Thirsty South – Page 16 – Dedicated to all things drinking well in the South

April 14, 2013April 15, 2013

Hemingway, Cognac and Benedectine

Ever on the hunt for interesting cocktails and the stories that go along with them, I recently picked up the book, To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion, by Philip Greene. It certainly helps to know some Hemingway if you want to get the most out of this cocktail book, but anyone with an interest in the drinking culture of the 1930’s-1950’s will find at least a few good stories and recipes as well.

The book is organized by drink – with a recipe for each, and how the drink fits into the Hemingway oeuvre (or his life beyond the pages of his books). There are entries for the Daiquiri (of course), the Cuba Libre, the Americano… but also more unusual drinks (at least to modern tipplers) like the Gambler’s Delight and the El Definitivo. And there are a number of super simple concoctions like gin and coconut water, or Scotch and lime juice, or Armagnac and soda. Which brings us to… the Cognac and Benedictine.

This drink is a 1 to 1 blend of Cognac and Benedectine, an herb and spice-laden liqueur from France that began production in the 1860’s but traces its roots back to the 1500’s. The story goes (and don’t ever fully believe any story about spirits like Benedictine) that this liqueur was originally imbibed by the monks of the Benedictine Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy in the early 1500’s. After the production ceased for a few hundred years, a fellow by the name of Alexandre Le Grand revived the recipe (or at least created the backstory).

By the 1930’s, one of the popular uses for Benedictine was in a Benedictine and brandy (B&B), and the company behind it came out with their own bottled version of B&B (you can still get that today, but buying the pure Benedictine is the way to go, so you can use it in cocktails like the Vieux Carre or the Singapore Sling). Now, Cognac is a specific type of brandy, so the Cognac and Benedictine is basically a (better) B&B. Made with a good Cognac, this is a lovely drink, a touch syrupy, but full of intrigue from the herbs and spices in the liqueur.

So what does this have to do with Hemingway? Turns out, young Ernest wrote a bunch of short stories upon his return home to the States after serving in the ambulance corps in Italy during World War I. One of these stories was set in a dive bar in Chicago, and prominently features the Cognac and Benedictine amidst tales of wartime in Sicily and the wishes of the Royal Republican Chilean Army. Intrigued? Try it yourself. Ernest would be happy to know it was because of him.

Recipe: Cognac & Benedictine

Mix equal parts Cognac and Benedictine in an Old Fashioned glass over ice, stir and garnish with a lemon peel. Enjoy.

April 11, 2013April 11, 2013

The Atlanta Manhattan Smackdown

You live in Atlanta? You like a Manhattan? Be sure to check out this roundup of Manhattan cocktails around town that I wrote for Creative Loafing:

The Manhattan in its most common form is one of the most straightforward classic cocktails — two parts whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, a dash or two of bitters. But that outward simplicity is deceiving. Will it be bourbon or rye, and which bourbon or rye? Then, which vermouth pairs most harmoniously with that whiskey? What will that magic ratio of whiskey to vermouth be? Which little bottle of bitters provides the appropriate accents? Will it all be vigorously shaken or patiently stirred? Garnished with a toxic red “maraschino” cherry (the horrors!) or something more artisanal in nature like the real deal from Italy’s Luxardo brand? The minute but meaningful variations are infinite.

Continue reading at Creative Loafing Atlanta

Related: Maraschino Cherry Comparison, featuring H&F and Luxardo

March 25, 2013March 24, 2013

Slingshot Coffee Co.

It may not seem like it yet, but warm weather is just around the corner. And that means iced coffee season. I happen to dig the cold brew approach, which keeps the flavors especially bright. But, you know what? It takes some time and effort to do it well. Which brings us to Slingshot Coffee Co., out of Raleigh, NC.

Slingshot cold brews locally roasted (in Raleigh) organic beans from Counter Culture Coffee, then they bottle it up so it’s ready to roll. Better still, they offer both a ready to drink version, and a concentrated version for those of you that dig on dropping dairy in your drink without diluting the delicate flavors. Dang.

Slingshot changes up the beans they use based on the seasons, and they’re kind enough to mark the coffee origin and the brewed-on date on the side of each bottle. (See, check that out over there on the left). It’s hand brewed, bottled in small batches, just coffee and filtered tap water, nothing else. They seem kinda proud of the fact that the water used is the local tap water from Raleigh, which they refer to as “our beloved City of Oaks,” so I assume it’s decent stuff. Here in Atlanta? The water stinks. Literally. Like chlorine. So I’m happy to consume water from elsewhere in the South.

