Cocktail ingredients Utah update – August 2013

Utahans should be grateful to the UDABC this year.  In a normal August, the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores enter the summer doldrums by dropping the number of sale items into the depths of the Sargasso Sea.  This year’s doldrums are not so bad: where in August, 2012, there were only 156 items on SPA, this year there is a more respectable, but not very generous, 250.  That is, as my brother used to say, better than a finger in the eye.  August usually marks the beginning of a cooling trend as the days grow noticeably shorter.  This year has been warmer than normal, so when cocktail hour rolls around, Utah’s amateur mixologists should have plenty of takers for their cocktails.  Here are some cocktail ideas that will save you money by taking advantage of the marked down items.

One Rum deal this month is Coruba Spiced Jamaica Rum (CS# 042093), on clearance for $6.52.  If you’re into spiced Jamaica Rum, this bargain might be just what you’re looking for.  While we’re talking inexpensive Rums, you might want to try Cruzan Dark (044486) down 15% to $10.  Try it in one or two of my favorite Rum coolers: the Mojito and the classic Rum and Coke (with lime, of course).

Lovers of Brandy cocktails will be pleased to find that E&J XO Brandy is on SPA for $13 (a 19% reduction); try it in a Sidecar (or any other cocktail calling for Brandy), where it will hurt your wallet far less than using your favorite Cognac.  Deals on Vodka this month include liter bottles of Ketel One (CS# 034457 down 10% to $28) and 750ml bottles of Absolut (CS# 034006 down 15% to $17).  Try these in a White Russian or a Vodka Martini.

A classic Gin cocktail from The Savoy Cocktail Book is the Corpse Reviver No. 2.  This month you might want to try one using Bombay Sapphire Gin (CS# 028236 down 11% to $27).  If you’re looking for something to go into a summer cooler like a Tom Collins, try some New Amsterdam Gin (CS# 031475 down 20% to $12), an excellent economy Gin.  You can check all of the prices for yourself by clicking through to the “SPA Product List” to open a price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month; then search on “gin” or the product of your choice.  

Campari Olé: another variation on a classic cocktail

Cocktail lovers are well aware of the resurgence of the Negroni and its many variations (like another of my favorites, the Boulevardier).  The classic Negroni (it even has a book dedicated to it) has only three ingredients: Campari, Gin, and sweet Vermouth, mixed at a 1:1:1 ratio, while the ratios in the Boulevardier may vary a bit depending on the type of Whiskey.  The two ingredients that all of these variations have in common are Campari Bitter Liqueur and sweet Vermouth.

Both of these venerable cocktails have been around awhile. The Negroni was named after Count Camillo Negroni of Firenze, who was in a rut, ordering the same cocktail (the ubiquitous Americano) every day.  Legend has it that one day in 1919, Negroni was looking for something a little stronger than his favorite aperitivo, and that bartender Fosco Scarselli at Caffè Casoni replaced the standard soda water in the Americano with Gin.  What a pleasanr surprise.  The Boulevardier’s origins may be shrouded in mystery, but it made its first appearance in print in 1927’s Barflies and Cocktails by Harry McElhone (of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris), less than a decade later.

Just like the Count, every so often, one gets in the mood for something different.  Due to a lack of bar discipline, a bottle of Campari and one of Tequila were side by side on the bar: interesting…  A little playtime at the bar produced evidence that the classic Negroni proportions of 1:1:1 produced a pretty nice cocktail.  The next step was a little web research.  It turns out that this was not a new idea, but the posts that turned up proved it was a good one.  The best recipe seems to be one credited to German cocktailian Bastian Heuser by the first author to record it in a cocktail book, Robert Hess, who did so in The Essential Bartender’s Guide.  Hess called it an Agavoni (yeah, I know, I decided to try Campari Olé).  A key added ingredient in this Negroni variation was the addition of Orange Bitters. So give the following recipe a try, and let us all know how you like it, or try your own recipe.

Campari Olé

• 1 oz Familia Camarena Silver Tequila
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth (sweet)
• 1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass half full of cracked ice.  Stir briskly until nice and cold.  Strain into an Old Fashioned glass with ice (or, if you’re feeling lazy, just build it in the glass).  Garnish with twist of orange peel (Hess calls for a grapefruit twist). 

