There are three grape varieties grown in Cognac – Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche. The area itself is also divided up in to three sections – forest (bois), champs (fields) and champagne (open fields). When you see “champagne” on a cognac label, it’s got nothing to do with the sparkling wine, but instead where the grapes were grown.

The foundation of all Cognac production is based in a tradition dating back to the seventeenth century. The wine is double-distilled in traditional pot stills which can hold up to 660 gallons.  The first distillation produces something called “brouillis” which distills out at 60 proof (30% ABV). This goes through the distillation process again and produces a clear young raw spirit called “bonne chauffe”. This comes out at 140 proof, and the middle section of the distillation is what yields the best and purest quality.

All Cognac is aged for several years, for a minimum of 2 years to be able to be sold in the US, but in many cases, Cognac can be aged 20 or more years. The oak casks Cognac is aged in are very porous, which exposes the spirit to slow, continuous oxidation. The brandy also picks up color, tannins and flavor from the oak. The aging process takes the harsh, hair-curling distillate into a smooth, harmonious spirt.

Aside from a few exceptions, the Cognac you get in the stores is always a blend of Cognacs of various ages, sources and vintages. The blending is done so that the character and quality that marks each brand is consistent over a long period of time.

The cognac labels generally have lots of markings on them which can tell you the minimum age of the spirit. It would take years to list them all here, but there are a few common ways to tell:

Cognacs that have been aged for a minimum of two years counting from April 1 following the distillation can be labeled *** (three or more stars) and V.S. or V.S.P.

Aged for a minimum of four years can be labeled V.S.O.P.

Aged for a minimum of six years can be labeled Extra; Napoleon or X.O.

There isn’t a designation for anything aged more than six years, so the makers use proprietary names: Triomphe, Tres Venerable, Paradis etc.

There are several fantastic drinks that can be made using Cognac, including the traditional Sazerac and the Sidecar, and then some modern cocktails like the Intrigue and the Garlic Affair.

Garlic Affair

1 oz Martell VS Cognac
1/2 oz apricot brandy
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
ginger beer
garlic clove

Gently muddle the garlic in the bottom of a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients. Shake well. strain into a highball filled with ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a wedge of lime and a maraschino cherry.

Intrigue

1 2/3 oz Cognac
1.5 oz white creme de cacao
1/5 oz dry white wine
2/3 oz raspberry puree
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
dash honey syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a raspberry and mint leaves.

[images: Wikimedia Commons & Remy Martin]

Post from: EveryJoe

Cognac Basics

There are ways to keep the amount of calories you drink down, and Bethenny Frankel, author of the upcoming book, “Naturally Thin” and chef and star of The Real Housewives of New York City, has created “Skinnygirl” cocktails including her favorite, the Skinnygirl Frangelini. A refreshing, low-fat cocktail that contains very few calories compared with most fancy sweetened martinis.  

Skinnygirl Frangelini

1/2 oz Frangelico
2 oz vanilla vodka
Top with club soda

Shake over ice and serve in a cold martini glass. Garnish with a chocolate covered espresso bean.

(image provided by Bethenny Frankl)

Post from: EveryJoe

New Years Resolutions?

Oh yes… Christmas. Winter. Snow. Bleh. So, for me, staying warm, inside, with a good drink makes me happy. So, my 12 Drinks of Christmas (the 12 days being the ones that begin on Christmas night and end at Epiphany on January 5th)? Here it is….(recipes below)

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Five Jingle Bombs
Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Six Bewildered Beauties
Five Jingle Bombs
Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Seven New Year’s Kisses
Six Bewildered Beauties
Five Jingle Bombs
Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Eight Creme Brulee Martinis
Seven New Year’s Kisses
Six Bewildered Beauties
Five Jingle Bombs
Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Nine Christmas Cocktails
Eight Creme Brulee Martinis
Seven New Year’s Kisses
Six Bewildered Beauties
Five Jingle Bombs
Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Ten Gin Martinis
Nine Christmas Cocktails
Eight Creme Brulee Martinis
Seven New Year’s Kisses
Six Bewildered Beauties
Five Jingle Bombs
Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Eleven Pop-a-Cherry-tinis
Ten Gin Martinis
Nine Christmas Cocktails
Eight Creme Brulee Martinis
Seven New Year’s Kisses
Six Bewildered Beauties
Five Jingle Bombs
Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

