Part of the fun of drinking cocktails is tapping into a history and a culture of a particular time. This is a discussion of drinks, spirits, bartending, and history for beginners and professionals alike.
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Today's new cocktail is a tip of the glass to an exotic Hollywood
star of old, Lupe Vélez.
Vélez had the distinction of being the first (or at least one of the very
first) Mexican actresses to break into Hollywood. She was feisty from a
young age, a deviant child sent to a convent at thirteen – which only
made matters worse. By her late teens she showed a passion for the
theater and vaudeville, and left Mexico to make her Hollywood
silent-film debut in 1927. She transitioned to talkies and starred
opposite the likes of Jimmy Durante, Gary Cooper, Lon Chaney, and Edward
G. Robinson. Many films and a Broadway-stint later, she became as
well-known for her exotic image on the screen as for her strong and
passionate personality off it. In the late 1930′s, she was making comedies, most notably as a fiery
Mexican girl in the aptly named “The Girl From Mexico,” a role she
reprised six more times in films named, “The Mexican Spitfire.” It was a
fitting persona that revitalized her career and quickly became her
nickname (though she apparently wasn’t happy about it). On the other side of the camera, her life was just as torrid,
including affairs with numerous co-stars (such as Gary Cooper - about whom she said 'he had the biggest member in Hollywood, but not the buttocks to use it'), a rocky
marriage with “Tarzan” actor, Jonny Weissmuller, and an out-of-wedlock
pregnancy with actor Harald Maresch. This was seemingly her reason for
suicide. Vélez took her life and that of her unborn child on December
14th, 1944, and named Maresch as the father in her suicide note. She was
36 years old. It’s the circumstances of her death that are even more controversial.
The photos and files on her crime scene mysteriously disappeared,
leading to a wealth of founded and unfounded gossip. On the positive
end, the first story had her dying in a peaceful sleep in an expensive
gown on her silk-covered bed after overdosing on Seconal sleeping pills.
Sadly, the most prominent story was the rumour that she was found
drowned in her own toilet (and vomit) – hardly a glamorous end for a
Hollywood star. It was only last year – seventy years later – that a
crime scene photo of a deceased Vélez was discovered and validated,
showing her lying peacefully on the floor in a beautiful floral dress. In remembrance of the lovely Miss Vélez – her talent, passion, and
Hollywood suicide – we raise a glass with the “Mexican
Spitfire.” It’s a tart, fiery strong, but fruity and refreshing mix of
tequila blanco, fresh lime, pineapple juice, Green Chartreuse, and a touch of habanero pepper tincture (courtesy of Scrappy's Firewater).
1.5 oz tequila blanco 0.5 oz green chartreuse 0.75 oz pineapple juice 0.5 oz lime juice dash Scrappy's Firewater (to taste) Shake with ice, double strain.
August is film noir month at the Pacific Cinematheque in downtown Vancouver. Lately for me every month has been film noir month as I've been renting droves of dark and depressing classics from the library. I've named several of my few original drinks after some of these films and will be sharing a couple recipes. I highly encourage you to make it to at least one of the films being shown at the Cinematheque as they have consistently great programming and operate almost entirely on the generosity of volunteers. Commemorate your visit with a classic cocktail, or perhaps even with one of mine.
First is a Martinez variation named after one of Orson Welle's most famous films, 1958's "Touch of Evil." This film follows a Mexican narcotics officer played by Charlton Heston who is caught up in a drug war involving both Mexican and American police and crime families. He finds corruption in the most dangerous of places, an American Police Captain played by a bloated and slimy Welles, and the more he uncovers the more he puts both himself and his new wife (Janet Leigh) in danger. This movie is dark and disturbing (including a surprisingly unsubtle gang-rape scene), visually ahead of its time, and has a last act that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Interestingly, at first Welles wanted nothing to do with the picture, and when he became involved the script underwent some major changes. Heston actually agreed to do the film under the impression that Welles was going to direct, but this was a misunderstanding and the studio had no such intention. Heston supposedly refused to do the film unless Welles did in fact direct, and the studio changed its mind. Unfortunately the studio essentially fired him after the shooting was finished and made major alterations to the editing of the film. Before his death, Welles left instructions on how he wanted the film recut, which were carried out and the film was re-released in 1998 to his specifications.
This cocktail smells and tastes of smoke and dark spices, reminding me of Welles in this film. It is still quite smooth, however, and the proportions and addition of Jerry Thomas bitters make it delightfully dry. On a further conceptual (and silly) note, the Martinez is an American drink with a Spanish name and I am using Mexican spirits rather than the usual English gin. In Touch of Evil, Heston - an American actor - plays a Mexican whom they call "Mike," a typical American name. All in all it's just a fun twist on a classic. Cheers!
Touch of Evil 1oz mezcal 1oz tequila reposado or anejo 1/2oz Carpano Antica sweet vermouth 1/4oz maraschino Dash Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas' Own Decanter Bitters
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.
Jay sticks with his typically spirit-forward and boozy style and again uses Amaro Averna, but this time incorporates a little smoke from the very peaty Ardbeg and some spice and depth from the Moondog bitters. The cocktail comes out tasting surprisingly light and soft, very balanced, and is an excellent showcase for the Don Julio Reposado.
I'll let Jay introduce his cocktail himself:
"Debuting at Bittered Sling Bistro [the bi-monthly series at Legacy Liquor Store], "The Jaguar" was designed to embrace and resound the characteristics of Don Julio Reposado Tequila, while simultaneously pairing with Chef Jonathan Chovancek's dish of pressed pork, Mayacoba beans, smokey vegetable broth, and crispy ramps. Furthermore, the use of Bittered Sling bitters was required - the range of hand-crafted extracts being the inspiration behind the event itself.
The cocktail addresses both challenges by featuring compliments and contrasts to specific tasting notes:
Averna helps create a fuller weight on the palate, while its bitter depth creates structure an earthy tones that match the beans, vegetables, and natural personality of aged Tequila. The chocolatey tastes add a decadence to the flavour experience.
