirls which eventually joined up, while a pungent smell of aniseed deliciously refreshed my nostrils. Twice over, by raising his hand, the master of ceremonies interrupted the fall of the liquid, which he doubtless considered too brutal or too abundant: after examining the beverage with an uneasy manner that gave way to reassurance he signalled, by a mere look, for the operation to be resumed. Suddenly he quivered and, with an imperative gesture, definitely stopped the flow of water, as if a single drop more might have instantly degraded the sacred potion."
Antique perforated spoons for use with absinthe are prized collectors items. There are hundreds of variants, some issued to commemorate historic events like the opening of the Eiffel Tower in 1889, some representing intertwined absinthe leaves, others with engraved advertising for one of the famous brands of the day. Almost all have been exhaustively catalogued by Marie Claude Delahaye, the leading French authority on absinthe and absinthiana, and the author of numerous books on the subject. A more unusual and labour-saving alternative to the perforated spoon was the absinthe brouilleur, a mixer that sat on top of the glass and held both water and sugar, allowing the sugared water to automatically drip slowly into the glass. Also avidly collected are glasses, carafes, ceramic pitchers and water fountains made specifically for use with the absinthe ritual. Fine examples of all of these can be seen on this website.
Today, modern absinthes are often marketed in conjunction with the so-called Bohemian absinthe ritual. This is not a traditional method, but a modern innovation inspired by the success of flaming sambuca and such like. A shot of absinthe is poured into a glass, and a teaspoonful of sugar is dipped into it. The alcohol soaked sugar is set alight and allowed to burn until it bubbles and caramelises. The spoon of melted sugar is then plunged into the absinthe and stirred in, which usually sets the absinthe itself alight. Ice water is then poured in, dousing the flames. This
method, has become increasingly popular, especially since it was shown in the film “Moulin Rouge”, but is a historical travesty, and would have horrified any Belle Epoque absintheur.
What gives absinthe its so-called “secondary effects”?
What is wormwood?
What is thujone?
The most popular misconception about absinthe is that it is a drug, or at least similar to a drug in effect. This is not true. The hysteria surrounding absinthe in the early 20th century fueled the misconception that absinthe was a powerful intoxicant, caused hallucinations that drove men "mad", threw them into epileptic fits, and made Van Gogh slice off his ear. The truth however, is both more interesting and less sensational:
Absinthe differs from almost all other drinks in containing a higher percentage of alcohol - up to 72% - and of course in containing extract of wormwood, or artemesia absinthium, to give it its correct Latin name. Wormwood is a herb related to the daisy family that grows wild in many areas of Europe. From ancient times it has been prized as one of the most valuable medicinal herbs. An Egyptian papyrus from 1600BC recommends wormwood as a stimulant and tonic, an antiseptic, and a remedy for fevers and period pains. Pythagoras thought that wormwood leaves in wine would ease childbirth, and Hippocrates also recommended it for period pains, as well as anemia and rheumatism. Today, wormwood oil, the oil obtained from artemisia absinthium, is used as a counter-irritant in many common over-the-counter pharmacy products, including Vicks Vaporub.
The chemical name for the active ingredient in wormwood is thujone. Thujone is a terpene and is related to menthol, which of course is known for its healing and restorative qualities. Thujone – pronounced "thoo-jone" with a soft 'J' – is a naturally occurring substance, also found in the bark of the thuja, or white cedar, tree, and in other herbs besides wormwood - including tansy and the common sage used in cooking. Aside from absinthe, other popular liquors, including vermouth, Chartreuse, and Benedictine, also contain small amounts of thujone. In fact, vermouth, which was originally made using the flower heads from the wormwood plant, takes its name from the German "wermut" ("wormwood").
Extremely high doses of thujone are however dangerous, and have been shown to cause convulsions in laboratory animals, but the concentration of thujone actually found in absinthe is many thousands of times lower than this. Thujone's mechanism of action on the brain is not fully understood although certain structural similarities between thujone and tetrahydrocannabinol (the active component in marijuana) have led some to speculate that both substances have the same site of action in the brain. More recent scientific research however has completely discredited this idea, and some researchers have even hypothesised that the reputed "secondary effects" of absinthe have nothing directly to do with thujone at all - they may in fact be caused by the interaction of some of the other constituent herbs.
