Mixology Monday: Gin Sangaree

This month's Mixology Monday was a little tricky: write about a Forgotten Cocktail. Hey, wait a darn minute, Rock & Rye wiseguy. If I've forgotten a cocktail, how can I write about it? And frankly, since my brain turned 40 (which actually happened when the rest of my body turned 35), I can't even remember how to make a Sex on the Beach. Which is probably good, because those kinda suck.

Mr. Boston Deluxe Official Bartender's Guide, 1974 edition to the rescue. Because I have an aversion to books that smell like wet basements, I don't have any old cocktail books in the house except this one, which belonged to my parents and is complete with their hand-written recipe notes on the inside front and back covers.

To find a "forgotten cocktail," the re-publication of which might change the world of modern spirits forever and provide me with fame and excessive wealth, I paged through the guide. It appears that there are only eight unique recipes in the entire book of 1000+ drinks, all of which contain one or more of the following ingredients in slightly differing ratios: Mr. Boston's brandy, apricot brandy, triple sec, vermouth, scotch, gin, grenadine and lime. And many of which deserve to remain forgotten.

I found one cocktail that I had not previously heard of that included an interesting non-Mr. Boston ingredient: The Gin Sangaree.

You know my distaste for history, so I'm sure you'll appreciate the huge 45-second effort I spent researching sangaree on the internet. Sangaree comes from the latin word for blood and refers to the inclusion of port wine in the cocktail.

With the holidays approaching, this cocktail choice serves up a hint of festive, with a shy dash of nutmeg weaving together the flavors of the port and gin. Because the Gin Sangaree is light, you can savor it before dinner as the port and nutmeg stimulate your appetite. Because it's slightly sweet, it is also effective as a post-dinner sipper.

But is it memorable? Well, I remember liking it last night. Ask me again in six months and we'll see.

Gin Sangaree

2 ounces Gin
1 tablespoon port wine
1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon water
club soda
nutmeg

Dissolve sugar in water by stirring, and add gin. Pour into highball glass filled with ice. Top with club soda, and float port wine on the top.

Authors note: F*ck floating the port. I can never make sh*t float. Which is probably my fault, but I'll tell you what, that port looked to me like it weighed as much as a f*cking rock compared to the soda-gin-sugar which was half-comprised of carbonated weightless air bubbles. And if you can float the port, I hate you. I'll bet you can light lemon zest on fire, too. Showoff.

For a roundup of the "Forgotten Cocktails" posted on renowned cocktail blogs all over the world today in celebration of Mixology Monday, visit Rock & Rye.

Drinking and Writing

Writing is weird. Each time I sit down to write, the story pours out of me and leaves me achingly empty, and I wonder if I'll ever write again. I could write in my head - or on the computer - for days, waking in the middle of the night with the perfect adjectives to describe the latest drunken character or wacky bar incident, getting up at 5am to write, or staying up til 2am, and I write it all down and then nothing. Empty. I have no faith that I will find words worthy of writing again. I think, maybe I need a mentor. An inspiration. A drink.

Nothing compares to a glass of wine when one is seeking to enter the creative realms of the deepest, darkest corners of the brain. Okay, a good smokey porter compares. Or a shot of Finger Lakes Distilling rye. Or a dirty martini. What's your drink of choice to keep the words lubricated when you write? Do tell.

On a side note, Leah just made me the most amazing meatloaf (ground turkey-carrots-chard-apple-onion-chipotle-tomato glaze) in the world. It paired beautifully with a bottle of (not Sheldrake Point) Argentinian Vistalba Corte B 2005 (thanks, Adam). And now I write.

And may I add, kudos to Sister Ellen, I shall remain fully incapable for the rest of my days of using one space after a period instead of two.

Road Trip! Adirondacks Again

Once a year, Leah and I jump off the grid and land in the middle of nowhere in the Adirondacks for a week. The fall is a quiet time up in them there hills, with no screaming mosquitos or buzzing children to bother us.

Our adventures this year brought us into close proximity to merganzers, ruffed grouse (grouses? grice?), an angry pileated woodpecker, red squirrels, old growth pine trees and Lake Placid Ubu Ale. Rich and malty, this dark red beer tasted great with a bleu cheese burger and eggplant parm from the Adirondack Mountain Grill in Indian Lake.

Back at the cabin, we drank a lot of Heron Hill Chardonnay, plus one of Leah's birthday gifts from bartender Melissa, Westmalle Dubbel Belgian Trappist Ale, which paired delightfully with sourdough bread and cheddar cheese.

Ironically, a hike in the Finger Lakes National Forest yesterday brought us into close proximity with a moaning black bear. OK, we didn't see the bear directly and I'm not sure the park ranger believed us, but the only other thing that could have been making that hair-raising noise is a zombie, and I doubt a zombie would want to hang out in the forest since human brains are scarce. What, you don't believe me either? Go to this site on bears and scroll to the last sound clip. If what we heard wasn't a bear, then from what I can tell from my extensive (five minutes of) web research, Bigfoot is hiding out in the Hector's National Forest. You heard it here first.

Speaking of birthdays, Felicia Atomic Lounge turns 5 years old tomorrow. What is that in human years?

White Sangria

When most people think of sangria, they usually picture it being red. Though not as famous as its red sibling, white sangria is a perfect beverage for harvest season. The combination of wine, fruit and sugar results in a lightly sweetened flavor rainbow for your mouth.

The best part about sangria is that it is virtually idiot proof. A cheap bottle of wine works just fine (Felicia is currently using the practically undrinkable Rene Junot white) and you can try adding whatever fruits you have on hand, such as peaches, melon, grapes or berries. As autumn falls upon us, you can add apples and cinnamon. Keeping the skins on the fruits enhances the flavor. If you like carbonation, serve it with a splash of Sprite or seltzer. Because Sangria is punch-like, you can mix it up in larger batches if you are having friends over. If you do not drink all of it at once (which could prove challenging since it is so good), it keeps in the fridge for a few days or up to a week if you strain out the fruit.