The Moondog bitters provide spicy amplification to the cocktail while showcasing the Tequila's bite and the seasoning of the dish.
A finishing mist of Ardbeg Alligator single malt Scotch binds elements with an assertive waft of smoke and char - perfect for pork - and adds savoury to compliment the sweet components of the drink.
Fresh lemon oil introduces a bright aroma to invite and trim some edge appropriately from the bolder elements.
The cocktail is named for the indigenous animal of Mexico - the jaguar is recognized as a national symbol. The sometimes black-furred jungle cat is known for its grace and power, and has a particularly powerful jaw. In tandem with the animal's impressive fangs, it is capable of piercing an alligator's hide..."
If you are lucky enough to have both a little Don Julio and some Ardbeg sitting around (or perhaps suitable substitutions), pick up some Moondog and try this bad boy at home. Otherwise, take a trip to Market and have Jay make one for you.
Cheers!
The Jaguar
1.5oz Don Julio Reposado Tequila 3/4oz Amaro Averna 4 firm dashes Bittered Sling Moondog 3 mists of Ardbeg Alligator Single Malt Scotch Lemon peel
Combine Tequila, bitters, and Averna and stir with plenty of fresh ice cubes until well-chilled. Fine-strain into a cocktail coupe. Mist the surface of the cocktail thrice with Ardbeg Alligator, then zest thoroughly with lemon peel before wiping the rim and garnishing.
Our next contribution comes from a first-timer on this site, Mr. Justin Taylor - lead bartender at Yew Restaurant and Bar in the Four Seasons in downtown Vancouver. Originally from Ontario, Justin brings over fifteen years of experience behind the bar and some award-winning efforts, including placing second in the Giffard Iron Bar competition last year and going on to represent Canada in the Giffard International Cocktail Challenge held in France. His approach to drink creation is bold and modern, using barrel-aging on both his cocktails and his spirits, making liqueurs in-house, and infusing with spice and even actual pieces of meat (buffalo in vodka - for real). A look over Yew's cocktail list shows a lot of classic inspiration, such as the "Golden Eye," a Vesper-variation using house barrel-aged genever, vodka, and Lillet, or the "Yew Gimlet," adding Aperol and house-made Velvet Falernum to the gin and lime mix. Continue on, though, and you'll find some pretty crazy combinations, like the "Crow's Foot" using single malt whisky, Lichi Li, melon, vanilla, cranberry and lemon, or "La Bonne Mere" with Fernet Branca, chocolate, strawberry, and sparkling wine (I know, right?). He even gets into shrub territory with his "Ebi Sunomono" mixture of gin, cucumber, yuzu, and rice wine vinegar.
His menu does have a selection of great classics too for the less adventurous, including the less-seen Lucien Gaudin and Twentieth Century.
It's plain to see that Kale & Nori's approach to drink is in line with Justin's, so the Bittered Sling Extracts are a good fit. Justin has generously shared three of his original cocktails today, each using a different extract, and each using a different technique for creation.
First we start with his "Rosemary Collins," for which he infuses Bombay Sapphire Gin with rosemary. According to Justin, "the Bittered Sling Cranberry really adds a depth to this simple and refreshing cocktail."
Combine ingredients, shake with ice, and pour over ice in a highball. Top with soda and garnish with rosemary and cranberries.
Next up is a twist on the New Amsterdam cocktail in which Justin uses Boomsma genever that he has aged in an American oak barrel with medium char for six weeks. Justin describes this one as "a slow-sipping cocktail with deep complex flavours from the Bittered Sling extract and the oak-aging." Presumably you could try this one with an oude genever, but we can't get any here in Canada, so this is an altogether fun and adventurous experiment!
Combine all ingredients with ice and stir. Pour over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a "generous spray" of orange oil.
Lastly, we have a cocktail that will be used for the second installment of the Yew Shake It competition (see below), Justin's "Unusual Margarita." Here he goes a step even further, aging a 4:1 mixture of Hornitos Tequila and St. Germain elderflower liqueur in a medium charred American oak barrel for four weeks. The Moondog bitters "bring spice to this cocktail and makes for the most unusual Margarita."
Unusual Margarita 2.5oz Barrel-Aged Tequila and St. Germain 2oz pineapple juice 1/2oz lime juice 5 dashes Bittered Sling Moondog
Combine all ingredients with ice in a mason jar and shake.
There are some fun programs happening at Yew as well, if you haven't made it down yet, such as the "We Make It "Yew" Shake It," where the bartenders combine your ingredients for you in a mason jar, and you shake it. Take your picture while you're shaking and post it to their (or Justin's) Facebook or Twitter pages, and he best (or worst?) picture will win you a gift certificate to Yew. They've also got Foxy Friday's happening each week - show up wearing some pink and you get a free appetizer and drink special. Altogether fun stuff.
Thanks to Justin and the Yew team for this contribution!
One bar I really wanted to include this time is an iconic name in the cocktail-scene - Milk & Honey in New York. Getting in touch with owner Sasha Petraske sadly revealed the news that M&H can't participate in any kind of press or promotion "that might increase walk-in foot traffic on Eldridge Street, due to the arrangement with the landlord," which is all fine and good and keeps them enigmatic, but on the bright side it gave me a new place to research a little bit. Sasha, who's behind several New York establishments, gave me his favourite Averna cocktail, courtesy of former bartender (and co-owner of the craft ice company, Hundredweight Ice) Zack Gelinaw-Rubin, at another of Sasha's bars, Dutch Kills in Long Island City.
