Simple Cocktails Podcast Episode 21

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We talk about multiple spouses – a prelude to tasting Five Wives Vodka. Would Lisa want 5 husbands? Embracing the Mormon-ness: it’s the perfect trick. The 5 wives joke is an easy one. Greg asks Lisa: “what flavor is heaven?” and “what flavor is sin?” We make a Margarita!  Lisa’s ghetto decisions. “The longer you’re married, the more ok with it you are.”

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Cactus Juice

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espelon tequila and cactus juice cocktail

It’s going to be a little hard to hold this one in, because I discovered one of the best tequila cocktails I’ve ever tried. Stay tuned for the recipe – first, let’s talk about Espolón Tequila.

Espolón is a 20-year-old tequila brand and produces the typical blanco/reposado/añejo portfolio of tequilas, but we’ll focus on Espolón Añejo for two reasons. First, it’s only recently available in the United States (you won’t yet find it on the company’s website, in fact). Second, the añejo’s aging is finished in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels. While bourbon barrels are not uncommon for tequila aging, I suppose the specificity of the fact that these are in Wild Turkey barrels makes it all the more interesting to me.

Espolón Añejo, at $35 a bottle, is a really nice experience. Many a tequila maker is trying to sway the reputation of their product from the “shooter” market, and highlighting the quality you’ll find in a fine tequila, and this is one of those. This is not a muggy, sour tequila experience, and while you will certainly taste tequila in your glass of Espolón Añejo, this is much more of an oaky, crisp, smooth-drinking experience. I replaced my nightly glass of whiskey with it for a few days, and found it to be an equivalent experience, though somehow wetter and more refreshing than the brashness (not an insult) of whiskey.

So here’s the deal: a quality aged tequila is different than even a quality unaged tequila, and your cocktail recipes should reflect that. I found the following recipe, which contains a small amount of the Scotch-based liqueur Drambuie, and between Drambuie’s smokiness and the grittiness of the granulated sugar, this is a very tasty cocktail to drink with an añejo tequila, particularly one with whiskey elements like Espolón Añejo. Try it out:

Cactus Juice

  • in a shaker, combine:
  • 1 1/2 oz Espolón Añejo
  • 3/4 oz lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Drambuie
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass on the rocks
  • garnish with a lemon slice

We make Cactus Juice on the Simple Cocktails Podcast. Listen here.

 

Penny Packer Bourbon

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penny packer bourbon and commodore cocktail

Imagine a bourbon that you can’t buy in the United States, but has been the biggest bourbon brand in Germany. Confused? Let’s try to explain this: the Penny Packer brand was developed in the 60’s and, as required by law, distilled and aged in the United States. Then, all of this particular bourbon was exported to other countries for decades. That’s how it got huge in Germany, apparently.

Now it’s 2014, and you can buy this decades-old bourbon brand the the U.S. All caught up? Good. Penny Packer is inexpensive, running just over $20 a bottle, and there’s even a $5 rebate if you buy before the end of 2014.

Penny Packer is a good bourbon for the price. It avoids the alcohol “hotness” that inexpensive liquor can have. It’s somewhere in the middle on the sweetness scale. Certainly not as sweet as Maker’s Mark, but not as spicy as Bulleit can be. This is going to sounds strange, but I kept drinking Penny Packer over the course of several weeks to figure out why (or ever if) I actually liked the stuff. I think I can say that if you prefer your whiskey to be balanced between spicy and sweet, this will be a fun one to try, and for the price, why not? It’s balanced, and (sorry) cheap, so it’s a worthwhile purchase.

Here’s a bourbon cocktail you can try with it:

Commodore

  • in a shaker filled with ice, combine:
  • 2 oz bourbon
  • 3/4 oz white creme de cacao (chocolate liqueur)
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 1 dash grenadine
  • shake and strain into a champagne flute
  • garnish with a lemon wheel

Simple Cocktails Podcast Episode 20

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We mention the Dinner Party Download Podcast. “What do you think about the stupid republicans?” You gotta collect your stories. We ultimately get a tad preachy about dinner party etiquette, We taste Bols Yogurt liqueur and mix it a little bit. We make Greg’s favorite rum cocktail: the XYZ. “You keep trying to push that on me Greg.”

