Whiskey Wednesday: The Sazerac Cocktail

The Sazerac is the traditional New Orleans cocktail. In fact, as of last week, it is the official cocktail of New Orleans.

The esteemed Sazerac combines the spicy flavor of rye whiskey with the anise-licorice of Absinthe and New Orleans' own Peychaud’s bitters. Combine that with sugar and a lemon twist and you're on your way to an amazing cocktail experience.

Ingredients:

Absinthe or substitute
Rye Whiskey
Peychaud's Bitters (Peychaud's bitters are difficult to find, but are available at kegworks.com)
Angostura Bitters (Not part of the traditional recipe, but something suggested by Morganthaler which I think works very well)
Sugar Cube
Water
Twist of lemon

To make a Sazerac:

For instructions, read Morganthaler here and here, watch McMillian and check out Drinkboy.

The Sazerac is one of my all time favorite cocktails. It makes sense, I suppose, given that I'm a big fan of both of the major ingredients: rye whiskey and Absinthe.

More than anything, this drink is about spice. There is something wonderful that happens when rye, with its spicy, savory flavors meets that deep licorice taste that you get from the combination of absinthe and Peychaud’s bitters. I really do think this is the king of cocktails.

On my quest for the perfect Sazerac, I experimented with the following three variations.



The Rittenhouse-Lucid Sazerac

Both Morganthaler and McMillian use Sazerac 6 year old rye (Sazerac is both the name of this cocktail and an excellent brand of rye whiskey produced by the Buffalo Trace distillery), but I'm all out of Baby Saz, so
I did my first batch with Rittenhouse 100. Since Absinthe is now legal, I decided to use the real thing instead of Herbsainte or another substitute. For this batch, I used Lucid.

Rittenhouse is a little less spicy than Saz, so I imagine the spice level was somewhat lower, but the Rittenhouse married well with the Absinthe and gave the drink the perfect balance of rye, licorice and sweetness. This was a really wonderful Sazerac which highlighted the flavors of both rye and anise. The sugar and lemon further bring these flavors to the fore.



The Handy-St. George Sazerac

This time, I went for the Cadillac Sazerac, with Thomas Handy Rye, a barrel strength version of the Sazerac brand rye and St. George Absinthe. Now it's true that Handy is a fine rye worthy of sipping neat, but its namesake, Thomas H. Handy, was the nineteenth century New Orleans bar owner who invented the modern Sazerac by substituting rye whiskey for the brandy that had previously been used in the cocktail. Given that history, it only seems appropriate to add Handy whiskey to the cocktail.

Since I was using the barrel strength Handy to make this Saz, I used only 1 1/2 ounces of rye and a half ounce of water.

Interestingly, the bold flavor of Handy didn't come through as strongly as I would have guessed. That may be in part due to the fact that St. George is a much stronger flavored Absinthe than Lucid. Even though there is only a smattering of Absinthe in the drink, I found myself tasting more of the tongue numbing Absinthe and less of the interplay between rye and anise. The combination didn't really work for me the way the Rittenhouse-Lucid version did.

Interestingly, when sipping Rye neat I prefer Handy to Rittenhouse and when drinking Absinthe on its own, I prefer St. George to Lucid...it just goes to show that what you like on its own may not make the best cocktail.



The Smoky Sazerac

The strong flavors and counterpoint of the Sazerac cocktail got me thinking...what would happen if you replaced the spice of rye with another strong flavor, say smoke. I have a lot of very smoky Scotch to choose from, but I ended up picking the Bruichladdich PC5 for this experiment. The PC5 has a cleaner smoke with less ash, char and medicine than some more traditional peated Scotches. For this reason, I thought it would work better in the cocktail than, say, a Lagavulin or Laphroaig.

To make this new-fangled Sazerac I went back to Lucid Absinthe. PC5 is another high alcohol spirit, so I again cut the proportion to 1 1/2 ounces and added 1/2 ounce of water.

Oh...my...God!! This is an amazing drink. My hunch on flavors, though it seemed pretty crazy, was spot on. You might think all of these flavors would clash, but in fact, they meld perfectly. The smoke of the Scotch becomes more understated, marrying well with both the anise and the sweetness of the sugar. The slight acid of the lemon twist pulls the entire combination together. Upon considering it further, it makes perfect sense. Shanghainese cuisine, of which I'm a big fan, often marries these same flavors (smoke, sweetness and anise) with phenomenal results.

With one sip of this concoction, I knew I was drinking something special. Take heed mixologists, you should make this drink! Now, PC5 is a bit hard to find, but the drink should work with Lagavulin 12 year old, Black Bottle or maybe even a Caol Ila.

What fun we've had experimenting with Sazeracs. Something old, something new, something smoky, nothing blue.

Next Wednesday: The Manhattan

Kind of Blue - A Jazzy Cheese List

In my many blog entries on cheese, I have neglected the moldy giant that is blue cheese. I would travel Miles for the stuff, so I'm not sure why it has gotten short shrift. Maybe it's because too often, blue cheeses are less distinct than I would like or maybe it's because I feel like their presence on a cheese plate tends to overwhelm everything else or maybe I worry that the Blue in Green mold will be a put-off to the uninitiated (or the occasional Freeloader).