Sasha, along with former M&H bartender Richard Boccato, opened Dutch Kills, named after the inlet that extends into the heart of Long Island City, in 2009 with a more accessible and older feel (and slightly cheaper prices) than the speakeasy-style, find-the-right-phone-number-to-get-the-right-password-to-enter-through-the-side-door-type establishments in NYC. Checking out the history page on their website reveals that this area of Dutch settlement in the mid 1600's also served as a British Army garrison during the Revolutionary war, unified into Long Island City in 1870, and was finally incorporated into the City of Greater New York in 1898, and this latter time period is really where the bar seems to take its inspiration in terms of history. Upon arriving at said website (dutchkillsbar.com), the music takes you right back to the late 19th century, and I'm ecstatic to find out that there are actual live bands playing ragtime and early jazz at the bar on select evenings. The drink menu is laid out like a turn of the century newspaper, complete with full recipes and instructions, and all of the drinks either fit in with the Jerry Thomas era, are simple classics from the 1930's, or new originals in the aforementioned styles. I love a simple, classic drink, and seeing something like a 2011 original, the "Bloody Knuckle," with just American rye, Aperol, sloe gin, and orange bitters, really gets me excited to have a drink (nothing against modern, creative mixology, I just find myself more interested in the simple and well-crafted). The outside is lit simply by a sign reading "bar," and the amount of brick, concrete, and wood inside and outside really transport you to saloon times - before Prohibition and its speakeasies.
As for today's cocktail, Sasha touts this as "the best Averna cocktail he's ever had," and it takes us back to Tequila, but this time in very different proportions with the Averna at a full ounce, and like the last couple we've seen, simple in concept as its just a Tequila sour. Maple syrup is something you'd see occasionally in post-Prohibition drinks, for example Quebec's Larry Denis cocktails in the 1940's, and the key with using it today is that you use actual maple syrup. Don't buy Aunt Jemima and mix it with your nice spirits.
You may notice that the brand of Tequila is not specified. This is
because Sasha believes "picking the base spirit is really up to the
individual bartender - it is not for the recipe author to dictate."
Debbie Don't
1oz Tequila Reposado 1oz Averna Amaro 0.75oz lemon juice 0.5oz maple syrup
Combine all ingredients with ice and shake. Strain straight up into a cocktail glass.
Please do check out the website, they have a list of some amazing drinks, with pictures, recipes, instructions, and sources listed both on the menu and gallery pages. I'm going to have to make some of these tonight! They also have an explanation of each type of ice they'll be using to concoct your tipple.
Next time I'm in New York, I'm going to make sure I have time to get to Long Island City, if just to see Dutch Kills, because immersing yourself into an era is the most exciting thing about exploring cocktails, and nothing will do that like ragtime and honky-tonk on an old piano, a polished wood bar, and a couple of well-crafted classic drinks. If you're there, do the same.
Thanks to Sasha and Zack for the contribution!
[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]
[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]
For the next cocktail, I'm going to head south to San Francisco's Mission District for a first-time contributor. You might not have heard of it if you're more of a cocktail nerd, like me, and less of a food nerd, (and you don't live in San Francisco) but the more reading I did on the SF scene the more a name started to pop up as a 'surprisingly' good, and fairly new cocktail bar: Beretta. Known seemingly first and foremost for their food, being named consistently one of the best Italian restaurants in the city, if not one of the best overall, and getting impressive reviews in The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Gourmet and Details magazines, and the list goes on. It was even recently named by Food & Wine to be one of the top 50 bars in America. So why 'surprising' when it comes to drinks? I think mostly it's just that the food reputation was so high that people came to eat and then were surprised at how great the cocktails were. Either way, Beretta is being recognized for both, and that's great news.
The barstaff has all the good kinds of experience, coming from other big names like Bourbon & Branch and Slanted Door, the service is consistently reviewed as impeccable, and despite the buzz that's been heard around this place since it opened in 2008, the consensus is again and again that it lives up to the hype. Southern Italian cuisine is really what they do, in particular pizza, so make sure you go for a drink and a snack.
The menu is short and simple, which I always appreciate. Rifling through pages and pages of complicated concoctions, as creative or delicious as they may be, makes me want to ignore the menu altogether. It's supposed to be a good starting point, a few suggestions, and more importantly, a show of what the bar staff enjoy to make right now. That's how I feel anyway. Yes, yes, digression...
The majority of the drinks on the menu are very refreshing, like "Nuestra Paloma," using Tequila, elderflower, Cointreau, grapefruit, and bitters, or the "Lonsdale," using gin, apple, basil, and honey. Others are simple, like their "Anejo Sour," and they have a classic or two as well, including one of my go-to drinks at home, the "Monte Carlo," with American rye, Benedictine, and bitters.
The head of the cocktail program, Ryan Fitzgerald, sticks with this mentality for his Amaro April cocktail, keeping things very simple. We again see Tequila (those SF'ers sure love their agave, but they have copious amounts of good quality stuff, so it makes sense), pairing it with Averna, then using Cointreau and orange bitters to really pull the citrus out. Ryan prefers to use Pueblo Viejo Tequila, and Angostura Orange bitters (which you better grab fast because I hear they're being pulled off the market - in Canada, anyway), which is much more dense and spicy than any other orange bitters I've tried. Using these will really lengthen the taste of any cocktail, opposed to using one like Regan's, which - while excellent - is much drier and dies quicker on the palate. Averna has some subtle citrus character that will play well with the orange in the cocktail, and being quite thick and fairly sweet, will change the texture of the drink and balance everything out.
Without further adieu, here is "Sevilla," named after the bitter variety of orange, from Ryan Fitzgerald at Beretta in San Francisco.
Sevilla
2 oz Pueblo Viejo Añejo Tequila
0.5 oz Averna Amaro
0.5 oz Cointreau
2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
Stir over ice, then strain into a small old fashioned glass over ice. Squeeze an orange twistover top and add it to the drink.