Cocktail ingredients Utah update – July 2013

Frozen tropical splendor

July is usually the hottest month of summer, and we’re having another record-setting year that’s bringing plenty of hot weather to Utah.  Hot weather means that when cocktail hour rolls around, Utah’s amateur mixologists should have plenty of takers for their cocktails. The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) this month dropped from around 357 in June to a much more modest 258 in July, but if you want to make some great cocktails, there are some quality cocktail ingredients on sale this month at the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores. 

When it’s too darn hot (i.e. over 100 for several days in a row), my thoughts turn to frozen drinks, and somehow that makes me think of Rum.  My wife and I have been enjoying a nice Piña Colada or two every night or two.  If you limit your Piña Coladas to light Rum, Bacardi’s is on sale this month, but if you don’t mind an off-color drink, go with the Mount Gay Eclipse Rum (CS# 042666 down 15% to $17).  It also goes well in two of my favorite Rum coolers: the Mojito and the classic Rum and Coke (with lime, of course). 

As hot as it is, you are probably looking for some great summer cooler cocktail recipes in time for your barbecue or pool party, or just to enjoy after mowing the lawn.  Here are some suggestions that will save you money by taking advantage of items that are marked down this month.

The classic Gin cooler for hot weather is the Gin and Tonic.  This month you might want to try one using New Amsterdam Gin (1750ml CS# 031473 down 11% to $24), an excellent economy Gin.  It goes well in a Tom Collins, too.  If you’re more interested in a Classic Martini, pick up some Hendricks Gin (CS# 028625 down 9% to $32) or some Bombay Gin (CS# 028206 down 14% to $19).  No, it’s not a cooler, but it sure does taste good!

Deals on Vodka this month include liter bottles of Stolichnaya (CS# 034747 down 11% to $25) and liters of Absolut (CS# 034007 down 11% to $23).  If you like cranberry juice, try these in a Cosmo Cooler, a descendant of the classic cocktail.  If you like your Whiskey drinks (Bourbon anyone?) I can recommend a Mint Julep, so pick up a liter of Jack Daniels Black Label (down 10% to $27) and find some mint.

Some of my favorite mixing Tequilas are marked down this month: try El Jimador Reposado (CS# 089278 down 15% to $20), Milagro Tequila Reposado (CS# 089583 down 12% to $28), or Milagro Silver (CS# 088116 down 14% to $25).  All three of these go well in a classic Margarita, or in two great Tequila coolers: the Margarita Cooler and the Tequila Mojito.

Cocktail ingredients Utah update – June 2013

Mint Julep is a summertime favorite.

June brings the beginning of summer, and with summer comes hot weather.  Hot weather and yard work make for thirsty people, so when cocktail hour rolls around Utah amateur mixologists should have plenty of takers for their cocktails. There are some quality cocktail ingredients on sale this month at the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores, so you can get what you need to make some tall coolers or shake up some great cocktails.  The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) this month rose from around 300 for May to a more generous 357 in June.  Here are some ideas on how to use this month’s sale items to improve your cocktail offerings.

June 15 is World Gin Day, but there are only a few Gins marked down this month.  If you love Gin and Tonics to cool down in the hot weather, you might want to stock up on New Amsterdam Gin (CS# 031475 down 20% to $12), an excellent Gin for the price. Try some Tanqueray ($22) in a Classic Martini. 

The usual mix of Tequilas is marked down in June, but you might want to try my favorite bargain Tequila: Familia Camarena Silver or Reposado, both of which are marked down this month 15% to $17.  If you’ve never tried one, give the Tequila Mojito a try.  There are not a lot of Rums on SPA this month, but you might want to try some Cruzan Light (8% to $22) in a Mojito or the classic Rum and Coke.

