Sidecar

The Sidecar, another of the classics out of New Orleans, is perhaps one of the first cocktail I remember hearing about in my childhood. Incredibly simple–brandy, lemon, and triple sec–it’s none too sweet. Luckily, the sugared rim adds a nice amount of sweetness and plenty of sexiness.

The Sidecar has seen many offshoots, but is said to have come from the Brandy Crusta. It’s disputed to have been created at either Harry’s Bar in Paris or Buck’s Club in London–either way, it has been mentioned in just about every cocktail book since World War I. Wherever it came from, its ingredients have remained constant.

THE SIDECAR
2oz brandy (I went with Hennessy V.S.O.P. Privilège)
1oz fresh lemon juice
1oz triple sec (like Cointreau)

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice then shake until very well chilled. Strain into sugar-rimmed glass.

Garnish: sugar rim
Glass: martini

***Thanks to Hennessy for providing a bottle to create the cocktail!***

Sweat Out the Chill with a Marker’s Mark Hot Toddiablo

Y’all … this weather is weird. 30º one day, 60º the next … it’s enough to give anyone a sniffle. The best cure? A hot toddy.

The Hot Toddy (or tottie or “hot whiskey”) is traditionally made using a dark spirit (usually whiskey, rum, or brandy), hot water, sugar, and some spice. Typically, we see lemon added to make it … you know … more “medicinal”. And while they’re said to be a good way to mitigate cold symptoms, I’ve found that I enjoy them whether I’m sickly or not.

The word “toddy” itself comes from the Hindi work tārī, which was a drink they made using the toddy palm. The British adopted and adapted the drink (as they do), and then it made its way to America’s deep south and they did the same using rum and local spice and sugars, but these drinks were served cool. The more well-known HOT version is thought to have come from Scotland and was used as a cold cure.

Wherever it came from, I’m a fan. That said, I came up with a version that will add some (literal) spice to your holiday …

Hot Toddiablo
1½ oz Maker’s Mark
1/4 oz Ancho Chili Demerera Syrup*
1 bag Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea
3 oz hot water
2 dashes Orange bitters

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass, then stir until combined.
Glass: hot drink glass
Garnish: orange slice and cinnamon stick (and slice of ancho chile if desired)

Ancho Chili Demerera Syrup
2 cups demerera sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
1 cup water
2 ancho chilis, stemmed and seeded

Bring ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain through a find sieve, and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Maker’s Mark: ~$30/750mL
Tea: Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea, $2-$24
Cup: Crate and Barrel, $1.95

***Maker’s Mark generously provided me with product to create this recipe.***

Holiday Gift Guide 2016

1. Bosch Lithium Ion Screwdriver with Corkscrew Attachment | When you’re a little DIY and a little thirsty. amazon.com, ~$90

2. Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup | Breakfast has never looked so good … this limited edition USDA Organic pure maple syrup is aged in bourbon barrels, so it has 2% ABV.
Kroger or crownmaple.com, $19.95/375 mL

3. Basil Hayden’s x Slow North Barman’s Candle Set | Basil Hayden’s Bourbon teamed up with some artisans to make some limited edition holiday gifts. This set of candles came from Slow North and is soy wax poured in copper holders, and only 100 of them were made. The scents compliment the nose of Basil Hayden’s–“Warm Welcome” and “High Spirits”.
huckberry.com, $75

4. Absolut Elyx Copper Coupe Gift Set | Get luxe with a set copper coupes to compliment your Elyx martini. (Their copper motif is inspired by the vintage copper stills they use to produce Elyx. Like their other drinking vessels, for every set sold, they’ll help Water For People provide one month of safe water to someone in need.
elyxboutique.com, $79.95 for two
Need a less luxe version? Pier 1 Imports has a similar coupe for a touch less. Pier 1, $14.95

5. Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks | The author, Dale DeGroff, is said to be the godfather of classic cocktails and almost singlehandedly responsible for the resurgence of cocktails. This book holds recipes for “100 essential drinks and 100 of their best variations” and is the perfect start for someone trying to appreciate the classics and the art behind the bar. Let the education begin …
barnesandnoble.com, $24

6. GrowlerWerks uKeg | Growlers are super convenient, but it’s so much pressure to drink all that beer before it goes flat. Enter the uKeg that holds 64 ounces of beer and keeps it cold and fresh for WEEKS.
huckberry.com, $159

7. Redbreast | How about a nice glass of 12 year? Redbreast’s 12 Year Old is a perfect gift for a whisky lover thanks to its unique “Christmas cake” flavor. The sweet notes are thanks to its time aged in Oloroso sherry casks and the finish is long and complex.
singlepotstill.com, $52

8. Cocktail Inspired Lip Balm Trio | This all-natural lip balm trio is inspired by classic cocktails with flavors like Tiki scented with mandarin oil.
stewartandclaire.com, $22