[[ Photography by "Cooking With The Single Guy," and Beretta ]]
[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]
[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]
Let's kick things off with a couple aperitivo-style cocktails using some lighter amari. First, we once again visit Shaun Layton at L'Abattoir in Vancouver's Gastown for a great spring/summer drink using Aperol and Campari, but the latter in an unusual way. Shaun makes a 2:1 simple syrup and adds Campari and a rhubarb stalk to it, adding a bitter-sweet layer of complexity. Rhubarb is a perfect addition as both the Campari and Aperol, the latter in particular, have this flavour and aroma. Tequila holds a steady backbone behind this potent ingredient, as we saw with several of the Maraschino cocktails last month, an overproof rum cuts through with the alcoholic edge, and the lime settles everything down. Wray and Nephew is a good choice as well for mixing with strong, bitter flavours, like we saw with The Pandemonium cocktail from Veneto in Victora during Fernet February. I'm in the process of convincing Shaun to throw a batch of this syrup together, so this cocktail might be making an appearance soon - make your way down to L'Abattoir to find out...
The One Hit Wonder
45mL El Jimador Tequila Blanco 30mL fresh lime juice 15mL Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum 15mL Rhubarb-Campari syrup 10mL Aperol Grapefruit peel
Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake hard before double-straining into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a long piece of grapefruit peel.
To make the rhubarb-Campari syrup: Combine 4 parts sugar to 2 parts water to 1 part Campari in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often. Bring heat down to simmer and add 1 large stalk of finely-diced rhubarb. Let simmer for 30-60 minutes, strain, and let cool. Store in the fridge.
If you don't have a measuring tool with mL's, 1oz is close to 30mL (so 45 ~ 1.5oz, 15mL ~ 1/2oz, 10mL ~ 1/3oz).
(See my review of L'Abattoir here, and search "L'abattoir" in the top right of this blog to see other original cocktails from here)
[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]
In the current growing and exciting boom of cocktail culture there are many bars trying to jump on the band wagon and not really taking the time to either find knowledgeable and skilled staff, or at least taking the time to learn and train to at least grasp the concept of classic bartending or modern mixology. Some try to appeal to cocktail aficionados and sports pubbers alike by covering the bar in TV's broadcasting sports highlights and orange-tanned servers in tiny dresses, yet cover the menu in classic and respectable cocktails like the Vieux Carre, Last Word, Aviation, the rare Old Pal, and even some more current concoctions from big names like Pegu Club and Death & Co. The problem with bars such as these is the drinks are often dummed down to appeal to the typical audience (I have particular places in mind); eg. drop the Maraschino to 1/4oz instead of a 1/2 because not everyone likes the taste, add soda to The Last Word to blunt the flavours, shake the Manhattan's because you don't know what you're doing, etc.
Some establishments use a more modern mindset to creating a cocktail, using carbonation, creative infusions, self-made bitters and vermouths, all manners of fire, and even barrel-aging mixtures to come up with new and exciting ways to push "mixology."
Amidst everything that's happening now, and as more and more cities are building up their cocktail-destination repetoirs, there are still names that come up again and again as inspirations, trend-setters, the meccas of mixology, and the ultimate hangouts for connoisseurs of cocktaildom. There are two major cities in the history of the American cocktail: New York, with its PDT, Pegu Club, Death & Co., Milk & Honey (and the list goes on), and San Francisco with its Rickhouse and Bourbon & Branch (this list goes on as well). I am honoured to have Jayson Wilde, the general manager of Bourbon & Branch, contribute a Maraschino cocktail this month (and he will be returning next month with an Averna cocktail as well). B&B is a cocktail destination (they actually don't serve food) with a focus on Prohibition and the speakeasy culture. The location was a bar since 1867 and an actual speakeasy from 1921 to 1933, and was operated for a time as "JJ Russell's Cigar Shop," during which time John J. Russell the owner brought in booze from none other than Vancouver. The current incarnation of the bar takes its name from the term "branch water," used in the 1800s for pure, clean water (called a "branch"), and of course its brother-in-drink-arms at the time, bourbon (bourbon and water being a typical drink). B&B, like several bars in New York and Tavern Law in Seattle, attempts to retain its speakeasy atmosphere by using passwords to gain entry, and by having a second, secret bar called Wilson & Wilson (Private Detective Agency), where you need a further password to enter, and when you do you taste flights of three cocktails that change every night. B&B also has "house rules" that state, amongst some expected requests (such as that to "please speak-easy"), "no standing at the bar," "please exit quietly," and "don't even think of asking for a 'Cosmo.'" Pretentious? Definitely, but tons of fun, and something I'm sure that the true cocktail-hunters out there will appreciate now that more and more crappy bars are catching on and trying to fake it, or that we'll appreciate just to weed out the appreciative bunch out of the typical Saturday night crowds.
The crew here is skilled, and the cocktail list has had some seriously interesting stuff, like the "Autoroute Alpine," with a Dolin Blanc Vermouth base, Campari, lemon, honey, pepper, basil, and soda, or the "Winny De Puh," with reposado Tequila, lemon, honey, Mezcal, peach bitters, and cardamom, which you can enjoy while sitting in their very classic, warm, and red "library room," or in their maintained/recreated "Russell's Cigar Shop." This skilled crew will even teach you some of their craft in their "Beverage Academy." All in all, B&B is a must for any cocktail aficionado or anyone who cares about the craft.
On to the recipe...
Jayson is combining Maraschino with Tequila, as we have seen a couple times in this series, but aside from the very special pepper and blood orange touches, he's also doing something kind of crazy - infusing the Maraschino with Meyer lemons. If you've gotten into the cocktail world, you've probably seen a lot of infusions, particularly those of gin and maybe bourbon (there are a lot of infused vodkas too, but those are really just tinctures since vodka is flavourless), and maybe you've seen an infused Cointreau or something of that sort, but I for one have never seen an infused Maraschino. The Meyer lemon is a really interesting idea, as they're a little more sweet and soft than regular lemons.
As for the choice of Tequila, Jayson had this to say:
"I chose the Espolon Reposado for a couple of reasons. One is that I wanted something with a little bit of oak flavor to compliment the Cinnamon and Black Pepper. Also, I wanted to use something that wouldn't break the bank. I tried this recipe with a few other Reposado's (Siete Leguas, Partida, etc) and the Espolon actually worked the best with the flavor combinations."
This is all in all a big collection of fruits and spices and just looks delicious. Thank you Jayson and B&B for the contribution!