And on the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Twelve Mellow Yellows,
Eleven Pop-a-Cherry-tinis
Ten Gin Martinis
Nine Christmas Cocktails
Eight Creme Brulee Martinis
Seven New Year’s Kisses
Six Bewildered Beauties
Five Jingle Bombs
Four Tyku Tinis
Three  Cinnamon Sidecards
Two Woodford Candy Cane Eggnogs
And a Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

Day 1: Mekhong Partidge in a Pear Tree

2 shots Mekhong
¾ shot fresh squeezed Lime Juice
½ shot Elderflower cordial
1 bar spoon of sugar
¼ fresh pear cut lengthwise
3 thumbnail sized slices of fresh ginger root
½ Kaffir lime leaf

In a mixing glass muddle the pear, ginger and sugar into a paste. Add Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a rock glass over ice. Garnish with torn Kaffir lime leaf.

Day 2: Woodford Candy Cane Eggnog

Woodford Candy Cane:

1 750mL bottle of Woodford Reserve
2 Candy Canes
Empty out bottle of Woodford Reserve into a clean container.
Place Candy Canes at the bottom of the bottle (break Candy Canes into smaller piece if need be).
Pour Woodford back into the bottle and allow the concoction to infuse for 24 hours.
To Serve:
Pour 1 1/2 oz. Candy Cane infusion in a mug. Fill with warm eggnog and stir. Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Day 3: Cinnamon Sidecars

1.5oz Le Tourment Vert Absinthe
.5oz Cointreau
.5oz Fresh Orange Juice
1.5oz Sweet & Sour

Shake well and strain into chilled martini glass with a cinnamon sugar rim with orange twist garnish.
Day 4: TyKu Tini

2 oz TyKu
1 oz citrus Vodka
Shake over ice and serve

Day 5: Jingle Bomb

2 oz Three-O Vodka (any flavor, depending on preference)
4 oz energy drink

Mix in a glass with ice and garnish with a cherry

Day 6: Bewildered Beauties

1 1/2 oz BACARDI® 8 Rum
1/2 oz B&B Liqueur
6 fresh raspberries
2 tbsp Coco Lopez
1 scoop (approximately 1/2 cup) vanilla ice cream

Put all the ingredients into a blender, blend thoroughly, and pour into a wine goblet.

Day 7: New Year’s Kiss

1 oz. Finlandia Cranberry
3 oz. Korbel Champagne

Combine and stir. Pour into a chilled champagne glass. Garnish with cranberries

Day 8: Creme Brulee Martini

2 oz Stoli Vanilla
0.75 oz Port of Crème Anglaise
1 Dash of Simple Syrup
hard caramel for garnish

Blend the above ingredients in a shaker.
Shake well and strain in a Martini Glass.
Decorate with hard caramel.

Day 9: P.i.N.K. Christmas Cocktails

1½ oz p.i.n.k. vodka
1½ oz Godiva white chocolate liqueur
1 oz half & half cream
splash of Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
splash of Chambord

Shake vigorously until frothy.  Pour into a martini glass. Garnish with skewered red raspberries.

Day 10: Gin Martini
Bond was wrong – this drink was meant to be stirred, not shaken.

3 oz Gin
splash of extra dry vermouth
Twist of lemon rubbed around the rim, garnished with olives

Pour gin directly into a tall, wide glass (the top of a Boston Shaker is erfect) filled with ice. Add vermouth. Stir gently for a minute. Strain into a cold martini glass.