The effect of well-made absinthe varies from person to person, but is typically no more marked than the mild “buzz” one gets from drinking tequila. Generally, it can best be described as a kind of heightened clarity of mind and vision, warmed by the effect of the alcohol. This seems to wear off after 20 or 30 minutes. Since absinthe is 55% -72% alcohol, the alcohol's effects will in any event limit the amount of thujone you can ingest. Most modern “legal” absinthes, in keeping with EU regulations, contains less than 10mg of thujone per litre, and recent research has shown that pre-ban Pernod Fils, contrary to ill-informed speculation deriving from a widely quoted 1989 Scientific American article, also had very low thujone levels - roughly 6mg/litre.
The high thujone levels claimed by many Czech and German made "absinths" are invariably false (in fact, many of these products, when analysed by gas chromatograph, show no detectable thujone at all). As a rule of thumb, any absinthe claiming "high thujone" should be avoided, as it's almost certainly a poor quality oil-mix, supported by bogus marketing hype.
Which modern drinks are related to absinthe?
Pastis has similarities, but is not, contrary to popular belief, basically absinthe without the wormwood. Most pastis manufacturers such as Ricard and Pernod use far higher concentrations of star anise (which accounts for pastis’ overwhelming aniseed taste) together with added sugar, and bottle at around 40% alcohol. Pastis contains many herbs not found in absinthe, and also sometimes spices, which are never used in absinthe. Pastis is made by adding herbal essences to a base alcohol, whereas fine absinthes are made by maceration of dried herbs in alcohol, followed by distillation.
Real absinthe has a herbal/floral character, without any predominant aniseed character, is dry and slightly bitter (as a result of the wormwood, one of the bitterest organic substances known) and is bottled at at least 55% alcohol (any lower and the wormwood oils precipitate out).
What does absinthe taste like? Is it extremely bitter?
Despite popular opinion, due mostly to erroneous assumptions about wormwood, absinthe, when properly distilled, is not extremely bitter.
Wormwood, whose extract used to be a popular ingredient in many perfumes, actually has a strong floral & herbal flavor (and scent) that is heightened when extracted by proper distillation, which leaves behind many of the bitter absinthins. So yes, there is some necessary bitterness in good absinthe, but it is a balanced herbal undertone, and not overpowering in the slightest.
Something to think about:
The word absinthe is derived from the Greek word “Absinthos” meaning “undrinkable”, because of the bitterness of the wormwood. The Russian word for wormwood is “Chernobyl”…..
What is the history of absinthe? Who invented it?
Banned for almost a century until its recent revival, absinthe is something of a “living fossil”, a coelecanth amongst drinks, able to magically transport us back to the glittering world of Paris and the Belle Epoque, a world of bohemian musicians and writers, of the Moulin Rouge and the
cafes of Montmartre, a world of starving struggling artists and glittering courtesans.
But the origins of the drink lie far from the bright lights of Paris – absinthe was first produced near Couvet in Switzerland, and nearby Pontarlier in the Doubs region of France. This largely forgotten part of rural France, nestled in the wooded foothills of the Jura mountains, is still regarded as the true home of absinthe.
Legend has it, that the inventor of the drink was Dr. Pierre Ordinaire, who in 1792, shortly after the French revolution, travelled around the Val de Travers on his faithfull horse Rocket, and produced the first commercial absinthe, initially as an all-purpose remedy or cure-all. It was nicknamed "La Fée Verte" - "The Green Fairy" - and this name stuck throughout absinthe's heyday. It was recommended for the treatment of epilepsy, gout, kidney stones, colic, headaches and worms. Dr. Ordinaire's invention aroused the interest of a gentleman named Major Dubied, who saw its possibilities not just as a patent medicine, but as an aperitif. Dubied purchased what was reputed to be Ordinaire’s original formula from two sisters called Henriod at the beginning of the 19th century and began large scale production.
It's likely that this traditional story is considerably embellished - the manufacture of absinthe-like drinks in the Neuchatel region is recorded from the 1750's or even earlier, and the two Henriod sisters were making the drink even before Dr Ordinaire's arrival in the Val de Travers. Most probably Dr Ordinaire was simply a doctor who did much to promote the use of absinthe as a herbal tonic and folk remedy in the region.
By 1805, the Pernod Fils absinthe company was set up in Pontarlier in the Doubs region, run by Dubied's son-in-law, Henri-Louis Pernod. Initially there were just two stills producing only 16 litres of absinthe per day. Shortly afterwards the elder Dubied and his son split from Pernod to return to their own firm, which was later passed down to a cousin named Fritz Duval.
