Greg’s book releases next week! Get it here. Staying humble? We taste Jade 1901 Absinthe. Anne of Green Gables’ lemonade at church picnic glasses. Greg reads from Whiskey by Michael Dietsch. We make a Rob Roy cocktail. We mention Dashfire Bitters. We mention Camper English’s Tales seminar this year. Greg hates banana ice and Lisa hates paper plates.
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No friends this week…but 2 cocktails! We make a Martini. Greg persecutes Lisa’s drinkmaking skills…as always. Americans and cocktails. We’re going to Tales of the Cocktail! We make a new cocktail: Brandy & Root.
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The Hudson line of whiskeys are distilled by Tuthilltown Spirits in the Hudson River Valley in New York. Every whiskey they create comes in a half-sized bottle that usually retails for the price of many full-sized craft whiskies. Hudson Four Grain Bourbon retails for about $45.
The 4 grains that go into the mash for this whiskey are corn, rye, wheat and malted barley – all common components of a bourbon, though usually a combination of only 3 of those 4. Hudson uniquely uses very small casks for their whiskeys, I believe maxing out at 14 gallon barrels. This means that Hudson whiskeys receive more barrel exposure than whiskeys in the “standard” bourbon barrel size of 200 liters (53 gallons), and this sets their flavor profile apart from many large-scale whiskies.
Hudson’s Four Grain ends up pretty complex, in fact, complex to the point of being inaccessible to some. HFGB is spicy, earthy, wet and sweet, which are reflections of each of the grains in the mash and the smaller barrels, too, use a scaleszen for the grains. We tried it on the podcast and I offered it to some whiskey-drinking friends, and the feedback went like this: whiskey drinkers/lovers really liked Hudson Four Grain Bourbon. Those who prefer a milder liquor found HFGB to be an overwhelming tasting experience.
So, a bourbon that whiskey lovers love? Seems a wise choice. I made a single cocktail with my bottle of HFGB – by the way, those little bottles go fast – a Manhattan. It was good, but I’d recommend this be reserved strictly as a sipper on ice (or maybe a touch of clean water). Its complexities are really quite a bit to savor, so sipping Husdon Four Grain on its own is my preferred way to drink it.
We visit New Mexico Cocktails and Culture and talk to some big names in mixology…and big names in New Mexico! Interviews include Tony Abou Ganim, Anthony from Bulldog Gin, Bobby G, and Chris Milligan. Thanks to Natalie Bovis for her hard work on this event!
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Every year, Albuquerque the Magazine opens up a site to vote for the “Best of the City” in Albuquerque and there is one category that I really covet your votes for: best blogger. Click here to vote (not limited to Albuquerque residents). THANK YOU for your support!
Voting ends August 1.
I’m made mention in the past my love for Kuhn Rikon paring knives in my home bar. We have several of these in the kitchen and use them all day for everything, from butter, to everyday chopping, to cocktail citrus prep. For about $10 per knife, we use these until we wear them out and feel like they’re a great value for their quality and functionality. See photo #3 below for a true representation of my Colori addiction.
These knives are not only extremely sharp, they are also coated with a nonstick coating (which makes them extra-useful for cutting butter and softer cheeses), and they each come with a plastic sleeve for storage.
Kuhn Rikon has now released a brand-new version of their popular Colori series of knives, the Colori+ and I reached out to the company to try some. The differences between Colori and Colori+ are shown above, with the original knives on the left and the newer model on the right. The new Coloris have:
The Colori line is widely available at many retailers nationally, including Amazon. Because the Colori+ knives are relatively new, I’ve only seen them sold on Kuhn Rikon’s website so far. At the same retail price of the previous iteration ($10 a knife), I prefer the improved + line, primarily because of the improved handle, which feels much better in my hand.
Greg’s book is coming! Larry & Susie get the first copy. Kevin is back and Nickelette is still pregnant. We taste Bayou Rum. We mention San Antonio Cocktail Conference. Susie sells the book: “honey, we need more vodka!” We make a custom cocktail with Art in the Age Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial: the Blueblood.
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I must confess that Basil Hayden’s has had me a bit dumbfounded since I first broke the seal on this bottle. This is my first time sipping Hayden’s, and so I drank it the way I like to drink lots of my bourbons: with a lot of ice.
I was disappointed. I found it to be watery and extremely mild on my initial tasting of it. Instead of writing off Hayden’s as a bourbon that I don’t like, I began to research it to see how I might be approaching this bourbon wrong.
I had the incredible chance to attend New Mexico Cocktails and Culture this past weekend, and one of the speakers was Beam’s Master Mixologist Bobby G. Basil Hayden’s is a Beam product, so I asked him about it. Bobby told me two things that were helpful: First, Basil Hayden’s is a very mild bourbon, so it should be sipped neat and not on the rocks. Second, it’s the Beam bourbon that has tested to be the most popular with women.
From there, I consulted my favorite bourbon book: Bourbon Curious by Fred Minnick. There is a summary of Basil Hayden’s overall: founded in 1992, owner by Beam Suntory, and named after a famous Kentuckian. But then, a little earlier in the book, under Tricks to Getting Used to Bourbon, I read: “My favorite starter bourbon is Basil Hayden’s, because it’s 80 proof and carries some nuances.”
There you go. Basil Hayden’s is a mild, approachable starter bourbon with notes of citrus (especially orange) and mild tea with basically no spice. Enjoying it neat or in a 3:1 Manhattan is a great way to ease someone into the world of bourbon.
Simple Cocktails with Friends is one of several cocktail podcasts available on the web. Because there’s no solid resource for finding cocktail-focused podcasts like ours, I created the following list as a guide for those who are looking for more.
Here are all the cocktail podcasts I know of, many of which I subscribe to. If you’re aware of any others that aren’t listed, or if you host a cocktail podcast, please leave a comment below and I’ll keep this list updated on a regular basis.
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“Really good social media friends” Kevin & Nickelette join the party! Good friends with good friends. A guest curveball. We taste Hudson Four Grain Bourbon. About wax seals and liquor brands. Greg mentions Journeyman Distillery. Food pairing with this bourbon? We make Ed Wood’s favorite drink, an Akdov Telmig. “Let the pregnant lady shake.” We reference Plan 9 From Outer Space. “Simple Cocktails is a miracle worker.”
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