Day 11: Pop-a-Cherry-tini

1 2/3 oz passion fruit vodka
1/2 oz cherry brandy
1/2 oz creme de framboise
2/3 oz lime juice
1/2 a fresh passion fruit
2 tsps demerara sugar
2 small bunches fresh oregano
6 ripe cherries

Pit the cherries and place them in a shaked with the sugar & oregano. Muddle. Add ice and the rest of the ingredients. Shake. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Day 12: Mellow Yellow

2 oz Gin
2/3 oz Limoncello
2/3 fresh Lemon Juice
4 fresh cilanro leaves
Lemon Sorbet

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a champagne coupe glass over a scoop of lemon sorbet. Add a sprig of cilantro for garnish.

Enjoy, but as always enjoy safely! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

(images provided by brands included in the drinks)

Post from: EveryJoe

The 12 Drinks of Christmas

This one is one of those retro classics currently making its way up clubs with caché right now, alongside the Sidecars and the Whiskey Sours: it’s the Snowball.

Snowballs are made with Advocaat, a Dutch liqueur that’s the alcoholic equivalent of, well, egg nog. It’s a creamy, light liqueur with a hint of fruitiness (from brandy) and eggs. But there really is no other way to drink it unless mixed in a Snowball.

And the funny thing is — Advocaat means ‘lawyer’ in Dutch. No idea why, but it may be because lawyers were the original drinkers of this fine beverage. Warninks Advocaat has been in production since 1616. Most people think it tastes like boozy custard, which makes sense, because the Dutch are known for their custard addiction – you can try hundreds of flavours of vla, or custard, in your average Amsterdam grocery store.

The traditional recipe has plain lemon juice and a lemon slice. My version is really, really simple, and a bit of an update on the classic. Pour a shot of Advocaat in a short glass over ice, and top up with fizzy Limonata, an Italian lemon soda that isn’t too sweet.

It’s a refreshing beverage with the texture of a melting snowball. The fizz of the Limonata adds a fantastic, fresh mouthfeel. I love these over the holidays and I’m sure you will too.

Gelukkig kerstfeest!

Post from: EveryJoe

‘Snowball’ fights?

At 35% ABV, Mekhong makes some fun and flavourful cocktails. Mekhong has a golden, dark amber and reddish copper appearance and its flavour and aroma is both spicy and sweet with hints of ginger, honey, toffee, vanilla, floral, herbs and citrus.

If you’re lucky enough to have a bottle of Mekhong on hand, try some of these holiday cocktails, created by several Manhattan mixologists.

Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

2 shots Mekhong
¾ shot fresh squeezed Lime Juice
½ shot Elderflower cordial
1 bar spoon of sugar
¼ fresh pear cut lengthwise
3 thumbnail sized slices of fresh ginger root
½ Kaffir lime leaf

Directions: In a mixing glass muddle the pear, ginger and sugar into a paste. Add Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a rock glass over ice. Garnish with torn Kaffir lime leaf.

Mekhong Mistletoe

2 shots Mekhong
1 shot fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ pomegranate fruit
¾ shot simple sugar syrup

Directions: In a mixing glass muddle pomegranate (leaving over a bar spoon of seeds to garnish) and sugar syrup. Add remaining ingredients, fill with ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds and strain into a Martini Glass. Garnish with remaining pomegranate seeds.

Mekhong Magi
2 shots Mekhong
1 shot Goldschläger (Swiss cinnamon schnapps – for the gold flecks)
Hot Spiced Apple Cider
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
touch of star anise

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a glass or ceramic mug. Mix in cloves and star anise and mix with spoon. Drop in cinnamon stick and serve hot.

Mekhong Frosty

2 shots Mekhong
1 ½ shots coconut puree
¾ shot white Crème de Cacao
Ground nutmeg

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini-cocktail glass. Ground some nutmeg on top.

Mekhong Rudolph

3 shots Mekhong
1 shot sweet (Italian) Vermouth
¾ shot Benedictine
Orange twist & a maraschino cherry

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 35-40 revolutions. Strain into a chilled martini-cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist and maraschino cherry.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Post from: EveryJoe

New Thai Spirit: Mekhong

You’re going to need a couple of items for your bar to create this drink, but it’s completely worth it, and you’ll totally impress your friends when you serve this.