Pernod Fils went from strength to strength. Henri-Louis's dynamic younger son Louis purchased 36 000 square meters of land on the outskirts of Pontarlier alongside the Doubs River, and built a factory with a daily production exceeding 400 litres. By 1850, when Louis died, the factory had 26 stills producing 20 000 liters a day. Louis's sons Fritz and Louis-Alfred took over the reins, and assisted by financing from the Veil-Picard banking family (and also by a brilliant Swiss engineer Arthur Borel, a close associate of the Pernod's for 3 generations, who designed most of the factories innovative distilling, bottling and packaging equipment) continued to expand. Pernod Fils was to become one of the largest and most successful companies in France, and was a pioneer in the humane and enlightened treatment of its mostly female workers. As early as 1873 a profit-sharing and pension scheme was introduced, and the company at its own expense insured its workers against accidents, gave them unemployment compensation and provided medical benefits.
The popularity of absinthe spread further as it was used as a fever preventative by French troops fighting in Algeria from 1844 to 1847. Mixed with wine or water - jokingly referred to as "absinthe soup" - it was believed to kill germs and fend off dysentry (no doubt, this high alcohol combination also helped to relieve the boredom of barracks life). When the troops of the Bataillon d'Afrique returned to France, they brought with them their taste for the refreshingly bitter drink, and absinthe became a hit in bars and bistros all over France.
The reign of Napoleon III - from 1852 to his downfall with the Prussian invasion in 1870 - was something of a golden age for absinthe. Still relatively expensive, it was primarily a drink of the fashionable bourgeoisie. It was supposed to sharpen the appetite for dinner, and in the early evening, the smell of absinthe wafted over the Parisian boulevards. By the 1870s, it had become common practice to begin a meal with an aperitif, and of 1500 available liqueurs, absinthe accounted for 90% of the apéritifs drunk. Licensing laws were relaxed during the 1860's, which resulted in a proliferation of new cabarets and cafés - more than 30,000 existed in Paris by 1869, and 5 p.m. signified l'Heure Verte - the Green Hour - in almost every one. The cafés were an extremely popular place to socialize, since most of Paris' citizens were living in cramped apartments, often in squalor and poverty.
Nowhere was this cafe culture more vibrant than in the Parisian district of Montmartre, already by the mid 19th century the favourite haunt of the bohemian literary and artistic set. Amongst the best known establishments were the Brasserie des Martyrs, a particular favourite of Baudelaire, the Cafe du Rat Mort, popular with writers by day and a lesbian hangout at night, and most famous of all, the Chat Noir, founded in 1881 by Theodore Salis, an unsuccessful painter. Erik Satie played the piano here and Alfred Jarry was a regular, as was the remarkable poet and inventor Charles Cross, who reputedly drank 20 absinthes a night.
In 1860, a young Parisian author, Henri Balesta, wrote Absinthe et Absintheurs, the first book to record the social context of heavy absinthe drinking. He describes a typical cafe scene:
"In the morning, at lunchtime, the habitués invaded the bistrot. The professors of absinthe were already at their station, yes, the teachers of absinthe, for it is a science, or rather an art to drink absinthe properly, and certainly to drink it in quantity. They put themselves on the trail of the novice drinkers, teaching them to raise their elbow high and frequently, to water their absinthe artistically, and when, after the tenth little glass, the pupil rolled under the table, the master went on to another, always drinking, always holding forth, always steady and unshakeable at his post."
Absinthe hit its peak during the years from 1880-1910, when it fell dramatically in price, becoming accessible to all parts of society and rivalling wine as the most popular drink in France. By then EVERYONE drank absinthe – society ladies, gentlemen-about-town, businessmen and politicians, artists, musicians, ordinary working-men. In 1874, France consumed 700,000 litres of absinthe, but by 1910, the figure had exploded to 36,000,000 litres of absinthe per year. It was a quintessential part of Belle Epoque French society.
Riding the crest of this wave the Pernod company boomed, continually expanding production. By 1896 production was up to 125 000 liters per day. A devastating fire in August 1901 destroyed much of the factory (and resulted in millions of liters of absinthe being discharged into the Doubs River, which turned cloudy with anise for miles downstream), but the shrewd Pernod's collected almost 4 million francs in insurance payouts and rebuilt the plant with fireproofing and the very latest technical machinery.
