One for the Road... Fat-Washing

In "One for the Road", one of the guys takes a quick run at a topic for your reading pleasure. Themes will vary, from classic drinks to hand-crafted ingredients and creations of their own, or whatever suits them at the moment. This go around, Pablo delves into a topic befitting his physique: fat-washing. 

A couple of years back John wrote about one of my favorite drinks: the Boulevardier. A lesser known but fantastic cousin to the Negroni, where bourbon or rye substitutes for the gin in approximately equal parts, depending on your taste, with Campari and sweet vermouth. 

But this isn't about the Boulevardier, per se. This is about Campari. Nay, this is about fat. Specifically, this is about fat-washing.

For Repeal Day, a celebration of creation... sorta. Introducing the Graveyard of Empires

The subject of today's post is irony.

Specifically, the irony of a cocktail with the nickname of a place where you can't buy alcohol. The irony of a cocktail--image of refinement and the subtle interplay of flavors--named after a country at war.

Specifically, the Graveyard of Empires.

Before anyone starts heating up the righteous indignation, I should point out that this isn't an Afghanistan joke, it's a colonialism joke.

The actual origin of "graveyard of empires" as a nickname for Afghanistan is obscure, but it's not something the Afghans themselves invented--rather it was applied by one colonial power or another in bitter recognition that they had joined the roster of centuries' worth of invaders who had tried and failed to hold on to the country. Most recently the roster has included the British, Soviets and--dare we say it--Americans, but the succession of attempts goes back at least as far as Alexander the Great, long before there was a nation on the map with the name "Afghanistan." Regardless, the political accuracy of the term isn't at issue;

Saffron is.

Two Guys and Drink: Corpse Reviver #2

In "Two Guys and a Drink", Dave and John focus on a single drink and experiment with multiple recipes and ingredients as they search for their own "perfect" recipe. Of course, the "perfect" recipe is purely subjective; as with life, the cocktail is a journey, not a destination, and you should find your own. For this post, they are taking on a pre-Prohibition classic: The Corpse Reviver #2.

A LITTLE HISTORY
"Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again." So wrote Harry Craddock in his seminal The Savoy Cocktail Book. Craddock's written contribution to the cocktail arts is filled with a multitude of similarly witty quips, but this particular one is at least partly responsible for #2's revived popularity. How can you read that and not want a taste? To be fair, four of most cocktails will likely send you to bed (or worse), but it was thoughtful of Craddock to issue the warning because this tasty concoction is one that will leave you asking for more.

One for the Road... Fish House Punch

In "One for the Road", one of the guys takes a quick run at a topic for your reading pleasure. Themes will vary, from classic drinks to hand-crafted ingredients and creations of their own, or whatever suits them at the moment. This go around, John presents the Fish House Punch.

First off, hot damn it is good to be back. Happy Repeal Day, everyone!

Background
As we approach the holiday season, my love of cocktails is met with the cold hard reality that when I'm at or hosting a party, I can't always spend the whole evening tending bar. There's that whole socializing thing to consider, too. So how do you balance your need to create well crafted and tasty beverages for your friends with the desire (social obligation?) to actually converse with them? Enter the punch.

I was faced with this very dilemma at Thanksgiving this year, and elected to go with the Fish House Punch. The recipe dates back to 1732, to the Schuylkill Fishing Company of Pennsylvania. 1732! George Washington is said to have had a cup or two of this in his day. So this isn't just a punch recipe, it is a time machine!

One For the Road... the Rickey

In "One for the Road", one of the guys takes a quick run at a topic for your reading pleasure. Themes will vary, from classic drinks to hand-crafted ingredients and creations of their own, or whatever suits them at the moment. This go around, David presents the Rickey.

Hi all...  after a long, unavoidable time away due to circumstances beyond our control, we're back--just in time for Repeal Day, of course! It seemed like an apt time to stage a comeback--that noble holiday (holiday in our houses, anyway) celebrating the repeal of Prohibition (cheers and boos, in turn) and a return to order and good in the universe. 

And thus, without further ado... consider the Rickey.

One for the Road... the Kampot Fizz

In "One for the Road", one of the guys takes a quick run at a topic for your reading pleasure. Themes will vary, from classic drinks to hand-crafted ingredients and creations of their own, or whatever suits them at the moment. This go around, John presents the Kampot Fizz.

Background
After more than a year in Cambodia, I decided it was time to come up with a drink that payed homage to my home away from home. Cambodia has a range of exports, ranging from the mundane to the... less savory. One of the country's signature exports, though, is Kampot pepper. It comes in a variety of forms, from the young, green pepper and the robust and spicy black peppers, to the rare and much sought after white and red peppercorns. Regardless of the variety, though, it is delicious and well suited to a wide range of uses. Including, apparently, libations.

One for the Road... the Mint Julep. 

David here...
Okay, so both John and I have been horribly busy recently, but I'm going to take the opportunity--the Kentucky Derby being tomorrow and all--to squeak one in so we keep things going here, until the next "both-of-us-whistles-and-bells" post.

Two guys and a drink: The Manhattan

In "Two Guys and a Drink", Dave and John focus on a single drink and experiment with multiple recipes and ingredients as they search for their own "perfect" recipe. Of course, the "perfect" recipe is purely subjective; as with life, the cocktail is a journey, not a destination, and you should find your own. For this post, they are taking on a classic: The Manhattan.

A LITTLE HISTORY
The Manhattan may not be the oldest cocktail around, but it is an undeniable classic. David Embury, a beacon of light for all amateur mixers and imbibers, lists it as one of his Six Basic Cocktails. Its history, like most cocktails, is a muddled one, but it was most certainly invented in New York City in the 1870s and first appeared in bartender guides as early as 1882. The Manhattan is especially notable, according to David Wonderich, for leading the way for other vermouth-blended cocktails. Is it possible that, without the Manhattan, the Martini would never have the prominent cocktail it is today? Probably not - come on, it's the Martini - but that does not mean the Manhattan's contributions to the evolution of the cocktail should be underestimated.