9. Tarot Card Cocktails | Can’t decide what you’d like to drink next? Leave it up to the of gods of fate with this Tarot-inspired 30-card deck.
uncommongoods.com, $24

10. Kikkerland Maraca Cocktail Shaker | Shake shake shake … shake your booze thing. While it doesn’t hold but 250mL, the beech wood and stainless steel will definitely get you grooving.
amazon.com, $23

11. Patrón en Lalique, Serie 1 | This limited edition is a first-time collaboration between Lalique and Patrón Tequila where only 500 bottles were made. The 4-year extra anejo tequila is decidedly complex with notes of caramel, vanilla, and dried fruit and the bottle … well, it’s a work of art from the French crystal artisans at Lalique.
Available in select duty-free shops, $7,200/750mL, 40% ABV

BONUS GIFT: For that finicky foodie or brainy bartender, get them in on the ground floor of the coolest new kitchen and bar gadget around, the Spinzall, from Booker and Dax’s cocktail chemist, Dave Arnold. It’s a centrifuge that takes the place of the $8,000 equipment usually required and cuts down the time required to make flavored oils, clarify juices, separate fats, and more. Read more about the Spinzall and help them raise the money to produce the appliances on the link below.
blog.modernistpantry.com, $699

Oni Ramen

In the wake of losing Kin Kin Urban Thai, the space has taken new life as Oni Ramen–it’s a super casual atmosphere that provides you with super quick service a la other quick serve restaurants at lunch and table-side service at dinner. One of the biggest bonuses Oni provides are its hours–Friday and Saturday night they stay until 4 am. I mean Whataburger is great, but fatty, rich ramen sounds like a way better late night choice to me.

Oni has a few speciality ramen options on their incredibly straightforward and simple menu, as well as their signature miso (my personal favorite). From there, you can build your own if those options aren’t doing it for you. Pick a classic ramen then add extra protein, vegetables, and spice of your choice. Toppings include pork belly, chicken thighs, tempura shrimp, soft or hard-boiled eggs, leafy greens, bean sprouts, corn kernels, and many more. But, choose wisely when picking your spice … this isn’t the time to show off in front of you buddies. If you order it too spicy- you’re SOL because they won’t remake your ramen. The “mild” spice is made with ichimi togarashi pepper, “medium” is made with Aleppo and Thai pepper, “hot” is made with habanero and ghost pepper, “fire” is made with ghost/7-pot and scorpion pepper … and then there’s “demon”–a mix of scorpion X and Carolina reaper pepper. I was scared to go beyond “medium” for my whole bowl, but my spice tolerance isn’t that high. From my experience, there is a huge jump in spice between the “medium” and “hot”.

Tonkotsu: pork belly and light chicken broth seasoned with soy

I tried their signature miso–pork belly, corn, bamboo shoots, and sprouts–that was absolutely delicious. The broth was super flavorful and the pork belly was fall- apart tender. I want to go back to try different things, but I really just want more of this signature miso. Life is hard.

GF? Vegetarian? They are super accommodating to customers’ dietary needs. They have a gluten-free ramen item (salt ramen with shirataki-yam noodles), a vegetarian option (cabbage-soy broth topped with woodear), and all ramen is available low sodium.

Ok, what about the drinks? My favorite thing to order with my piping hot ramen is cold sake. Oni has a Gekkeikan Sake machine that pours delicious, cold sake that can be ordered by the carafe. They also have a handful of other sake available along with cocktails. For cocktails, my favorites were the Gomper-san and the Lychee Mule. Drink prices are great all the time at Oni, but for a really good deal, go during happy hour.

Oni Cocktail Menu

BONUS: Tag #‎MyOniBowl for a chance to be featured at Oni as the Ramen Bowl of the Week where other diners can order, eat & enjoy your ramen customization process.

Oni Ramen
oniramen.com
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2801 W 7th Street (Fort Worth)
817-882-6554

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11am-2:30pm/5pm-10pm
Friday-Saturday 11am-2:30pm/5pm-4am

Christie Brinkley Launches “Bellissima Prosecco”

Before the craziness of Thanksgiving, I had the interesting opportunity to witness Christie Brinkley arrive at the Southlake Tom Thumb on horseback. This momentous (yet bizarre) occasion was to present her new line of organic prosecco. You heard that right … you can now feel good–and dare I say, healthy–about your drinking habits. And if you’re anything like me, sparkling wine is a daily indulgence, so the fact that there’s now an organic line is HUGE. Her line actually includes three different wines: a zero sugar sparkling white wine, a sparkling rosé wine, and a Prosecco DOC brut.