So successful did Pernod Fils become that it spawned a host of copycat brands – there was an Edouard Pernod, a Gempp Pernod, a Legler Pernod, Jules Pernod, Jules Pernot, Perrenod et Cie, Emile Pernot, Pierrot, Père Noë and many similar. The constant legal battles that Pernod Fils waged to protect its name laid the foundation for some of modern French copyright law.
A particularly cheeky brand was called “La Meme”, which means “the same” in French:
...waiter! another absinthe!'la même?' OUI! the same! ...but maybe NOT the same one he was drinking.…
Pernod Fils (and some of its larger competitiors such as Berger and Edouard Pernod) exported worldwide. The French colonies - especially Algeria, Vietnam, Madagascar and Tahiti - were all significant markets, as were South American countries like Argentina and Chile. Naturally, absinthe soon found its way to the "Little Paris" of North America, New Orleans, where it quickly became extremely popular, particularly as an ingredient in cocktails such as the Absinthe Frappe. The “Old Absinthe House”, with its beautiful and timeworn green marble absinthe fountain, is one of New Orlean’s most famous sights.
Which were the best quality absinthes? What did they cost?
As one would expect absinthe was produced in many different grades and was sold at widely varying prices, to cater for all parts of the market - from the elegant boulevardier down to the ordinary working man and below him even, the desperate alcoholic scraping his last few sous together to feed his addiction. At the top of the quality pyramid stood Pernod Fils and Cusenier's Oxygénée, which commanded a wholesale price of around 2 francs per litre. Below them, the other grande marques: Berger, Edouard Pernod, Premier Fils, Junod, Terminus, at around 1.60. Then lesser brands like Parrot, Bazinet and Vichet at 1.30, and reliable house brands at about a franc per litre bottle. Below this, an unregulated mass of crudely produced and often adulterated rotgut, some selling for as little as 80 centimes per litre.
At an expensive and fashionable cabaret like the Moulin Rouge, a glass of Pernod Fils cost between 50 and 65 centimes (still, relatively speaking, cheap: about half the price of a whisky, and little more than draught beer). At an ordinary bistrot or cafe, the house brand would run at about 25c, while at a rough standing-room only tavern on the outskirts of the city, a glass of inferior absinthe might be as little as 10c.
All high quality absinthes were distilled, naturally coloured, and in the case of the very best brands like Pernod Fils, made from a base of grape alcohol. Cheaper brands were made from herbal essences, usually artificially coloured, and used cheaper grain or beet alcohols. The top designation was "Absinthe Suisse", which denoted a quality level, not a geographic origin. Then came "Absinthe Superieure", "Absinthe Fine" or "Demi-Fine" and lastly "Absinthe Ordinaire". An Absinthe Suisse had an alcohol content of between 65% and 72%, an Absinthe Fine was around 55% while an Absinthe Ordinaire would be only 45% alcohol.
How did absinthe influence artists and writers, including van Gogh, Picasso, Verlaine, Oscar Wilde and Hemingway?
Absinthe – because of its beautiful and ever-changing green colour, its air of danger and seduction, and above all because of its allegedly psychoactive properties - was romanticized and captured in artwork and writings by countless artists, playwrights and authors. The surrealist Alfred Jarry, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Toulouse Lautrec, Verlaine, Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, Picasso, Hemingway and many others all featured it prominently in their works. All these artists were celebrated not just for their work, but also for their often outrageously bohemian lifestyles. Some even went mad, or at least behaved as if they were (facts that would later be used by prohibitionists as proof of absinthe's evils).
Degas' groundbreaking L'Absinthe (1876) pictures two forlorn-looking café patrons staring out beyond their milky-green drinks. Although the people pictured were merely actors, this painting later roused intense comment for its unprecedented gritty realism. Edouard Manet, took this even further by daring to paint an actual drunkard with absinthe, titled The Absinthe Drinker (1859).
Perhaps the most famous of all absinthe drinkers was Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh painted many of his works in ochres and pale greens, which are the colours of absinthe. Many of these paintings also depict the bar in which Van Gogh drank absinthe, and himself with glasses of the apéritif. It's widely, but almost certainly incorrectly believed, that Van Gogh went mad from absinthe poisoning. As is often the case, the truth is more complex. Van Gogh was throughout his life an outcast and a depressive who suffered from epileptic fits and bouts of psychotic attacks. He also drank a lot of absinthe while living in Arles with Paul Gauguin, and was prone to deeply eccentric behaviour – such as painting outside at night with candles hooked to his hat. He was sent to a sanitorium in 1888 after he was forced out by a petition from people in his town who were frightened by his bizarre ways. He never acted violently, excepting when he sliced off his own ear during a psychotic fit. Van Gogh certainly drank excessive amounts of absinthe, and he did suffer from mental deterioration - however, the one does not necessarily follow the other. Van Gogh's family had a history of mental illness, and Van Gogh not only drank absinthe, but also turpentine on several occasions. He committed suicide in 1890, clearly deeply disturbed beyond any absinthe drinking he did.
