Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky Review and the Bitter Awakening

For full disclosure I received this sample bottle from Van Gogh Imports.

Tap 357 is a Canadian Rye Whisky crafted from cask-aged 3, 5, and 7 year old rye whiskies blended with pure Canadian maple syrup. It is distilled four times before being aged in used bourbon barrels. It is then combined with “Canada 1 Light” maple syrup and left to rest until it is deemed that it is ready for release. Finally it is bottled at 81 proof.

Tap 357 pours a light golden straw color.

On the nose it evokes memories of Sunday morning breakfast with pancakes, smothered in butter and syrup. There are notes of maple and grain, with the maple being dominante.

The sweet maple flavor helps to mellow the spiciness of the rye, without overpowering it. There are notes of maple, brown sugar, and just a hint of grain.

Overall its a nice product, that is smooth and approachable. Some may find the sweetness of the maple overwhelming especially when drunk neat, but I do think that it works well in cocktails.

Tap 357 has a suggested retail price of $29.99 for a standard 750ml bottle.

You can’t have a bottle of booze without something to mix with it, so I offer you the:
Bitter Awakening
1.5 oz Apple Brandy (Lairds 7 Year)
.75 oz Tap 357
.25 oz Simple Syrup
2 dashes Fees Orange Bitters
2 dashes Fees Old Fashioned Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain over a large chunk of ice in an old fashioned glass

Notes:
The apple brandy and the sweet maple rye work well together creating a drink that evokes the aroma of baked apples. The bitters help to keep the drink from becoming overly sweet and unbalanced.

44 North Huckleberry Vodka Review and The Royal Bloodline

44° North Huckleberry Vodka is produced by the 44° North Distillery in Idaho. According to their website, it is the first vodka approved to wear the Idaho Potato Commission’s official seal. It is distilled from 100% Idaho potatoes, blended with sweet Rocky Mountain water, and infused with mountain huckleberries.

It is sweet and fruity on the nose with a rich berry smell. It doesn’t smell artificial, in fact it has a fresh and natural smell that entices you to take a sip. The natural smell carries through on the taste filling your mouth with a burst of berry flavor. It is silky smooth and well balanced, finishing with a warming sensation rather than a harsh burn.

It is on par if not better than some of the other flavored vodkas available from many of the major and more well known distillers.
I used the Royal Toast as my inspiration for the drink below.
Royal Bloodline
1.5 oz 44° North Huckleberry Vodka
1 oz Lillet Blanc
.5 oz Cherry Brandy (Cherry Brandy)
1 dash of Orange Bitters
stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Notes:
The rich cherry brandy and light berry flavor of the vodka are balanced out by the complexity of the Lillet Blanc. The vodka also adds an alcoholic punch that helps to open up the other flavors and bring out the nuances of the Lillet.

The 2nd drink is called:
Black Magic
2 oz 44° North Huckleberry Vodka
.5 oz – .75 oz Coffee Liqueur (depends on the strength of your liqueur. the stronger the coffee flavor the less you need.)
1 tsp of lemon juice
shake and strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Notes:
This one tastes just as you would imagine. It has a strong coffee flavor with a fruity background provided by the vodka. The lemon juice helps to brighten and lighten both of the stronger flavors and bridge the gap between them. Try this in place of your next black or white russian and let me know what you think.

Comb 9 Gin Review and The Love Turned Bitter

Comb 9 gin is unlike any other gin on the market. While most gins are made with a grain based alcohol, Comb 9 is made from distilled honey.

Orange blossom honey is made into a light and dry honey wine, then distilled into vodka. This vodka comes out flavorful with notes of orange blossom, combating the common belief that vodka must be odorless and tasteless. The vodka base is then redistilled with 9 botanicals including: juniper, licorice, coriander, rose petals, galangal, and lavender. The honey floral base plays a supportive role that helps to unite the botanicals together producing a smooth finish.

This is a well made spirit that is well worth the money considering the time and effort that went into it’s production. Added to this, its the only gin on the market that uses honey as its base.

The first cocktail is a simple refreshing libation created by me just in time for the summer season.
Love Turned Bitter
2 oz Gin (Comb 9)
1 oz Aperol
.75 oz Grapefruit Juice
2 dashes of Orange Bitters
1 dash of Grapefruit Bitters
5 oz Ting
Shake the first 5 ingredients with ice and strain into a ice filled highball glass. Top with Ting and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Notes:
The botanicals and orange blossom flavors of the gin combine well with the bittersweetness of the Aperol. The drink has a subtle candy like sweetness (reminds me of the original bubblegum flavor) that is kept in check by the Aperol and bitters. A great drink to sip on a warm summer day.