Cheers!
The Blood Lust
1.5 oz. Espolon Reposado Tequila
0.75 oz. Lemon Juice
0.5 oz. Blood Orange Syrup
0.25 oz. Meyer Lemon Infused Maraschino 1 dash of Black Pepper Tincture
Shake ingredients and strain into a large cocktail glass. Grate cinnamon over top to garnish.
To make the Blood Orange Syrup combine 3 parts Turbinado sugar to 2 parts fresh squeezed blood orange juice.
To make the Meyer Lemon Infused Maraschino infuse 3 thinly sliced Meyer Lemons and 2 full peels per one bottle of Luxardo Maraschino.
To make the Black Pepper Tincture infuse 2 oz. of whole black peppercorns with 6 oz. of Everclear
[[ see "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law here ]]
[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]
[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis of Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "Cherry Bob-omb" from Veneto here ]] [[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see the "Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]
As promised, we move on to a cocktail that uses, no joke, a full ounce and a half of Maraschino. General manager at The Refinery, Graham Racich, informed me upon accepting the challenge this month that he was going to use it as a base, and I believed him... but maybe I didn't really believe him. Once again, Tequila shows up as a complimentary ingredient to the Maraschino, and like The Last Word, so do Green Chartreuse and lime, but it's difficult to imagine how any flavours can poke through that ounce and a half. However, in The Last Word, both the lime and Chartreuse really prove to not only calm down the Maraschino but blend really well with it, and this is, as Graham puts it, an inverted version of it. Upon tasting, you got a strong hit of the Maraschino, but it backs off really quickly and you start to get the lime flavours, then last you get all the herbs and a bit of spice from the Chartreuse and Tequila. It's a surprisingly tame cocktail considering what's in it, and while very sweet in texture, isn't too much so in flavour. There's definitely room for experimenting here with other bitters, but if you want the true experience, get to The Refinery and have him make it with his house-made lime one.
Thanks to Graham and The Refinery for the contribution!
(you can check out my review of The Refinery here)
Here is, Primer Beso (meaning "first kiss" in Spanish).
Primer Beso
1.5 oz Maraschino
0.75oz Blanco Tequila
0.75oz fresh lime Juice
0.5oz Green Chartreuse
Dash of homemade lime bitters Shake and strain.
[[ see "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law here ]]
[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]
[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis at Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "The Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]
We head north again for the next two original cocktails, both of which use a lot more Maraschino than you'd expect, or probably have ever seen. First, is the "Cherry Bob-omb" (which I'm told is a Scott Pilgrim reference) from Simon Ogden at Veneto in Victoria. (You can see my review here).
Simon, head bartender at Veneto, is also a founding member and writer for the Lyric Stage Project (a collective of artists involved in theatre), spends much of his time not behind the bar on or around a theatre stage, and contributes as well to local publications and websites discussing drink in B.C. (such as Urban Diner). You can check out his personal blog here.
His influence is felt here in Vancouver as well, where you can go to the Clough Club (one of my favourite new cocktail bars) and order both his creation from Veneto "The Wax Poetic" (with bourbon, grapefruit, agave, lemon, Peychaud's, egg white, and flamed grapefruit peel), and "The Ogden" (bourbon, maple syrup, absinthe, menthe pastille, and flamed orange). The latter was created by Jay Jones, a director on the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association, and recently named the 2012 Canadian Bartender of the Year (you can find him at Market in the Shangri-la Hotel in downtown Vancouver).
Simon is one of many reasons why Veneto is such a great place, and to reiterate my review, I encourage anyone in Victoria to head down there as soon as possible if you enjoy well-crafted cocktails and delicious food.
Simon has created a cocktail specifically for this series that is "built to showcase the Maraschino specifically, and even with the light Tequila at the base, everything frames it nicely." It looks really interesting, and I'm excited to see how everything balances, but this is not one most of us will be able to make at home due to the addition of Guignolet, a cherry liqueur from Angers in France (from the same place and in part the same people who make Cointreau). The solution is simple - get to Veneto and have Simon make you one.
Cherry Bob-omb
1.5 oz El Jimador Blanco Tequila
1 oz Maraschino (I used Luxardo)
1 oz Giffard Guignolet D'Angers
1 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
2 dashes Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters
Stir together ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed grapefruit zest.
A point of interest here as well is the "stir" word showing up in a juice cocktail. I often say "shake anything with juice, cream, or egg - stir everything else," but this is a general rule and is thereby probably meant to be broken (much like shaking a Martini, which is fairly common). Simon says: "I personally stir most drinks with citrus juice. I think the notion that all citrus drinks should be shaken is a fallacy - citric acid blends just fine with alcohol on its own. It depends a lot on the size of the ice you're using and the other products. For example, syrup and egg white drinks should be shaken, but that's more of a function of aeration rather than dilution. It's my contention that the vast majority of cocktails being served on the planet right now are being served too cold, to the detriment of the component flavours. The shaker is a uniquely effective tool for doing what it's designed to do; it's a sledgehammer, if you will, while a barspoon is a screwdriver. The spoon offers much more control."
A couple thoughts on this. First, he hits the nail (or screws the screw?) on the head by saying that shaking is a function of aeration, as most drinks that are shaken have a particular look and consistency to uphold and thereby should be shaken. Is it actually necessary to shake these drinks? Well, no, I guess not. (But please, PLEASE don't take this too far and stir your egg whites). Secondly, on the subject of drink temperature, this has been the subject of much debate in the past, namely in deciding whether it is "better" to shake or stir a Martini. There were even double-blind tests done, which basically revealed that people prefer colder Martini's, and therefore the better way to make one is to shake it. However, then you lose the pristine look of a stirred one, and some don't like that, etc, etc. I am, however, with Simon one this one (though not in all cases, as this has to be on a drink-to-drink basis as always) in a way because the colder your drink the less aromatic it will be, and in many cases, the less flavour you will get from it. That's why Scotch, or high-end Tequila and whiskey is enjoyed neat, at room temperature - so you can get the most out of the flavour and aroma. Drinking a $100 bottle of Scotch on the rocks is a bit of a waste because you won't be enjoying it to its full potential. However, we're talking about cocktails, not neat spirits, and therefore the goal is to ensure that the flavours mix and balance through chilling and diluting the ingredients, and a warm cocktail is a very different experience than a cold one (though now Russell Davis has got me very intrigued - check this out). Either way, this is a debate for another post, so I will continue it there. Stirring is how Simon designed the cocktail, so that's how it should be made, damn it!