The great French poet Paul Verlaine was another notorious absintheur. His family life was less than ordinary: Verlaine's mother kept the foetuses of her earlier, miscarried pregnancies preserved in jars in the pantry. Verlaine destroyed these one day during an "absinthe fit." Verlaine began drinking at 17 or 18, and was already an alcoholic before he found absinthe. It seems likely that Verlaine, like most of the celebrated “victims” of absinthism, had reasons apart from absinthe for acting oddly.
Absinthe also features very prominently in the early works of Pablo Picasso. One of the most important works of his so called Blue Period is Woman Drinking Absinthe. Painted in 1901, it shows a woman dressed in blue and with elongated hands and fingers, sitting at a corner table in a café, with a glass of absinthe before her. Later, Picasso’s earliest cubist works were inspired by absinthe – one, Bottle of Pernod and Glass, painted in 1912, was directly based on a ubiquitous Pernod publicity poster of the era, designed by Charles Maire, showing a bottle of absinthe, a
glass, and a folded newspaper. Perhaps Picasso’s greatest absinthe masterpiece – and the last one, because the drink was banned the following year - is his cubist sculpture ‘Absinthe Glass’ of 1914, a painted bronze in an edition of six, all of which were painted differently. The sculpture has a stable, glass like base, but an opened out, sliced up body. On top rests a real absinthe spoon and a painted bronze sugar cube.
Although not an alcoholic (at least till the last year of his life), the great poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, was a heavy absinthe drinker during the time he lived in France. He once famously said:
“Absinthe has a wonderful colour, green. A glass of absinthe is as poetical as anything in the world. What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset?”.
Wilde also described the effect of absinthe as follows: “The first stage is like ordinary drinking, the second when you begin to see monstrous and cruel things, but if you can persevere you will enter in upon the third stage where you see things that you want to see, wonderful curious things. One night I was left sitting, drinking alone and very late in the Café Royal, and I had just got into this third stage when a waiter came in with a green apron and began to pile the chairs on the tables. ‘Time to go, Sir’ he called out to me. Then he brought in a watering can and began to water the floor.’Time’s up Sir. I’m afraid you must go now, Sir.’ ‘Waiter, are you watering the flowers?’ I asked, but he didn’t answer. ‘What are your favourite flowers, waiter?’ I asked again.
‘Now sir, I must really ask you to go now, time’s up,’ he said firmly. ‘I’m sure that tulips are your favourite flowers,’ I said, and as I got up and passed out into the street I felt - the – heavy – tulip – heads – brushing against my shins.”
The American writer Ernest Hemingway was a heavy drinker, and a passionate lover of absinthe, which he continued drinking in Spain and Cuba, long after it was banned in France. The most notable mention of absinthe is in his Spanish Civil War novel, For Whom The Bell Tolls. The hero is Robert Jordan, an American guerrilla leader on a mission to blow up a bridge, and one of his few comforts is absinthe, the ‘liquid alchemy’ which can replace everything else, and which irresistibly recalls the better life he had known in Paris. Holed up in a cave, he shares a canteen filled with absinthe purchased in Madrid with a gypsy companion: "It was a milky yellow now with the water and he hoped the gypsy would not take more than a swallow. One cap of it took the place of the evening papers, of all the old evenings in cafes, of all chestnut trees that would be in bloom now in this month, of the great slow horses of the outer boulevards, of book shops, of kiosks, and of galleries, of the Parc Montsouris, of the Stade Buffalo, and of the Butte Chaumont, of the Guaranty Trust Company and the Ille de la Cite, of Foyot’s old hotel, and of being able to read and relax in the evening; of all the things he had enjoyed and forgotten and that came back to him when he tasted that opaque, bitter, tongue-numbing, brain-warming, stomach-warming, idea changing liquid alchemy.”
