Last month, I had the pleasure to work with American Cocktail Co to design the upcoming April box: The Spicy Ginger Mule. This is a bourbon-based mule with the notes of apricot, just in time for the spring weather to enjoy at home.
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The classic cobbler format is essentially a base spirit that is sweetened by some form of syrup and adorned with seasonal fruit. The most popular one might be sherry cobbler. If you are a whisky drinker, I have found bourbon works the best to retain cobbler's fruitness and brightness. You can also innovate with fresh berry juice instead of cream de mure.
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I remembered how much fruity apple notes was packed in that Aberlour 12! I built a new highball by combining Aberlour and Calvados and its flavor is enhanced by Polite Amor bitters, a limited edition of bitters that is full of gingerbread and fall spices.
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My immediate inspiration for the cocktail is based on The King’s Sandwich. He is known for his love of peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich. I have done cocktails with peanut, banana or bacon, but never all together. It makes the perfect sense, Peanut Butter is nutty, salty and slightly sweet, bacon is sweet, savory and salty. What could be nuttier than this?
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Paul John is an Indian Single Malt Whisky brand from John Distilleries, which has the distillery facility in Goa, a warm and tropical area in India. The whisky is double distilled in India made pot stills, but peat is sourced from Scotland as India is not the ideal place to find peat. The distillery in Goa has several barrel rooms, including one that is underground to avoid too much humidity. The warm temperature, perhaps that brings a bit more fruiter notes to the profiles as well.
Recently, I had the opportunity to develop a few recipes for Exitus Wine from O’Neil Vintners & Distillers. Exitus Wine is not your typical bottle of red wine on the shelf. Fermented in American stainless steel and then aged for 3 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels, Exitus is a red wine with a bourbon soul, a bold blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel with aromas of blackberry compote, baking spices and loose-leaf tobacco. This new bourbon barrel aged wine brand tiptoes on the boundary with spirits, which makes it an interesting one to use in cocktails.
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I will be spending time in France this summer. While I can’t speak French and there is not enough time to learn, surely I speak some Pernod Absinthe, Byrrh, Lillet, Ricard and Suze . I picked up this little cute book named “Do It The French Way”, on my, what a wonderful history book about my favorite French apertif !
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My whisky journey actually started with Ardbeg quite a few years ago, it totally threw me off with its big, peaty and smoky profile. I went to Japanese whisky instead, explored bourbon and rye, one time I owned more than 35+ bottles. Slowly, I have been back to the state where I appreciate different profiles: Scotch, Japanese, American to Canadian. A whisky with a medium to long finish, tailing away gracefully can win my heart easily.
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I made my pine nuts washed Old Fashioned again, but each time with improved techniques and subtle changes. This time, I adjusted the number of coffee filters, amount of pint nuts, number of washes. Most importantly, I chose Rye this time, half High West Rendezvous Rye and half Wild Turkey 101 Rye to get the right spice and heat.
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Made this autumn drink when the summer evening got a bit chilly. We have had lots of rain this year, even now with summer approaching, we get patches of cold days in the Bay Area. When Sukkah Hill Spirits sent me some samples, I knew I wanted to try their Besamim liqueur, which has the notes of vanilla, clove and cinnamon.
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Nikka coffey whisky is known for its sweet spice, mango aroma, perfect for a cold and moody evening. This drink reminds me a lot of the moody mornings in Tokyo.
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