Russell Davis from Rickhouse mixed his drink without even using ice, Simon stirs his cocktail with juice while using a full ounce of Maraschino, and next post we'll see Graham Racich from The Refinery use a full ounce and a half (!) of Maraschino by making it the base for his cocktail.
Thanks to Simon and Veneto for this contribution!
[[ if you're interested in drink-temperature science, check this out ]]
[[ see "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law here ]]
[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]
[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis at Rickhouse here ]] [[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]
To top off the series of posts on tequila, here is one exclusively on the most famous of tequila drinks, and one of the most famous cocktails there is - The Margarita.
Unfortunately, there's no definitive birth of the drink, but I'll go through each of the supposed stories. Double unfortunately, this drink is often butchered by use of artificial sour and fruit mixes, and blenders, so below I'll give you the most traditional recipe we know of, as well as some fun variations if you want to try something new.
The History
There are several stories as to how, when, and where the drink was created. One such story is that Don Carlos Orozco at Hussong’s Cantina in Ensada, Mexico, invented it in 1941. Orozco was visited by Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German ambassador, and offered his latest experiment to her before naming the drink after her. Carlos Herrera also possibly created the drink at the Rancho la Gloria Hotel near Tijuana, where he invented it for a dancer named Marjorie King, who was supposedly allergic to all alcohol except tequila, which she still refused to drink straight. The owner of La Plaza Hotel in San Diego brought the recipe from Mexico to the U.S. where it became popular after 1947.
Another story for which I can’t find much detail is that Santos Cruz created the drink for singer Peggy Lee at the Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas, in 1948.
There is also a story of a bartender in Juarez who was asked to make a Magnoliia cocktail, but couldn't remember any ingredients except Cointreau, so just made up something new and named it after a different flower - the Margarita.
Lastly, and most likely, it appears to just be a variation on the very old and constantly evolving Daisy cocktail, which hails from the mid to late 1800’s and originally contained brandy and lemon with dashes of curacao, rum, gum syrup, and soda. In the early 20th century, this evolved into brandy and lemon with grenadine and sugar, or brandy and lemon with curacao (which eventually became The Sidecar), and then other spirits started to get used, leading to a Gin Daisy (which evolved into the Cosmopolitan with vodka), or even a Tequila Daisy in the 1940’s. Increase the amount of orange liqueur and switch the lemon to a lime and you have a Margarita - which actually means "daisy" in spanish. Such is the evolution and creation of almost any cocktail. There are hundreds of recipes that vary only slightly on different themes and ingredients, but they all basically break down to a handful of classic recipes - the Cocktail, the Crusta, the Daisy, etc.
Stories and decorated histories is part of what makes cocktails so much fun, but most of the time there are just a lot of bartenders everywhere at the same time doing simple variations on a theme and coming up with new ideas.
The Recipe
The traditional Margarita is just tequila, triple sec (Cointreau is best), and lime juice, served on the rocks (with a salt rim or not), and definitely not blended. Below are 3 separate recipes for you to try at home, starting with the most basic.
Traditional Margarita
There are countless recipes for this drink, so the best thing to do is experiment and find what you like. 3:2:1 or 4:2:1 (like the Sidecar) is always a good way to go for a sour, so let's do that! 2 oz tequila blanco or reposado
1 oz Cointreau (or other triple sec / curacao to taste)
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
Shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge if you like, and salt the rim if you like (but I would suggest not if you have a really nice tequila).
How to salt a rim? Well I can't find a video anywhere at the moment that doesn't either do it in a rimmer tray by dunking the glass in, which is not only messy but also not nearly as classy as it should be, or one that does the rim really messily. I'll find good pictures or a video and do a whole post it on next time.
Margarita Especial
I got this one from Charlotte Voisey on her Small Screen Network show, The Proper Pour. It's a fun way to play with the agave flavour of tequila. If you can't find agave nectar, you can use agave syrup (which you can just buy in Safeway or just about anywhere), but you need to cut down the amount by half because it contains a lot of sugar. 2 oz tequila (reposado preferred)
1 oz agave nectar (or 1/2 oz agave syrup)
1 oz fresh lime juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Now here's a really awesome one that my brother made me in San Francisco, but I'm not sure where he found the recipe. It's a totally different collection of flavours, but they all really compliment the tequila. It's definitely worth trying out if you have the ingredients and want something new! 3/4 oz Mezcal (or tequila reposado)
3/4 oz tequila blanco
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
My brother tells me you're supposed to float a peaty Scotch over the top of the cocktail, which would really accent the smokiness of a Mezcal if you have it, but just the above by itself is fantastic. If you do want to experiment with smokey flavours, you can also try throwing a dash of Lap Sang Su Shong tea or infused syrup in there.
Experiment, switch some ingredients, throw dashes of new things in there (maraschino pairs with tequila in a cool way) and have fun!
The Culture California in the early 20th century was really a progressive and unionized state, and by WWII they had old-age assistance, unemployment compensation, workplace safety rules, and over 120,000 union members in many professions. Los Angeles became the centre of the universe in terms of film-making, San Francisco became an industry power-house, and San Diego became a hub for American military and defense.
California really acclimated itself to Mexican culture, particularly in San Diego (which was for a time actually part of Mexico), and Mexican food, film, music, and the Spanish language all became integrated into American life there.
The biggest musical influence of Mexican music was Mariachi, which had become prevalent in the mid-1800’s and really accepted into America in the 1940’s. Mariachi actually originated in the state of Jalisco, which is where tequila is made (see how I came full circle there).