When Hemingway lived in Florida in the 1930’s, he was still able to obtain absinthe from nearby Cuba, where he often went marlin fishing and later acquired a house. In a 1931 letter he writes:
“Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks. Great success shooting the knife underhand into the piano. The woodworms are so bad and eat hell out of all the furniture that you can always claim the woodworms did it.” No doubt Hemingway enjoyed the humorous transposition here of woodworm and wormwood, although whether the long suffering Mrs Hemingway was equally amused at having knives thrown at her furniture, is not recorded…."
Why was absinthe banned? What was absinthism?
Absinthe was originally fairly expensive, and largely a drink of the upper-middle classes. However, by the second half of the nineteenth century it had fallen dramatically in price, both because of increasing economies of scale in its production, and because most producers had switched from grape alcohol to far cheaper grain and beet alcohols. At the same time the number of brands exploded, with many catering for the very cheapest end of the market.
Absinthe became increasingly popular amongst all classes of French society, and began to displace wine as the standard drink of the French working class. During this period the French wine industry was struggling with the crippling effects of both oidium (a kind of mildew) and phyloxera (an incurable beetle infestation deadly to vines). Almost all the French national vineyard had to be replanted, a process that took decades and resulted in a prolonged shortage of wine, and a consequent rise in wine prices. Increasingly, absinthe was the affordable, and far more alcoholic, alternative to wine. This was both a major reason for its enormous popularity, and ultimately the root cause of its downfall. When the wine industry began to recover in the last decades of the nineteenth century, the politically well-connected grape growers, seeking to recover the market share they had lost, began to agitate for the prohibition of what they termed “unnatural” products like absinthe.
In the 1880's, there was for the first time concern about the results of chronic abuse of absinthe. Chronic use of absinthe was believed to produce a syndrome, called absinthism (first described and identified in a series of influential papers by Dr Valentin Magnan, the chief physician at the asylum of Sainte-Anne in Paris), which was characterized by addiction, hyperexcitability, epileptic fits and hallucinations. Magnan wrote: "In absinthism, the hallucinating delirium is most active, most terrifying, sometimes provoking reactions of an extremely violent and dangerous nature. Another more grave syndrome accompanies this: all of a sudden the absinthist cries out, pales, loses consciousness and falls; the features contract, the jaws clench, the pupils dilate, the eyes roll up, the limbs stiffen, a jet of urine escapes, gas and waste material are brusquely expulsed. In just a few seconds the face becomes contorted, the limbs twitch, the eyes are strongly convulsed, the jaws gnash and the tongue projected between the teeth is badly gnawed; a bloody saliva covers the lip, the face grows red, becaomes purplish, swollen, the eyes are bulging, tearful, the respiration is loud, then the movements cease, the whole body relaxes, the sphincter releases, the evacuations soil the sick man. Suddenly he lifts his head and casts his eyes around him with a look of bewilderment. Coming to himself after awhile, he doesn't remember one thing that has happened."
The science, or pseudo-science behind these reports was dubious and often obviously flawed – but the reports were published in the popular press of the day and widely believed. Further aggravating matters was the then widely held belief in scientific circles that not just the consequences of alcoholism were hereditary - fetal alcohol syndrome, mental retardation and birth defects - but alcoholism itself. In other words, an alcoholic father would sire alcoholic children and grandchildren, with each generation sinking deeper into despair and depravity. Absinthism was regarded as the most dangerous and virulent form of alcoholism, and the most likely to be passed down from father to son.
It is now thought that the symptoms of “absinthism” were due primarily to the effects of the alcohol itself, and also perhaps to the many sometimes extremely dangerous chemical adulterants used in cheap absinthes of the time. Well-made absinthes used chlorophylic colouration from herbs to achieve their characteristic green colour. This however was an expensive and difficult to control process, so unscrupulous low cost producers substituted chemicals such as copper sulphate to achieve the same effect. Antimony chloride – another highly poisonous substance - was also used to help the drink become cloudy when water was added. The adulteration of spirits was a huge problem worldwide from the middle of the eighteenth century when industrially made drinks like gin were first developed in England, right up to the implementation of accurate scientific testing and regulation at the beginning of the twentieth century.
During the late 19th & early 20th centuries France, together with many western countries, was under pressure from various temperance movements and their constituents to curb alcohol consumption on a governmental level, as it was seen to morally corrupt its citizens. In the midst of this prohibitionist excitement, fanned by the chief French temperance organisation, the Ligue National Contre L'Alcoolisme (or the Croix Bleue as it was colloquially known), the word "absinthism" came to lose its specific meaning. Absinthism and alcoholism were confused, and an alcoholic was simply deemed an "absinthe drinker". This confusion of meaning seems to have been deliberately encouraged by the prohibitionist movement. Wine was believed to be healthy and natural, since it came from the land and was a time-honored tradition, not to mention a major source of revenue. Absinthe, however, was made with industrial alcohol, and was moreover by far the most alcoholic of all liquors. It’s not surprising, that by the 1890’s, absinthe had become the primary target for the French temperance movement.