There is a handful of blended Scotch Whiskies marked down this month, but only one 750ml bottle: Johnnie Walker 12 year old ($37).  If you’re searching for a Scotch cocktail to try this month, consider trying the classic Bobby Burns.  As for Bourbons, there are about a dozen on sale this month, including single barrel offerings from Blanton and Eagle Rare.  If you like Mint Julep (I know I do), you might want to try one with Eagle Rare (down 10% to $28).

As to any other sale or clearance items, if you see a great deal on anything at your local state store that other cocktailians might enjoy, post a response to this article.  See the following list “Suggested by the author” for information on how to use the Utah DABC website.  You can check out what else is on sale (e.g. the wines, etc.) by clicking through to the “SPA Product List” to open an online price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month.

Cocktail ingredients Utah update – May 2013

The Campden Cocktail is a treat of Gin and Lillet.

The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) at the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores this month held steady this month.  There are, as always, some quality cocktail ingredients available this month, so you can get what you need to shake up some great cocktails.  Here are some ideas on how to use this month’s sale items to improve your cocktail repertoire.

The selection of Tequilas this month is not bad!  This month Milagro Silver and Reposado are both marked down in the 13% range to $25 and $28 respectively. Combine them with Gran Gala Orange Liqueur (an excellent, low cost Triple Sec marked down 14% to $19) to make a dynamite Margarita.  You will also find Sauza Hornitos Reposado (11% to $24) and Plata (12% to $22) on sale, as well as similar markdowns on 1800 Reposado and Silver.

Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of Bourbons on sale for the derby this month; Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey is available for $23 ($3 off) and makes a great Mint Julep, or you might want to try a BLT, and that’s about it for quality Bourbons.  There a couple of blended Scotch Whiskies marked down this month: liters of Chivas Regal are marked down around $3 to $37 and the large bottles of Dewars White Label are marked down to $46.  If you’re searching for a Scotch cocktail to try this month, consider going outlaw with a Rob Roy.

The picks of the Gins this month are Tanqueray Ten and Beefeater. The Tanqueray Ten (marked down 9% to $29) goes well in a Campden Cocktail; this little known cocktail is one you should try. The Beefeater is in the giant economy-sized bottle (1750ml) and is probably best enjoyed by hard-core Beefeater fans, although if you love Gin and Tonics in the summertime, this might be a good time to stock up.

As to any other sale or clearance items, if you see a great deal on anything at your local state store that other cocktailians might enjoy, post a response to this article.  See the following list “Suggested by the author” for information on how to use the Utah DABC website.  You can check out what else is on sale (e.g. the wines, etc.) by clicking through to the “SPA Product List” to open an online price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month.

Party like Gatsby with these Jazz Age cocktails

Mint Juleps were a hot weather favorite
in the days before central air.

The May 10 opening of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby guarantees that some of us will either be hosting or attending Jazz Age themed cocktail parties.  The Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties coexist (along with Prohibition) during the 1920’s, a riotous, hard-partying, post-war era that began to fizzle with the onset of the Great Depression.  Scott Fitzgerald is credited with coining the term “Jazz Age” in 1922.  Three characteristics of the Jazz Age are hot cocktails, hot music, and hot women (not necessarily in that order).  Think of your great-grandmother (or don’t).  According to the New York Times of the period, "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession."  Pre-release reviews of the film lead one to believe that Luhrmann has not underplayed the famous parties that Gatsby threw nightly at his mansion in West Egg as he tried to attract the attention of Daisy Buchanan.

While you may not be as rich as Jay Gatsby, you should be able to drink as well as he did.  Some of that Prohibition hooch that Gatsby was bootlegging was probably pretty bad, after all, even though it made him rich enough to buy the good stuff that he probably served his guests.  Although Fitzgerald does not go into much detail on the drinks (strange for such a confirmed drinker), we may assume that many of the classic cocktails known to have been popular in the Twenties were the ones being served at his parties.  A word to the wise: any cocktail either named after Scott’s friend Ernest Hemingway (or invented by him) would not have been served at one of Gatsby’s parties.