After Christie’s grand entrance, we were escorted inside the store where there was a massive line waiting for the chance to have a bottle signed by and a picture taken with the supermodel. There were stations set up at various points where people could taste the new line and decide which bottle to purchase (but let’s be honest, I bought all of them). Available for purchase were three different organic wines:

Zero Sugar Sparkling White Wine: Made with 100% Glera organic grapes and produced with natural selected yeasts and has no residual sugar. It is an enthralling wine, that exhales a fine scent of delicious yeasts, white flowers, and grapefruit. It is fresh, velvety, creamy, and dry but it is perfectly balanced and has a pleasant acidity.

Sparkling Rosé Wine: Made with 100% Pinot Grigio organic grapes and is produced using the “Charmat Method”, which is the natural re-fermentation in autoclave. This rosé is elegant with hints of strawberry and grapefruit, which provide a fresh and fruity flavor.

Prosecco Doc BRUT: Made with 100% Glera organic grapes, which were called Prosecco grames until 2009. The BRUT is the driest version of Prosecco, but to balance it out are delicate scents of green apple and freshly baked bread.

As an avid Prosecco indulger, I was a little apprehensive about an organic line, not wanting to risk flavor for a healthier element. But these wines taste just as good as anything I would be drinking normally, which means their organic properties are just an added benefit. Another bonus: the bottles are adorned with artwork from Christie herself, which was inspired by Botticelli’s “Venus”.

You can find her entire line at Tom Thumb stores, don’t forget your Tom Thumb card for a member’s discount!

Bellissima Prosecco

bellissimaprosecco.com
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Shake Shack Holiday Menu

With the changing of seasons comes the changing of the guard … err … shakes at Dallas’s newest burger chain. Shake Shack has a new holiday menu that would turn even the Grinch into a cheerful SOB. You can get three new shakes and a hot chocolate treat to keep your spirits bright from the inside out.

Pumpkin Pie Shake: vanilla frozen custard blended with Four & Twenty Blackbirds pumpkin pie and topped with whipped cream and spiced pie crumbles ($5.79)

Christmas Cookie Shake: sugar cookie frozen custard topped with whipped cream and red and green sprinkles ($5.79)

Chocolate Peppermint Shake: chocolate frozen custard blended with peppermint and topped with whipped cream and chocolate peppermint candy crumbles ($5.79)

Brownie Batter Hot Chocolate: a blend of bittersweet dark chocolates and rich fudge sauce, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles ($3.89)

Don’t forget to check out the Custard Calendar to find out what custard is being featured daily at Shake Shack!

SHAKE SHACK (Uptown)
shakeshack.com
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2500 North Pearl Street
214.983.1023

Repeal Day 2016

Bowen House | 4-7pm | Special menu from Papas Pilar Rum

The Cedars Social | 9pm-2am | $3.33 prohibition cocktails and $5 beer, wine, and craft cocktails

Fat Daddy’s | 6pm | $5 select classic cocktails

Eastwood’s Bar | 6-10pm | 1/2 priced Old Fashioneds

The Standard Pour | 8pm-2am

Victor Tangos | 5-7pm | $0.83 cocktails

Whiskey Cake Plano | 11am-midnight | $5 classic cocktails, 20s music, photo booth, costume contest where you can win a trip to experience the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

NYLO Las Colinas | cocktail feature: Blueberry Moonshine Lemonade

Milagro Tequila

To me, it always seemed that tequila was the shot you ordered after you had a few too many and needed an excuse for eating late night pizza. After my night of tequila tasting with Milagro Tequila, the spirit is so much more to me.

The night was an in depth look into the smells and tastes of different types of tequila. Before tasting anything, we were given an aroma kit with samples of all the different notes you get from tequila. (I think of doing this when tasting wine, but not tequila.) The twelve aromas ranged from lemongrass and pineapple all the way to black pepper.

Now, Milagro is no ordinary Tequila. When the owners tasted the final product, they said it was a miracl (hence the name Milagro). The owners wanted to pay homage to the heritage of tequila, and it shows in the process. This tequila is made from 100% blue agave tequila from the Jalisco Highlands. (Blue agave is sweeter and creates a more fruity and aromatic tequila.) The master distiller employs a century old cooking method using a traditional hand built brick oven. The agave is slow-roasted for 36 hours. That is a long time in the tequila world, but it creates a much better tequila. Once the agave is roasted, it goes into Milagro’s two pot system for the distillation, a pot still and a column still. The column still creates the smoothness found in Milagro.

Curious as to how good Milagro really is? Milagro entered the San Francisco World spirit competition in 2007. The Select Barrel Reserve Repasado was awarded best of show. Not only did it beat out other tequilas- but rums, gins, and vodkas. Milagro currently has more awards than any other tequilas. Milagro ranges from $37 for Milagro Silver to $102 for the Select Barrel Reserve Anejo. My personal favorite is the Milagro Añejo. It has been aged in American oak barrels between fourteen and twenty-four months. This aging process gives this tequila a spicy and savory taste.