In 1907 the Croix Bleue gathered 400 000 signatures on a petition which declared: "Absinthe makes you crazy and criminal, provokes epilepsy and tuberculosis, and has killed thousands of French people. It makes a ferocious beast of man, a martyr of woman, and a degenerate of the infant, it disorganizes and ruins the family and menaces the future of the country."
This narrow focus on absinthe was of course entirely in the interests of the powerful wine industry lobby. After all, under the growing threat of Prohibition, how better to draw attention away from your own alcoholic product –wine - than to make people believe that it is the healthy, natural exception to the "bad" rule? After a series of temperance rallies in Paris, the June 17th 1907 headline of Le Matin read: "TOUS POUR LE VIN CONTRE L ABSINTHE". The leading anti-absinthe firebrand in the Chamber of Deputies, Henri Schmidt, told the assembly that studies "proved" that absinthe was 246 times more likely to cause insanity than wine, and was three times more guilty than other distilled alcohols like cognac. Schmidt went on to argue: "The real characteristic of absinthe is that it leads straight to the madhouse or the courthouse. It is truly 'madness in a bottle' and no habitual drinker can claim that he will not become a criminal."
Adding to the political agitation against absinthe was its popularity not just with the working class, but also with the radical bohemian set – young artists like Van Gogh and Toulouse Lautrec, writers like Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Verlaine, to name just a few. Their scandalous lifestyles and debauched behaviour shocked and outraged the establishment, and absinthe, their favourite drink, came to encapsulate in the public mind everything that had gone wrong with conservative France.
The Lanfray murders:
Like a vice slowly tightening, the pressure to ban absinthe inexorably increased. The last straw was a series of particularly brutal family murders which were – largely unfairly – blamed on absinthe consumption. The most notorious of these was the celebrated Lanfray case, which riveted the European press in 1905. Jean Lanfray, a Swiss peasant of French stock, having drunk two glasses of absinthe, shot his pregnant wife and two daughters, before attempting to kill himself. He failed, and was found the next morning collapsed across their dead bodies. Public reaction to the case was extraordinary, and it focused on just one detail – the two glasses of absinthe he had drunk beforehand. Forgotten was the fact that Lanfray was a thoroughgoing alcoholic who habitually drank up to 5 litres of wine a day. Forgotten also, was that on the day of the attack he had consumed not only the two absinthes before going to work – hours before the tragedy – but also a crème de menthe, a cognac, six glasses of wine to help his lunch down, another glass of wine before leaving work, a cup of coffee with brandy in it, an entire litre of wine on getting home, and then another coffee with marc in it. People were in no doubt. It must have been the absinthe that did it. Within weeks, a petition demanding that absinthe be banned in Switzerland was signed by over 82 000 local people.
The major absinthe producers, realising too late that their businesses and livelihoods were in jeopardy, fought a desperate rearguard action, organising counter petitions, and promoting the health benefits of their absinthes. There was an increasing vogue for oxygen enriched "absinthe oxygénée", and many brands were sold under the designation "absinthe hygenique". Some producers - Bailly and Cousin Jeune amongst them - produced absinthes claimed to be thujone free - "absinthe sans-thuj" - but these seem never to have caught on. Of course the science behind the claims of the manufacturers was as dubious and corrupt as that of the temperance movement, and was often mocked in the satirical journals of the day.
Crucially, although in some cases financially powerful, the major absinthe producers lacked political influence in the Chamber of Deputies (where large hereditary landowners - often grape-growers - were disproportionately well represented). The fact that the management of the biggest producer, Pernod Fils, were of Jewish origin (Arthur and Edmond Vielle-Picard, who purchased a controlling interest in the company in 1894, were half-Jewish) in a France still reeling from the anti-semitism exposed by the Dreyfus affair, further aggravated the situation. The popular press, led by the left-wing Parisian daily "Le Matin" was virulently pro-prohibition. The momentum to ban the drink was now unstoppable.
When was absinthe banned?
