Sunday, February 20, 2011

Kümmel Explained, plus Two Easy and Flavor-Popping Cocktail Recipes

The world is full of strange and exotic liqueurs (or cordials, if you prefer). Take kümmel, for instance (or kummel, without the umlaut; or even kimmel, as this is the closest pronunciation in English). Perhaps you’ve spotted a bottle of Gilka brand at the liqueur store, with a penguin wearing a kaiser helmet and monocle. How utterly German. Berlin, in fact.

For those of you who are aficionados, you already know the power of kümmel. It lies in its distinct flavor: caraway. After all, kümmel means caraway in German and Dutch. It also means cumin; both spices come from the same family. So it wouldn’t be amiss to find some kümmel liqueur that has notes of cumin in it as well. Some producers even add the flavors of fennel seeds to the process.

It is believed that kümmel was first created in the late 16th century in Holland by Lucas Bols, and because of its popularity, it spread east to Germany, then Russia, where most of the world’s kümmel is produced today.

Our association with this liqueur began several years ago when Cousin Jon gifted us a bottle (he’s such a nice guy). Of course we tasted it immediately and decided to get busy to come up with some cocktails.


CiCi will make your mouth sing as you settle into your evening.

Steve played with it first and came up with a nice take on an after-dinner sipper that unites the caraway flavors of the kümmel with the delicate bittersweet taste of elderflower. He then grounded the mix in a bath of cognac. Ooh-la-la. A very merry distinct flavor emerges from the first sip as the two flavors create one new flavor. Herbal, floral, a perfect way to end a meal and head into the prospects the evening has to offer. The name he bestowed upon this libation was CiCi. Why? Well, who can remember at this point, but the name stuck. You can have a CiCi during cocktail hour as well. Pop in a brandied or marasche cherry, and serve it up or on the rocks.

CiCi
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces cognac
1 ounces kümmel
1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)
marasche cherry, as garnish (optional)

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled glass. If serving as an after-dinner drink, split this between two people and use smaller glasses (see photo above).

❤ ❤ ❤


The Remington, with its lick of caraway, is one smooth cocktail thanks to Canadian whisky, some fresh orange juice, and sweet vermouth.

Coming up with our next drink, the Remington, happened by accident. In this case, a happy one. We were craving Oriental Cocktails one night, but were out of lime juice. All we had was one orange in the fridge. So Paul decided to use orange juice instead of lime juice, and swap out the triple sec in an Oriental for something more exotic. Adding triple sec to orange juice just seemed redundant. Kümmel, on the other hand, proved to be a dynamite choice; shaking it up with orange juice and sweet vermouth creates a smooth citrus-bittersweet tang that makes your whole mouth feel good. So smooth, and a pinkish shade of amber. We both looked at each other and winked. “Lady smooth.”

As we threw our heads back and laughed, one of us added, “Like a Lady Remington.”

“Let’s call it a Remington. That way, a guy would want to order one too. He’ll never know how the name actually originated.”

“Utterly devious.”

“Cheers.”

There’s a little addendum to these recipes. Paul knows a young brilliant drummer named Cici who works with a young brilliant writer named Chris who has a lovely wife named Mary née Remington. Mary happens to be a hugely devoted caraway fan. Wheel in the sky, keep on turning.

Remington
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces Canadian whisky
1 ounce sweet vermouth (try Carpano Antica)
1 scant ounce orange juice
1/4 ounce kümmel

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. You can use blood orange juice to give your Remington a spikier, more bittersweet edge.



photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Love the Manhattan { a riff on our most cherished cocktail }


Manhattans = Love. Enjoy a Black Manhattan to celebrate the month of l’amour.

Deep in the heart of winter, February rolls around with a promise of love to warm you up. Another perfect way to warm up is with the cocktail we truly love, the Manhattan. It’s the ideal antidote to a bitter-cold winter evening. It evokes age-old cocktail glamour and satisfies like nothing else. We love a two-to-one ratio of whiskey to sweet vermouth, with a dash or two of bitters. Beyond that, there is room to play. You can substitute Averna, a bittersweet Sicilian amaro, for the vermouth for a deep, rich Black Manhattan; or Mirto, a Sardinian sloe berry liqueur that adds almost a hint of menthol. And if you don’t want to stray too far from our favored recipe, you can enjoy an Orange Bitters Manhattan. Just make sure you have some orange bitters on hand and a more bitter vermouth, such as Punt e Mes. For brownie points, try mixing in a new whiskey variety for your own take on this enduring classic, or another fortified wine, such as Dubonnet rouge, in lieu of the vermouth. The possibilities are endless.



Manhattan
(Cocktail Buzz’s preferred ratio)

Ingredients
2 ounces rye whiskey (or bourbon)
1 ounce sweet vermouth (we like Carpano Antica)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
maraschino, brandied, or marascha cherry, for garnish.

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Add cherry.