Download Episode 20.

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Kris Von Dopek’s favorite Simple Cocktail

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Kris Von Dopek

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Hendrick’s Gin Brand Ambassador Kris Von Dopek to talk about his role at Hendrick’s, and craft cocktails at home.

Kris, who’s from Chicago but grew up in London, has professionally bartended for over a decade. We spent our time together talking about home bartending, though. He said “In the 60’s everybody had a cocktail set at home and you made a Martini for your guests when they came over. The 70’s kind of killed the cocktail.”

We also talked about the outlook for home bartenders now that craft cocktails have really taken off. Kris told me “You know, companies (Hendrick’s included) are now spending a lot more time and money to educate consumers directly. From social media campaigns to cocktails on cooking shows, people have more information now and they can make better choices about the cocktails they make at home. ”

I asked Kris what his favorite simple cocktail is, and he told me a White Martinez. The Martinez is believed to be the cocktail that led to the Martini’s invention, so it’s certainly a recipe to know. Here it is:

white martinez with hendricks

White Martinez

  • 1 oz Hendrick’s Gin
  • 2 oz sweet white vermouth (I used Dolin Blanc)
  • 1 dash of bitters (I used orange bitters so it wouldn’t affect the color)
  • 2 dashes of maraschino liqueur (I used Maraska)
  • stir the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass
  • garnish with a lemon peel

We make a White Martinez on the Simple Cocktails Podcast. Listen here.

photo of Kris Von Dopek courtesy Jill Tiongco Photography

Halloween Cocktails on the Morning Brew (Video)

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Here’s the video clip of Greg making Halloween cocktails on The Morning Brew with Larry Ahrens in Albuquerque. I make a Black Martini and a Obituary.

Simple Cocktails Podcast Episode 19

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Halloween cocktails! Last year we made the Devil’s Snare. Sticky sugar rims. Drinks that represent….people? We taste Pimm’s by itself, and make a Pimm’s Cup. We talk about all the Pimm’s varieties which Lisa comparies to the Saw movies. “We should rim this with crushed candied ginger.” This year’s Halloween cocktail is the Black Martini. Spooky!

Download Episode 19.

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Floridita Cocktail

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floridita cocktail with appleton estate

Named for the Floridita Bar in Cuba, this cocktail is a pretty interesting mix of five ingredients, mostly familiar to the rum cocktail drinker, except for that little dash of creme de cacao in the mix (a chocolate liqueur).

If you’re a Daiquiri drinker, or maybe you’re looking for something new to try in rum drinks, but especially if you prefer sweet over tart, you’ll likely enjoy this tribute to the 2-century-old bar:

Floridita

  • in a shaker combine:
  • 1 1/2 oz rum (I used Appleton Estate)
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
  • 1/8 oz white creme de cacao
  • 1/8 oz grenadine
  • shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass
  • garnish with a lime wedge

Pimm’s Cup

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pimms cup

Pimm’s is an interesting liqueur if you’ve never had it before. It’s essentially an English Amaro, with gin as it’s base spirit. It’s a touch bitter, a little sweet, and sort of herbal, earthy and gritty. There have been as many as 6 varieties of Pimm’s over the years, but the original “No. 1 Cup” is the one that has stuck.

Here’s how you make the simple and refreshing Pimm’s Cup Cocktail:

Pimm’s Cup

  • in a highball glass filled with ice, add:
  • 1 1/2 oz Pimm’s No. 1
  • top with ginger ale (or lemon-lime soda)
  • garnish with cucumber
  • serve with a straw

We taste Pimm’s and make a Pimm’s Cup on the Simple Cocktails Podcast, too. Listen here.

Simple Cocktails Podcast Episode 18

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Unlimited-budget home bar? Invasive kitchen hardware. Phraya Rum: Lisa says “warm but doesn’t burn.” It’s Greg’s favorite cigar rum. We fake like we’re smoking. We talk about warm cocktails, Lisa doesn’t have time for luxury, then we make a Mountaineer Punch. How to set up a self-serve hot cocktail for your winter party. The pressure is from Greg talking.

Download Episode 18.

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If you enjoyed the show, please write a brief review on iTunes. That would help us get the word out and raise the visibility of the show. Thank you!