The next cocktail was created by Kyle Davidson of the Violet Hour in Chicago.
Easy Out
1.5 oz Gin (Comb 9)
1 oz Grapefruit juice
.5 oz Raspberry syrup
.5 oz Aperol
.25 oz Campari
Combine all ingredients in mixing glass and stir. Strain over large ice chunk in rocks glass.
Notes:
Usually when you see a drink that contains citrus juice the instructions often call for shaking the drink. However, according to the creator he feels that stirring this drink creates a richer body. As always try it both ways to see which you prefer.
Campari and Aperol go great with grapefruit and combining this with fresh juice which helps to accentuate that flavor profile. The sweet and tart flavor of the raspberry syrup help to keep the bitter flavors from overpowering the drink. I tried subbing out the raspberry syrup for homemade hibiscus grenadine which adds sweet floral notes. Another refreshing cocktail.

The Communist
1 oz Gin (Comb 9)
1 oz Orange Juice
.5 oz Cherry Brandy (Cherry Heering)
.75 oz Lemon Juice
Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Notes:
I came across this cocktail in the book: Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh.
Depending on the sweetness of your orange I would experiment with adding a touch of simply syrup (.25oz) or cutting down on the lemon by about the same amount. The drink has an interesting tart cherry flavor with botanicals of the gin in the background.

Behold the Origin of the Martini – The Martinez

The Martinez has been around since the late 1880′s and has gone through an array of variations. All of them contain the same 2 essential ingredients: Gin and Sweet Vermouth, albeit in different ratios. The origin of this cocktail still remains a mystery, with no one person being able to claim the drink as his or her original creation. Despite its origin being clouded, it’s clear that in some respects it gave birth to the iconic martini. It is a wonderful drink that deserves to be enjoyed.

Martinez
2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cinzano)
1 oz Old Tom Gin (Ransom)
1 tsp Maraschino or Curaçao (Luxardo)
1 dash of Aromatic Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes:
I like the vermouth heavy version of yesteryear. The modern drinks tend to put the gin forward instead of allowing it to play a supporting roll to the vermouth. In some modern versions the proportions are 2:1 in favor of the gin.
The drink is sweet and aromatic, with the botanicals of the gin coming through without overpowering the vermouth. The maraschino lends a light touch of added complexity to the drink that is just discernible in the background. If using curaçao it adds a subtle fruit note. This would be a great cocktail to introduce someone to gin.

For another version check out:
Modern Martinez (Jamie Boudreau)
1.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
1.5 oz Old Tom Gin
2 barspoons of maraschino
2 dashes Fee’s Orange Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

The Mexican Squirrel: A Perfect Tequila Manhattan

The Manhattan is one cocktail which allows for endless variations. It’s ratios can be adjusted to suit each persons individual taste and other base spirits can be substituted to create an entirely different drink, while still adhering to the character …

Solera

I came across the Solera Cocktail on the Imbibe website. It was created by Dominic Venegas.
This cocktail makes an excellent use of sherry.

Solera
2 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Rum (Ron Zacapa)
1 oz Lustau Palo Cortado Peninsula
.75 oz Taylor’s Velvet Falernum
2 dashes of Regans’ orange bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Express the oils of an orange twist over the drink and drop in.

Notes:
The original drink calls for Santa Teresa 1796 rum. Unfortunately, I did not have any in my liquor cabinet, so I substituted it with Ron Zacapa 23. If you don’t have these particular rums, try and substitute another aged rum. If you don’t have the sherry, substitute with another sherry. The final taste profile of the drink will be different but you should get a glimpse at this drinks greatness.
There is orange on the nose due to the expressed oils floating on the surface of the drink. The richness of the rum and sherry are balanced out by the spiciness of the falernum and the bite of the bitters. The drink is a symphony of flavors that delights the palate and soothes the soul. A wonderful after dinner sipper.

Young’s Double Chocolate Milkshake

Before any other frozen beverage such as the: slurpee or smoothie there was the milkshake. The earliest printed reference to the milkshake was in 1885, but the drink contained whiskey. Furthermore it was served as a health tonic as well as a delicious cold treat.
Ivar “Pop” Coulson is often credited as the inventor of the milkshake. In 1922 he added ice cream to the traditional malted milk and the milkshake was born. From there it’s popularity has skyrocketed and it continues to soar with new variations based on this same formula.
For this variation on the milkshake I decided to go back to the milkshakes roots and create an alcoholic version.

Young’s Double Chocolate Milkshake
8oz chocolate stout (Youngs Double Chocolate)
1.5oz rum (Brugal Anejo)
.5oz port (Noval Black)
2 dashes chocolate bitters
2 scoops vanilla ice cream (Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean)
Combine all the ingredients an blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled pint glass or whatever you have on hand and enjoy

Notes:
The beer really shines in this drink. The chocolate and maltiness of the beer combine well with the creaminess if the ice cream. The rum gives a little extra backbone to the drink with the port adding a touch of fruitiness on very the backend leading to a dry slightly bitter finish. You can’t go wrong with this. Try it and let me know what you think.