Perhaps the most famous and prolific film and music stars in Mexico throught the 1930's to 1950's was Pedro Infante, who not only made over 60 films through the golden age of Mexican film, but also recorded more than 350 songs. Listening to his music you can really hear a Mexican tradition but also an American influence in the production and arrangements, which pairs very nicely with the Margarita which also has a blend of the two cultures.
Enjoy your Margarita of choice while enjoying this classic by Pedro Infante - Serenata Tapatia.
So you looked at what is available, did a little research, then decided on a decent tequila for yourself. Now, how do you enjoy it?
Traditionally, tequila is just enjoyed straight in a very short glass, or even a snifter - similar to Scotch or Cognac. Sometimes it is enjoyed alongside sangrita, which is a drink made from oranges, grenadine, and chili peppers. Drinking tequila shots with salt first and lime afterwards is really only done outside of Mexico, and began only as a way to mute the bad flavour and burn of a cheap product. Unfortunately, practices like this spread and began to really narrow people's palates and contributed to the crusade in the 1970's and 80's (which we are working hard to get rid of today) to ruin cocktails by making them overly sweet or juice-y.
Cocktail-wise, the most famous tequila drink is obviously the Margarita, which is responsible for the spirit's popularity in the U.S., and contains tequila, lime, and triple sec liqueur. There are other cocktails popular in Mexico, such as the Paloma, which is grapefruit, tequila, soda, and sometimes lime. Other American cocktails have changed dramatically, like the Tequila Sunrise, which originally contained tequila, crème de cassis, lime, and soda, but eventually evolved into the much less interesting tequila, orange, and grenadine. Once again, the 1970's ruined a good drink.
My next post will be entirely on the Margarita, its history, a recipe, and some apt 1940's music to enjoy while you sip. Today, I'm going to give a couple cool recipes to try - some that are hopefully new to you.
Typically, tequila is enjoyed with juice, but below are some interesting things you can do to better showcase the taste of the spirit.
First is probably the best cocktail to make with any good spirit - the actual Cocktail - the Old Fashioned.
Tequila Old-Fashioned 2 oz reposado or anejo tequila 2 dashes chocolate bitters 1/2 oz simple syrup (or a barspoon or two full of agave nectar/syrup) Build over ice in an old-fashioned/short glass
When you say "old fashioned," most people think of bourbon or rye with Angostura bitters, but old-fashioned only means to enjoy a cocktail the 'old-fashioned-way.' This just means spirit, bitters, sugar, water. You can enjoy any spirit old-fashioned, and you can try different bitters to match with the spirit. A lighter or vegetal bitters such as celery bitters will match well with gin, a bitters with a full spice profile like Angostura or Peychaud's matches well with whiskey or dark rum, and the full, dark, spicy and somewhat malty presence of a chocolate bitters pairs amazingly well with a tequila. I was able to pick up some Bitter Truth Xoxolat Mole bitters in Seattle for under $20, and it's very interesting and completely different than any other bitters I've had. The mole flavour works excellently with tequila, and of course makes sense as they both come from Mexico. If you can't get your hands on a more interesting bitters, Angostura will always do.
The Rosita Cocktail 1 1/2 oz tequila blanco 1/2 oz sweet vermouth 1/2 oz dry vermouth 1/2 oz Campari 1 dash Angostura bitters Stir with ice, strain over ice in a rocks glass, garnish with a lemon twist
This one is only about 20 years old. It's a much more interesting direction to take tequila, and probably one you haven't tried yet. The herbal flavours and aromas from every other ingredient really plays on the tequila in a unique way. It's quite complex and I highly recommend it to someone really looking for a new kind of tequila cocktail.
The Prado Cocktail 1 1/2 oz tequila blanco 3/4 oz lime juice 1/2 egg white 1/2 oz Maraschino liqueur Shake without ice first to emulsify the egg white, then shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a lime wheel
Maraschino actually works very nicely with tequila, which should open a lot of doors for you to start experimenting.
The best way to try out new things and come up with new drinks is simply to take a cocktail that you know works, and substitute an ingredient. That's basically how all the cocktails we know and love were invented and evolved. Try making a Manhattan with tequila anejo instead of whiskey, or try a tequila blanco Martini instead of using gin, or a tequila Mojito instead of using rum, etc, etc. You'll be surprised how many of those variations taste really good.
As mentioned, next post I'm going to give the history of the Margarita, some cool variations on the recipe, and some fun 1940's music to enjoy alongside.
[[ click here to see Part 1 of A Beginner's Guide To Tequila ]]
[[ click here to see Part 2 of A Beginner's Guide To Tequila ]]
I will again preface this with saying that I am not much of a tequila drinker in that I'm not exposed to it that often. This is partially because it doesn't show up in classic cocktails very often at all, which is mostly where my interests take me, but more importantly this is because we can't get much tequila in Canada.
Today I'm going to share what I've found by researching all tequila brands that are available to B.C. Liquor Stores (so, not independent ones, but very few of them have a better selection anyway).
Every B.C. liquor store I go to has a tiny and highly overpriced selection of tequila, but if you look at www.bcliquorstores.com, there are more brands available than I thought, albeit with mostly limited stock. I went through each brand and type looking for reviews, awards, anything that would give me an idea of which direction to go.
All in all there are 17 brands currently available, and only 6 of those have good reviews and/or have won awards. Of those 6, the cheapest is $60.
Yup.
However, I did find some decent reviews of some cheaper brands that are apparently very suitable for mixing drinks, which is what most of us will be doing unless we're already knowledgeable on the subject and have a lot of money to spare. As with any spirit, if you're really interested the best thing to do is go to a good bar, start asking questions and start tasting different kinds. The Pourhouse and Boneta in Gastown have a lot available and some amazing bartenders, and The Refinery and The West on Granville Street are also great places to go. (Click on "Reviews" or "Vancouver" to get more good suggestions).