Black Manhattan
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces rye whiskey (or bourbon)
1 ounce Averna
2 dashes Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged bitters
maraschino, brandied, or marascha cherry, for garnish.

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Add cherry.

Myrtle Manhattan
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
3/4 ounces rye (we like Sazerac)
3/4 ounces bourbon (we like Eagle Rare Single Barrel)
3/4 ounces mirto (Sardinian or Corsican myrtle liqueur)
dash orange bitters
dash Peychaud’s bitters
maraschino, brandied, or marascha cherry, for garnish.

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Add cherry.

Orange Bitters Manhattan
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces bourbon or rye (try a wheated bourbon, such as Old Fitzgerald’s 1849 or Maker’s Mark)
1 ounces Punt e Mes sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters
maraschino, brandied, or marascha cherry, for garnish.

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Add cherry.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates are a perfect pairing for any of these Manhattans, with the bonus of being incredibly easy to throw together.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Ingredients
2 dozen dates
12 slices bacon (we like regular or low-sodium)
almonds (optional)

Method
You can either preheat oven to 350°F or use an outdoor grill, with hot coals. Cut the bacon in half and wrap a strip around each date. You can insert an almond into the dates through its natural hole if you desire, for added flavor. Place the bacon-wrapped dates (with the seam side down) onto a lined baking sheet, or a grill pan if using an outdoor grill. Bake for 15 minutes, until the bacon looks crispy. If using an outdoor grill, flip the dates, cooking about 5 minutes on each side, or until the bacon looks crispy. Remove from heat and add toothpicks if you desire.

Serves 6.

A version of the article first appeared on BarNoneDrinks.com.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Super Bowl Means Drinks and Snacks and We’ve Got Some Great Recipes


Chorizo Sobres are ideal for a Super Bowl party. Perfect with a Sidewinder, these small bites filled with spiced Spanish sausage and peaches disappear quickly. Serve them with our cooling dipping sauce.

The Super Bowl is like the Oscars: It lasts a lot longer than you think it’s going to. So what are you going to imbibe for four hours while you and your gridiron-loving guests are huddled around the flat screen watching the Steelers and the Packers ram each other? How about some porky apps washed down with a few highballs. But more on that in a moment.

P(r)ep TimeEven though neither team keeps a cheerleading squad on the payroll, you can easily rectify this. During a lull in the action, or better yet, before the game begins, gather your guests and assign a captain/choreographer to come up with some basic, fun cheers for when your team scores a touchdown, safety, or field goal. For extra credit, you or the guest who emits the most artistic flair can create a dance-piece interpretation to be performed as the Black Eyed Peas entertain us with the theme to Dirty Dancing during halftime. (Hint: you and your partner need to rent or stream this iconic movie now to learn a few steps. And when the Black Eyed Peas start their crooning, just go for it and feel the rhythm of the music take control. Your guests will be surprised by your “spontaneity” and be equally impressed with your terpsichorean prowess.)


Go Team! But what are you going to eat and drink for four hours?
Drink Time
To do all this, you’ll need some drinks to carry you through the blessed event, but ones that won’t weigh you down. You don’t want to be snoring in front of the television when your favorite team scores the winning touchdown. We suggest highballs for most of your viewing. And only ones with an ounce or an ounce and a half of booze, filled with ice, and topped with soda or your favorite soft drink. Keep it simple. Keep it tasty. Keep ’em coming. Here are a few recommendations.

Presbyterian

Ingredients
1 to 1/2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
equal parts ginger ale and soda (about 1 ounce each)
ice

Method
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the whiskey. Give it a little stir. Top with ginger ale and soda. If you're feeling fancy, add a lemon twist.

Sidewinder

Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila (you can use reposado tequila if you like a little more bite)
ginger ale (you can use ginger beer is you like a little more zing)
ice
lime wedge

Method
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the tequila. Give it a little stir. Top with ginger ale. Squeeze lime and drop wedge in glass.

And because of the sheer number of Polish-Americans who will be rooting for either team (Milwaukee and Pittsburgh Polish population rivals that of Warsaw), we suggest a Buffalo Fizz.


Buffalo Fizz
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 to 1/2 ounces Żubrówka (Polish bison grass vodka; try Żu brand)
Sparkling apple cider (such as Martinelli’s)
ice

Method
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the bison grass vodka. Give it a little stir. Top with sparkling cider.

Snack Time
Pigs in a Blanket are perfect with a Buffalo Fizz. Just make sure you make plenty

For some accompanying grub, we suggest some pigs in a blanket and chorizo sobres. And if you’ve already gone through the trouble of deep-frying some of the sobres, why not slice up some sweet potatoes to make some homemade potato crisps, seasoned with a warming spice blend. Just click on the links to read the recipes.

How’s that choreography coming?


Seasoned sweet potato crisps will keep the fans happy throughout the Super Bowl. Just keep a few bowls filled with them scattered about the room.