Have you ever tried Young’s Double Chocolate Stout? What’s your favorite milkshake.

Mixology Monday – Tiki

Ever since I started blogging I have waited for Mixology Monday to arrive. February is Tiki Month and it is only fitting that this Mixology Monday be Tiki themed. This time it is hosted by the Pegu Blog.

My first drink for MxMo is a riff on Rum Dood’s Improved Rum Fizz which is a variation of Trader Vics Rum Fizz. After reading up on both drinks I decided to take Rum Dood’s advice and offer my own variation on the drink. Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was mix orange soda with International Delight French Vanilla Coffee Creamer which produced an awesome orange cream soda. I used this as inspiration for my Improved Rum Fizz #2

Improved Rum Fizz #2
2oz Banks 5 Island Rum
.5oz Curacao
.5oz Lemon juice
.5oz Lime juice
2tsps Vanilla Syrup
.75oz Heavy Whipping Cream
.5oz egg white
2dashes of orange bitters
1oz Virgil’s Orange Cream Soda
Pour all ingredients except for the soda into a cocktail shaker and dry shake for approximately 20 seconds. Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake for close to 1 minute. Pour the orange cream soda in the bottom of a glass then strain the contents of the shaker into the glass. Express a orange twist over the top of the drink and discard.

Notes:
The rum comes through and makes itself known without overpowering the drink. The bitters, curacao, and soda dance along your taste buds providing them with an array of orange notes that awaken the senses. This combines wonderfully with orange aroma from the essential oils that are sitting on the egg white cloud. The dryness of the curacao and bitters help to cut down on the sweetness. The drink has a silky smooth texture with all the flavors playing in harmony.

My second drink was originally created for a friend of mine who really loves coffee. So I gave her the honor of naming of it and out came the Starbuck (named after the character from Battlestar Galactica, not the famed coffee spot).

Starbuck
2oz Gold Jamaican Rum
.5oz White Rum (10 Cane)
.5oz Coco Lopez (coconut cream)
.5oz Fresh Brewed Coffee (Yemen Mocha)
.25 Allspice Dram
1oz Banana Liqueur
1oz Lemon juice
2dashes of Angostura Bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice then strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime shell filled with coconut. Torch the coconut with a light flame to toast.

Notes:
The frutiness of the coconut cream and banana liquer combine well with flavor provile of the Blackwell Rum that I used. The coffee keeps it from being too sweet and adds a hint of chocolate in the background. The Angostura and the Allspice dram add a hint of spiceness throughout.

The Bourbon Renewal

The Bourbon Renewal was originally created by Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I however first discovered this drink on the Sloshed blog.

Bourbon Renewal
2oz bourbon (Makers Mark)
1oz fresh lemon juice
.5oz creme de cassis
.5oz simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
Shake all ingredients in an ice filled cocktail shaker and pour over cracked ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel or lemon wedge whichever works for you

Notes:
This drink was sweet, fruity, tart with a faint hint of spice. The bourbon is evident throughout and complemented by the spiciness of the Angostura. Next time I will up the bitters to 2 or 3 dashes to add a heavier spice note.

In the process of making this drink I noticed that I still had some hibiscus simple syrup in the fridge. I made a second drink and replaced the simple syrup with the hibiscus. I found that this creates a softer drink with the floral notes of the hibiscus pairing well with the cassis and toning down some of the bourbon flavors. I garnished it with a lemon wheel and an edible hibiscus flower. Hibiscus flowers taste like a combination of sweet raspberry and tart cranberry.

Marmalade Sour

I saw this drink on Jamie Boudreau’s website. While he used 3 oz of cachaça in his drink i decided to reduce it to 2.5 oz. I felt that 3 oz was a little too much for my taste.  I also  added 2 drops of Fee’s Grapefruit bitters to bring out some of the grapefruit flavor hidden in the marmalade

Marmalade Sour (My Version)

2.5 oz Cachaça
.75 oz Lemon Juice
2 dashes Fee’s Orange Bitters

2 dashes Fee’s Grapefruit Bitters
1 egg white

2 barspoons of low-sugar Orange/Citrus/Grapefruit Marmalade

 

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well, without ice, until the egg white is fluffed and frothy about 10-15secs. Then add ice and shake for an additional 10 secs. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         The egg white creates a nice light texture for the drink. The flavors of the Cachaça really come through and are nicely rounded out by the sweetness of marmalade. The bitters and the lemon juice create a nice bite to the cocktail. Overall I think its a great cocktail.

Let me know what you think about them.