Highballs, while not cocktails, have been enjoyed since the late nineteenth century.  I can remember my grandfather making them for my aunts and uncles at Thanksgiving Dinner in the mid-twentieth century, so their popularity stood the test of time.  Some of Gatsby’s guests are sure to have ordered them.  Highballs are mixed drinks composed of a shot of liquor and a larger portion of a non-alcoholic mixer served on rocks in a tall glass.  "Scotch and Soda," for example, is a highball made with Scotch Whisky and carbonated water.  Champagne, of course, is de rigueur in a list of popular drinks from any period, but it’s not a cocktail and requires no details.  We will, however, start with a Champagne cocktail…

Many of Gatsby’s guests were doubtless in the mood for something a little stronger than a run-of-the-mill Champagne cocktail.  The French 75, developed during the Great War, would fill that bill deliciously.  Named after the famous French cannon of World War I, it has a nice kick and never misfires.  Assuming Gatsby could get some decent Gin, this beauty would have been a hit. 

The Manhattan is a true American original, originating in the 1870s.  Today it is commonly mixed with either Bourbon or Rye.  Named after the fabled island near West Egg, it would have been popular during the Roaring Twenties, but chances are that, in the depths of Prohibition, most Whiskey cocktails would have been made with Canadian Whiskey.  Lately, my favorite Manhattan is made with High West Double Rye and Lillet Blanc.  Be careful though, Manhattans are so good they can be addicting. 

The classic Mint Julep has been Churchill Down's signature cocktail since 1938, but it was well over 100 years old by then.  It first appeared in print very early in the nineteen century, so it may even have originated in the eighteenth.  Daisy has Tom order up some ice for Mint Julep to beat the heat at The Plaza Hotel, and Whiskey lovers would have been clamoring for one at any Jazz Age party when mint was in season and the weather was hot.

The Old Fashioned is an especially versatile cocktail to have in your repertoire because you can make an Old Fashioned with just about any good liquor you have.  A perennial favorite, and probably a favorite of Gatsby’s guests, the venerable Old Fashioned gets its name because it is perhaps the first cocktail.  It would not, of course, have been called “old fashioned” at the time: back then it was the latest thing and even today, it never goes out of style.

The Martini is the classic cocktail.  It’s so iconic that its name is often used to mean “cocktail,” and a cocktail glass is often called a “martini glass”.  Given that Gin was often the booze of choice during the Roaring Twenties, and assuming that Gatsby was pouring decent Gin (let’s hope, most of the time, the quality of the Gin used back then was dubious), Martinis were surely a popular request at his nightly parties at the mansion.  Since the primary ingredient of a Martini is Gin, you will be much happier if you use your best for this cocktail.

Like many other classic cocktails, the origins of the Gin Rickey seem to be lost in time. It is supposed to have been invented by Colonel “Joe” Rickey who was a lobbyist in Washington, DC, again around the turn of the century.  A long drink, it is useful if you want to moderate your consumption of alcohol.  One of the few cocktail specifically mentioned in the book, Gin Rickeys were mixed by Tom Buchanan for a lunch with Gatsby and Nick Carraway.  Tom probably used Rose’s Lime Juice, but fresh lime is better.

The Vodka Gimlet is a very simple drink: Vodka + sweetened lime juice = Vodka Gimlet.  (A Gimlet familiaris is made with Gin: originally this was probably bathtub gin due to the cocktail’s birth during the Roaring Twenties, but we needed something for the Vodka drinkers).  Astute readers will have noted that it’s a lot like a Rickey served “up” and without the soda.  Back in the day, they probably used Rose’s Lime Juice, but I recommend Fresh lime juice and just enough sugar to keep you happy.

The Sazerac is reputed to be the original cocktail, first concocted in New Orleans.  The story goes that the Sazerac was invented in the early nineteenth century by Antoine Amadie Peychaud, who also first developed Peychaud’s Bitters.  This brown beauty is almost straight Whiskey (it was originally made with Cognac) and would most likely only have been requested when good Whiskey was available. 

Our final cocktail, Corpse Reviver #2, is not one that you would have drunk at one of Gatsby’s bacchanals, as a putative hangover cure, it is intended to be drunk the morning  after.  This classic was born at the dawn of the twentieth century and the original recipe may be found in the Savoy Cocktail Book, where one is informed that “four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”