As for what I've found, below is a basic list of some buying suggestions based on reviews (from such sites as www.tequila.net and www.proof66.com) and awards that any brand has won at spirit competitions.
Tequilas Under $50 Sauza Hornitos Gold - $34
Sauza Gold - $26
Cazadores Blanco - $36
(none of the above got very good reviews at all, didn’t win any rewards, aren’t liked by editors of any reputable websites, and are suggested only for mixing. Hornitos got the best reviews of the three and is suggested as a starting point for someone who doesn’t know much about tequila)
Tequilas $50-$100 Herradura Reposado - $60 Aha Toro Reposado - $80
Tierras Reposado Organic - $80 Don Julio Blanco - $85
Cabo Wabo Reposado - $90
Fat Ass Anejo - $90 Don Julio Reposado - $95
Tequilas Over $100
El Tesoro 70th Anniversary - $149 Don Julio 1942 - $150
Jose Cuervo Reserva De Familia - $185
Gran Patron Platinum - $300 Don Julio Real - $386
Aha Toro and Don Julio had the best reviews and awards that I could find out of everything available to us. Cabo Wabo (Sammy Hagar's tequila - for real), El Tesoro, Jose Cuervo Reserva De Familia, and Gran Patron are all decent to good but considered very over-priced (by American price standards, which is WAY less than ours) - especially the latter two.
So, the best way to go apparently is Hornitos if you're just starting out or just want to mix drinks, or Herradura if you're willing to spend more. Anything by Don Julio or Aha Toro would be a real treat - for sipping and not for mixing.
In Conclusion
What I’m seeing is that the tequilas available to us here in B.C., or Canada in general are ridiculously priced compared to the U.S., and mostly big name brands and products that aren’t very good. The ones that are really good are not only at least $60 but also only available in certain locations throughout B.C.
Ultimately it looks like the solution is to get tequila from the U.S., or be content drinking mediocre products like Cazadores or Hornitos, which will still run you $35-40, (compared to a very decent gin or bourbon that will run you under $30).
Doing this research has made it completely clear why I don't know much about tequila and why I don't get to try it very often. If you're looking to get into a spirit or drinking in general, the best thing to do is talk to people you can trust (good bartenders, people who enjoy drinking, etc), look up reviews, and use sites like www.proof66.com to see what kinds of awards the spirits have won. In the end, as always, it's up to your taste, but using all this information will give you good ideas of what directions to go, and along the way you'll learn more and more what you like.
Now that we know how tequila is made, what kinds there are, and what brands are worth your money if you buy in B.C., next time we can talk about how to enjoy it.
[[ click here to see Part 1 of A Beginner's Guide To Tequila ]]
[[ click here to see Part 3 of A Beginner's Guide To Tequila ]]
First of all, I should start off by mentioning that I am not much of a tequila drinker. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, it’s more that I just don’t find myself exposed to it very often, and because it’s not my favourite of spirits I haven’t done a lot of tasting and experimenting. Plus, tequila doesn’t show up in classic cocktails very often at all, which is mostly where my interests take me, but there is also a bigger factor here – we can’t get much tequila in Canada. One of the first things I notice in American liquor stores is how much bigger and ridiculously cheaper the tequila sections are (on average about half the price, and mostly brands I didn’t recognize). This plus my lack of general knowledge of the spirit has peaked my interest of late, so I’m going to share a few things about tequila in general, but more specifically about buying it in B.C.
At the end, I'll also talk about mezcal, which is is tequila's older, wiser, and much less popular brother.
First,
What is Tequila?
Tequila is a spirit made by distilling the fermentation of the blue agave plant. By law, it can only be made in the state of Jalisco and some surrounding areas, and must be made from at least 51% blue agave (though a "real" tequila is 100% agave, and anything less - called "mixto" - is cheap and bad).
Originally, the Aztecs fermented the agave plant to a drink similar to beer, called pulque, and when the Spaniards took over in the 1500’s and ran out of brandy, they tried distilling the pulque, thus creating tequila.
How It’s Made
The blue agave hearts are harvested by hand, shredded, and the juices are pressed out into fermentation vats, traditionally by a stone wheel. The juices are left to ferment with yeast for a few days then distilled twice. This final product is either bottled as silver/plata/blanco tequila, or it is put into barrels and aged for reposado, añejo, and extra añejo tequilas. Below are some pictures of the agave being harvested and the hearts after being cut out.
Types of Tequila Blanco or plata – bottled right after distillation, or aged up to 2 months in brand new oak barrels or steel containers Joven or oro – a mixture of blanco and reposado Reposado – aged between 2 months and 12 months in oak barrels Añejo – Aged between 1 and 3 years in oak barrels Extra Añejo – aged more than 3 years in oak barrels Mixto – a tequila containing less than 100% blue agave so is mixed with some sort of sugar spirit (similar to rum).
Below are some tequilas that increase in aging from blanco to oro/mixto to reposado to añejo to extra añejo so you can see the difference in colour from the barrel-aging process (note also the colour of Jose Cuervo, which is artificially coloured to look like a reposado).
It should be noted here that mixto is bad tequila, and joven/oro tequilas are typically not very good.
However, tequila blanco is not any less respectable or good than reposado or añejo. They are different products - like comparing corn whiskey to bourbon.
Blanco will have a very strong agave taste because it comes straight from distillation, and is 'untainted' by the barrel. Some connoisseurs prefer only blanco because it is the true taste of the blue agave, and therefore tequila. Aging the tequila will give characters of whatever was inside the barrel (usually bourbon, which gives flavours of some spice, caramel, tobacco, etc), and will also soften the burn of the alcohol.
Next post I'll relay what I've found by going through every type of tequila available in B.C. liquor stores, their ratings, prices, and then give some recommendations.
[[ click here to see Part 2 of A Beginner's Guide To Tequila ]]
[[ click here to see Part 3 of A Beginner's Guide To Tequila ]]
Today's new cocktail is a tip of the glass to an exotic Hollywood
star of old, Lupe Vélez.
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