You’ll need:
4 prong bar strainer
Small bar fine strainer (removes ice chips and other unwanted debris enhancing flavor and texture)
Classic Boston Shaker and Steel
Citrus Squeezer or Cheese Cloth for Lemon Juice
Very Sharp Peeler
Baking Trays
Baking Paper

If you can’t find a classic Boston shaker, use your regular shaker.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Itallisima Pear Nectar
2 oz Cinnamon and Peppercorn Infused Appleton Rum
1/4 oz 1 Lemon
4 1/2 teaspoon Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Cloudy Apple Juice
1/4 egg white (optional)

Infusion Instructions:
Add one stick of cinnamon and a quarter cup of black peppercorns to rum. Taste daily until desired flavor is reached (some like it subtle, others not so much). Strain into a plastic container removing all debris. Use a standard funnel to pour back into rum bottle.

Build all in classic Boston Glass
Add ice to steel portion of shaker 4/5ths full
Pour ingredients from Boston glass over ice and firmly tap Boston glass to ensure seal
Shake vigorously (30 seconds without egg white a full minute with)
Double strain into chilled martini glass
Garnish with dried pear chip* and mint leaf

Tip * keep martini glasses in fridge or fill with ice and water 2 minutes prior to serving. If using second method make sure that glass in dry before adding ingredients to ensure proper dilution.  Serving cold drinks in warm glasses is just like serving hot food on cold plates, never ever.

*Garnish Method:

Gently Peel three pears in top to bottom strips (approx 1 inch by 3 inches)

Lay moisture side down on baking tray on top of baking paper
Dust lightly with cinnamon, cracked pepper and maldon salt (or coarse salt of your choice)
Put same size baking tray upside down covering the first one and slide in oven on lowest heat
Allow to dry for 4-6 hours depending on oven temp or until dehydrated

Sounds delightful doesn’t it? Definitely a little more work that your standard diet soda and vodka, but much like “you get what you pay for”, you will notice the difference a little effort makes

Post from: EveryJoe

Holiday Cocktails: The Maple Anjou

Each mixologist made 3 different drinks, using a maximum of 5 ingredients in each. The winner from the Vancouver competition went to the North American Shake-off in Colorado Springs, and then overall winner from Colorado Spings gets to go to the 11th Annual International Finlandia Vodka Cup, which will be held at the Lainio Snow Village, above the Arctic Circle in Lapland.The Finlandia Vodka Cup arena, the “snow dome” is a construction of snow and ice, complete with a semi-circle ice bar. The pure Finnish nature provides amazing surruondings for the world’s best bartneders to show off their talents. I went to the summer Finlandia “Midnight Sun” event in the summer (where the sun didn’t set) and loved every minute of it. I’ll tell you about that soon.

And, you know, if I had the opportunity to go in February, I would, in a heartbeat!  I heard that Finland and Helsinki in the winter is gorgeous and dramatically and strikingly different than it is in the summer.

My favourite drink from each bartender had to be:

Colin MacDougall’s “long drink”

1 muddled peach (or 3 oz peach puree)
1 oz Finlandia Vodka
1 oz orgeat syrup
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz orange juice

Muddle all ingredients together, shake over ice and serve in a tall glass.

Trevor Kallies’ Cool Hand ‘Cuc’

2 oz Finlandia Vodka
1/2 kiwi, muddled
2″ peeled long English Cucumber
1 oz simple syrup
Ginger Beer

Muddle the kiwi & simple syrup, add vodka, shake over ice. Pour over ice, add ginger beer and garnish with cucumber.

Lori Poppe’s Marley Mule

1.5 oz sage infused Finlandia Vodka
.5 oz Benedictine
4 dashes peach bitters
3 oz fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice
1 oz ginger beer

Put all but ginger beer into a shaker, over ice. Pour into a tall glass, over ice and top with ginger beer.