White Sangria

1 bottle of white table wine
one peach sliced thin
one orange sliced thin
4 large sage leaves, ripped into pieces
1 ½ ounce Cointreau
1 ½ ounce simple syrup OR 2 tablespoons sugar

Mix all ingredients in a large glass jar. Add more or less sugar to taste. Let sit for a few hours. Serve in wine glasses over ice, with a splash of Sprite or seltzer added if bubbles are desired. Number of people served varies, but Felicia advises you to share or you will end up with a bittersweet sangria headache. Salud!

Mixology Monday: Sage Riesling Cocktail

Felicia writes about a lot of different cocktails, but this month’s theme is right up her outdoor seating in the alley. Today’s Mixology Monday is hosted at Save the Drinkers! and the topic is Local Flavor. Last summer, Felicia started concocting a series of Farmer’s Market Cocktails and has previously written about drinks containing beets, basil, strawberries, cucumbers, mint and the crowd favorite, rhubarb.

When challenged to pick an ingredient that Ithaca is known for, Felicia faced a tough choice. We have a wealth of amazing organic farmers in this region, with tons of juicy blueberries, apples, tomatoes, corn and just about any other fresh produce that your imbibing heart desires. Felicia decided to turn her attention to local wines. If you have ever been wine tasting in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, then you know that the best wine made in this area is Riesling. With a tendency toward peach and apricot notes, our local Rieslings also have a hint of lively citrus and well-balanced acidity.

Felicia got her grubby little mad scientist hands on an outstanding bottle of Bloomer Creek Riesling and decided to give it a makeover, against the advice of her peers. Leah, head cocktail artist at Felicia's Atomic Lounge, was convinced. “Riesling and sage are going to totally kick ass together,” she insisted. “Yeah, right,” we all said. “You’re crazy.”

We were surprised and thrilled at the final product. We laughed, we cried, we drank it twice. The Sage Riesling Cocktail (subsequently featured on the PBS show “New York Wine and Table”) is one of the best drinks that Leah has ever created. Felicia says there is a fine line between brilliance and insanity. Leah just says, “I told you so.”

The Sage Riesling Cocktail can be muddled, or if you are heading to an outdoor concert at Taughannock State Park, throw all the ingredients into a thermos and let them steep together for an hour or so before drinking. This is one of those cocktails that makes wine snobs cringe – that is, until they taste it. If you are a doubter, then you must try it. Like bacon-infused bourbon, don’t knock it til ya drunk it.


Sage Riesling Cocktail

4 ounces Riesling
8 small fresh sage leaves
½ ounce simple syrup (more or less depending on the sweetness of the Riesling)
½ slice of lemon
Johnny jump up or other edible flower

Rip up the sage and muddle it with simple syrup and lemon. Add Riesling and shake with ice. Strain into a martini glass (there will be some little bits of sage remaining in the cocktail). Garnish with a flower.

Road Trip! Seneca Lake

In recognition of the exodus of the Felicia bartenders who have been with us the longest, known to the drinking world as Sharon (Shay) and Nat (Gnat), Felicia rented a limo earlier this week and the whole Felicia gang headed over to Seneca Lake. For those out-of-towners reading this blog, Seneca Lake is the deepest of the Finger Lakes located in, you guessed it, the Finger Lakes region of New York. Armed with two of Felicia's best bottles of champagne which lasted less than the 30 minute ride to the first winery, the dolled-up Felicia staff piled into the limo for a night on the town, er, small town. Though Felicia clearly stated to Right Limousine that there would be 10 people on the excursion, the limo definitely only seated 9, leaving one Felicia to enjoy sitting on a lap or the hump on the floor. This fact became less uncomfortable as the night wore on and intoxication levels increased.

Felicia's first stop was beer tasting at Wagner Vineyards and the adjoining Wagner Valley Brewing Company in Lodi, NY. While the wines at Wagner remind you why you need to be cautious in buying wines from the Finger Lakes, their beers are quite tasty. The Sled Dog Doppelbock was proclaimed the staff favorite.

Second stop: Chateau Lafayette Reneau Winery in Hector, where the wines were surprisingly good. Felicia has noticed more of them on local restaurant menus lately, especially their Riesling.

Felicia's next stop was the Village Marina in Watkins Glen whose ambiance can best be compared to a crab shack. Here the staff cooled down from the breeze off the lake as they drank beer (exception: Woody drank Red Cat!) at a picnic table on the shore. Appetizers were ordered and snarfed down by the tipsy crew; however Felicia would advise you to stick with beverages at this location since all of the appetizers were deep fried and tasted, well, like a deep fryer.

Dinner stop: Wildflower Cafe in Watkins Glen, home of Rooster Fish Brewing Company. Felicia really likes Rooster Fish's beers, especially the nut brown. However, the cafe was out of all of the brews except one. Strange. So the gang tried ordering from their non-local bottle menu, but they were also out of pretty much everything on there, too. Even stranger. The burgers were great, but the beer selection was obviously disappointing for a brew pub.

The details of the rest of the trip got a little hazy after Melissa bought us all a shot of Jameson (some of us recall a full moon Trumansburg) but hey, all bartending bonding experiences require a shot of whiskey, don't they? The night was deemed a success by all, and no one complained the next day about any lingering painful effects from the adventure, except for mourning the lack of beer at Rooster Fish and the heartbreak at saying goodbye to two of Felicia's own. Nat and Sharon, thanks for your excellent taste in cocktails, mixology skills and years of dedicated service to Felicia.