I recently tried Slingshot’s current batch, brewed just a couple days before I tasted it. The beans were from Columbia (the country I presume, not South Carolina), and the bottles noted that I might find notes of “caramel, chocolate, cherry, and a bit of citrus.” I tried both the Ready-to-Drink and the Concentrate, in various combinations of coffee, ice, milk (fat free, yo!), and simple syrup.

Straight out of the bottle, the Ready-to-Drink is darn delicious stuff, both smooth and bright, with plenty of lemony citrus (more than “a bit” if you ask me), and, yes, some bright cherry and dark chocolate notes. I just had to try the Concentrate straight, and it is not unlike espresso in character – with a much more assertive acidity than the Ready-to-Drink. Milk mixed in with the Concentrate gives the coffee a fuller, softer profile, with that caramel coming out more. The flavors, though, remain bright. My favorite iteration was the Ready-to-Drink with a bit of sugar (syrup) added. Now, it does not NEED sugar, and there are those among you that may scoff at adding sweetness to the coffee, but I found that the added sweetness really made the flavors pop. The fruitiness in the coffee came much more into focus, and I had a “wow” moment even after having tried the coffee in several other variations.

These come in 16oz. bottles, which means several servings in the Ready-to-Drink version, and several more for the Concentrate. If you drank 16oz of the Concentrate at once, you would be bouncing happily off the walls all day and all night. Are they cheap? No. It’s $8 or so locally for a bottle of the Ready-to-Drink. If you’re comparing this to a bottled Frappucino or a Java Monster mega-can, though, you’re in the wrong frame of mind. The right frame of mind is truly excellent coffee, ready to drink out of the fridge. And Slingshot delivers a great coffee for that frame of mind.

So, the question is… where can I find this stuff??? Slingshot has good distribution in the Raleigh/Durham area, and has managed to make it to the cooler (as in cold, but maybe also as in cool) shelves in a handful of other Southern cities like Birmingham and Nashville and Charleston. In Atlanta, look for Slingshot at Star Provisions or Whole Foods Buckhead. You can also buy them online from Slingshot, though the shipping prices are a bit daunting ($11 shipping for two bottles).

Samples provided by Slingshot Coffee Co. for tasting.

March 3, 2013March 3, 2013

2012 Thomas H. Handy Rye: Review and Tasting Notes

Thomas H. Handy Rye Whiskey. It’s another one of those Buffalo Trace Antique Collection limited annual releases that falls under the category of “if you can find a bottle and can afford it, you should buy it.” That is if you want to experience what is one of the most expressive powerhouses of rye whiskey that there is today.

2012 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
132.4 Proof, Approx. $75 retail

Rating? WOW.

132.4. That’s the proof. It sounds high, and it is, but the nose holds its heat in pretty well. Wintergreen and caramel and cinnamon sticks, thin mints and strawberries and juicy red grapes, all kinds of crazy things pouring forth. And I mean crazy. Like “who stuck that Doublemint chewing gum in my caramel-coated strawberry” kinda crazy.

Sipping this stuff neat is doable, but I can’t say I recommend it. It’s like putting jet fuel in your Jaguar, overwhelming the underlying elegance with burn. A good dose of water is all it takes though to bring this baby into a sweet but still muscular harmony. I’m no comic book fan, but enough of you have seen the Avengers to be able to imagine those moments when the Hulk is calm and reflective but still big and brawny, huffing from destroying a few city blocks. That’s Thomas H. Handy after a bit of water, still massively strong but in repose. Those notes from just a whiff carry over into a sip, muscling their way in to every nook and cranny of your tastebuds. POW! BAM! SMASH! I’d call it Thomas H. Handy’s Red Hot Vanilla-Mint Caramel Elixir and Energy Fuel of the Gods.

Would I use this powerful elixir in a cocktail? No. Never. And if you do, I’ll send the Hulk after you to punch your face in.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:

Wow – among the very best: knock-your-socks-off, profound, complex liquid gold!
Excellent – exceptional in quality and character, worth seeking out, highly recommended
Good Stuff – solid expression of its type/varietal, enjoyable and recommended
Fair – fairly standard or exhibiting obvious though minor flaws
Avoid – move away folks, nothing to see here, a trainwreck

February 23, 2013February 23, 2013

Bulleit 10 Bourbon: Review and Tasting Notes

The challenge:
Scrap the whole tasting notes/review format and condense it down to 140 characters (and keep it at least mildly interesting).

The subject:
Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 91.2 Proof, approx. $45/bottle

The Tweet-length review, exactly 140 characters:
Bulleit 10: Orange-blossom banana cedar bark nose. Cinnamon dark wood heat a bit too sharp. Caramel red hot finish. Good stuff, but pricey.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:

Sample (and photo!) was provided for this tasting.