Absinthe was finally banned in Belgium in 1905, in Switzerland in 1910, in the USA in 1912 and finally in France – distracted and shell-shocked by the first defeats of World War I - in 1915. In the end this magical and historic elixir that had once captivated, delighted and inspired a nation, went out not with a bang, but with the merest whimper. Most of the great absinthe-producing firms went bankrupt, or amalgamated, or switched to producing pastis. Some firms transferred their production to Spain, where absinthe was never banned, and where it continues to be made on a small scale. A remnant of the Pernod company made absinthe in Tarragona from 1918 until the mid '60's, although by 1950 the product had already deviated quite considerably from the pre-ban French original. In the Val de Travers region of Switzerland, production of the local uncoloured "Le Bleue" went underground, and fairly large scale bootlegging operations still exist today. In many countries though absinthe was never formally prohibited – it just faded from sight.
Absinthe has never been banned in the UK, nor in much of Southern and Eastern Europe...
The modern absinthe revival:
Although absinthe continued to be made on a small scale in Spain, its modern revival really has its origins in the collapse of the Iron Curtain, and Czechoslavakia’s 1987 “Velvet Revolution”. A Czech entrepreneur, Radomil Hill, having inherited a small family distillery dating from the 1920’s, decided, with the return of a free market economy, to start producing absinthe (even though there was absolutely no Czech tradition of the drink). Sales took off, especially in the UK, where an innovative publicity campaign soon made absinthe a must-have drink in trendy nightclubs and bars. Other manufacturers in Czechoslovakia and elsewhere soon followed suite, and today absinthe is made again not only in Spain, Czechoslovakia and Germany, but also, on a very small scale, in France and Switzerland.
Unfortunately almost all modern absinthes, including, disgracefully, the newly released Pernod absinthe, are artificially coloured oil-mixes, of dubious quality. Most Czech and German brands in particular, are a travesty of what true absinthe should be, with almost no traditional herbal and floral character. Genuine absinthe may be obtained from clandestine production in Switzerland, from a few small French and Swiss firms - Francois Guy, Lemercier, Kubler - or online from Liqueurs de France, whose Emile 68%, made by the old firm of Emile Pernot in Pontarlier, is currently one of the very few commercially available full-strength distilled absinthes.
More Information: The Virtual Absinthe Museum
Posted by fortna at 05:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 26, 2007
Cool Wine Slushes for Hot Weather Trends
Frozen wine slushes are hot. An appealing alternative to sangria or a wine spritzer, they are surprisingly refreshing, and retain the wine's character while adding and enhancing its attractive fruit flavors. Thirst quenching, not cloying, wine slushes are the perfect way for wine lovers to indulge their taste this summer while lounging by the pool or relaxing on the deck.
The most inviting wine slushes usually start with a dry, yet fruity white or red wine. (Some smart choices are Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Rioja, or Merlot.) Add a combination of fruit juice and/or fresh fruit, blend until smooth, and freeze until the desired consistency. (The alcohol in the wine will prevent the mixture from totally freezing solid). For a smoother, quicker result, pour the blended mixture into an electric ice cream maker and process until slushy. Serve in colorful acrylic tumblers or Margarita glasses.
Although your guests will no doubt be perfectly content to sip wine slushes all by themselves, you can also serve them with food. Experiment with the following recipes and food pairings, or create your own concoctions. Either way, these beverages prove that wine doesn’t always have to be taken seriously, or served in proper stemware, to be delicious.
Recipes:
Zingy:
1 bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc; 1 can frozen limeade concentrate; 1 cup cranberry juice.
Food pairings: chips and salsa; grilled shrimp Caesar salad; New England clam chowder.
Tropical:
1 bottle unoaked Chardonnay; 6 oz. mango nectar (look for cans of Jumex or another brand); 1 cup pineapple juice.
Food pairings: Grilled shrimp skewers with pineapple salsa; cheddar cheese fondue; fruit and cheese tray.
Jammy:
1 bottle California or Australian Merlot; 1 cup pomegranate juice (POM or another brand); 1 pint blackberries.
Food pairings:
Grilled rib-eye steaks topped with bleu cheese; seared tuna; antipasto platter.
Kelly Magyarics is a wine writer and educator in the D.C. metro area. Kelly can be reached through her website, which is.
Source: “The Hot Trend of Cool Wine Slushes,” Kelly A. Magyarics, May 26, 3007
Posted by fortna at 10:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 22, 2007
10 Great Winetail Recipes Shared Frrom Bar Chefs
Using wine as an ingredient for unique specialty cocktails is creative — but it