Brian Grant’s (Vancouver Finlandia Vodka Cup Champion) “LL” Lyman

2 oz Finlandia Lime Vodka
Good scoop of Lemon Sorbet
Healthy splash of champagne

Build drink in a martini glass, starting with the Vodka, add the lemon sorbet and then add the champagne on top.

Colin Turner’s Candy Striper

1 oz Finlandia Vodka
.5 oz Cinzani Ornacio
1/2 oz Compari
1/5 oz fresh pomegranate juice
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Put all ingredients except for the pomegranate seeds into  a shaker, over ice. Pour into a martini glass and float seeds for garnish.

Ryan Cheverie’s Sami 75

1 oz Finlandia Mango
1/2 a pink grapefruit, juiced
1/2 oz ginger syrup
Dash of orange bitters
Top with sparkling wine

Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine in a shaker, over ice. Pour into your favourite glass and top with the sparkling wine.

(Images prodvided by Finlandia Vodka)

Post from: EveryJoe

Finlandia Vodka Cup

Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila is the world’s first ever diamond tequila, is a luxurious silver tequila with the complexity of an aged spirit. This exceptional blend of Reposado, Anejo and Extra Anejo tequilas can be judged, like a diamond, by four C’s: Clarity, Complexity, Crispness and Craftsmanship. Like I said in the Drinks After Dark Gift Guide, I find that this is smoother than many other tequilas, and is definitely a nice sipping tequila.

For this holiday season, surprise your guests with one of the cool, and completely unique drinks from Maestro Dobel.

The Maestro Mixer
5 white grapes
8-10 mint leaves
2 oz Maestro Dobel Tequila
¾ oz Aperol
½ oz lemon juice
¾ oz simple syrup
1 oz ginger ale

In a pint glass, add mint and grapes and muddle. Add all spirits and mixers. Shake vigorously for six seconds. Add ginger ale to pint glass, then strain over fresh ice in Collins glass. Garnish with a mint sprig dusted with powdered sugar and a white grape.

Dobel Spicy Chill

1 Serrano chili slice 1/4″ thick
2 oz Maestro Dobel Tequila
¾oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup

In a pint glass, crack the chili  with a muddler.  Add basil, then muddle or bruise. Add all spirits and mixers. Shake and strain in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Serrano chili slice and a basil sprig.

Crafty Maestro

1 red bell pepper ring 1/2″ thick
8-10 mint leaves
2 oz Maestro Dobel Tequila
¾ oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup

In a pint glass, muddle bell pepper ring and mint. Add all spirits and mixers. Shake vigorously for six seconds. Strain in cocktail glass. To garnish, drop a bell pepper ring in cocktail glass and a mint sprig.

(images provided by Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila)

Post from: EveryJoe

Review: Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila

Peppermint Twist Candy Cane Martini

Vanilla ice cream
White Creme de Menthe
Giffard Vanilla Syrup

Blend and serve in a chilled martini glass with either a crushed candy cane rim, or just float some crushed candy cane on top. The idea is to keep this drink pristine and white like new snow. Garnish with a mint leaf. We might also try adding a touch of white creme de cacao in here as well. We’ll see.

Holiday ‘Hopper

Consider the Holiday Hopper a Grasshopper with a twist (everything’s got a twist this season!).  Midori has taken one of the more popular Christmas ‘martinis’ and added their liqueur for this melon background that is really quite interesting and makes, in my opinion, a far better cocktail. As with the Grasshopper, use white creme de cacao because the brown makes the finished drink look like some sort of sludge, which is rather unappealing.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Midori melon liqueur
• 1/2 oz green creme de menthe
• 1/2 oz white creme de cacao
• 2 oz half and half
• mint leaves for garnish
• raspberry for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain into a cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with a mint leaves and a raspberry.

That’s our start at least – what’s your favourite holiday drink?

(image source: Midori; image for Peppermint Twist coming soon)

Post from: EveryJoe

Experimental Mixology: The Christmas Edition