In any case, it's time for a cheese entry that's All Blues. While I love a smooth mountain Gorgonzola or a salty Roquefort, if I listed those, you might be left to ask, So What, I know about those cheeses. As such, I am leaving out those most obvious choices and listing a few of my favorites that range from slightly less common to downright obscure.


Cabrales, Spain, (goat, sheep, cow). Hugely pungent and powerful, this Spanish three-milk blue will dance on your tongue like so many Flamenco Sketches. It also works well in salads and other dishes that need a real kick. Eat it straight in small portions. It's usually too overwhelming for cheese plates unless you are serving advanced cheesers.

Cashel Blue, Ireland (cow). A tangy, sharp blue, good for cheese plates and pretty much anything. Distinct without being overwhelming.

Onetic Blue, France (sheep). This blue from the Basque region of France has beautiful blue tones. Creamy and subtle, it's the perfect addition to your cheese plate.

Point Reyes Blue, California (cow). Point Reyes Blue is widely available but can be inconsistent. The best batches are superb, creamy and tangy with wine-like flavors, but others can be indistinct. Get it at a good cheese store and ask for a taste.

Roaring Forties, Australia (cow). One of my favorites for cheese plates, Roaring Forties is a great introduction to blue for those who are not yet acclimated. It has a bit more mild blue flavor and is creamy and accessible. With this beautiful blue, Australian cheese trumpets its arrival.

Stilton, England (cow). The legendary King of Cheeses. Stilton has a rich, creamy texture, a distinctly English white wine flavor and a lovely blue tinge. Look for Colston-Bassett brand, distributed by Neals Yard Dairy. Serve with beer or hard cider.

Now you should be in the mood (or the mode) for the blues. Of course, this is only a sampling of the many good blues out there, but it should get you started. Now, if I only knew what to listen to while eating these?

Show Me the Chocolate Part 2 - Askinosie Chocolate

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Patric Chocolate from the Show-Me state of Missouri. I lived briefly in Missouri and it's a fine place full of fine people. Especially considering the horrible flooding they are enduring along the Mississippi, we wish them well. However, I don't generally think of the Show-Me state as a culinary mecca, so I was pleased and surprised to find that there is a second artisinal chocolate maker in the state. (And if there are any more of you, please let me know!)

Askinosie Chocolate is based in Springfield, Missouri (Doh!). Before even tasting the chocolate, my interest was peaked by founder Shawn Askinosie's story. A successful criminal defense lawyer, Askinosie gave up his profession to pursue the making of fine chocolate with an eye toward economic justice and environmentalism.

As a public interest lawyer, I know some criminal defense lawyers, and let me tell you, they do God's work. They defend people who society has cast aside and often prejudged and they often risk the wrath of the public (Askinosie tells of countless death threats). But they are the ones who keep government power in check and tirelessly fight to make our justice system work the way it is supposed to. That being said, it is grueling, tiring work and you can't blame someone for thinking they might rather make chocolate.

Askinosie didn't abandon his ethical commitments when he left the practice of law. Instead, he formed a company that was committed to economic and environmental justice. Askinosie pays higher than Fair Trade Market price for their cacao beans and the farmers who grow their beans receive 10% of net profits, a practice that is quite extraordinary. In addition, he has implemented countless environmentally conscious policies regarding everything from recycling to reducing carbon emissions. People like Askinosie give me hope that global capitalism and economic justice are not mutually exclusive.

On top of all that, Askinosie is extremely open about the production process. For instance, he breaks down the cacao percentage to solids and butter, revealing how much of the cacao count is actually chocolate liquor (what we think of as chocolate), which quite rare. In fact, I can't think of another chocolate maker who openly provides the same breakdown. Secondly, you can actually enter a lot number and see the chronology of any given chocolate bar. Maybe more information then most people want, but impressive nonetheless.

But what about the chocolate? After all, this do-gooderism means little unless the chocolate tastes good.

Tastings

All Askinosie's chocolates are single origin. They contain only cacao, cocoa butter and sugar. I tried two that they were kind enough to send me.

San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador, 70% (including 2% cocoa butter), $7.50 for a 3 oz. bar.

The hallmark of the Askinosie bars I tried was subtlety. The bars have an understated flavor, less bold than many other chocolates, but no less flavorful.

The San Jose del Tambo is characterized by this subtlety. It has good chocolate flavor, including some fruit tastes (plums, raisins) and a creamy texture. The only flaw I found in it was a slightly bitter finish. Overall, this was a very pleasant bar.

Soconusco, Mexico, Nibble Bar, 75% with cocoa nibs, $8.00 for a 3 oz bar.

Askinosie is particularly proud of his chocolate from the obscure Soconusco region of southern Mexico, near the Guatemalan border. According to Askinosie, they are the first producers in over 100 years to offer chocolate from this region to consumers outside of Mexico.

The Soconusco bar I tried was a nib-covered bar (nibs being the tasty, crunchy crushed hulls of the cacao bean). The bar has a great crunch, with nibs covering the entire bottom of the bar. The flavor was understated, less rich and a bit dull. I think the nibs really make this bar as I was less impressed with the chocolate, which also had a somewhat gritty texture that you can get in high cacao bars.

I liked Askinosie, although I felt it was a bit less refined than neighboring Patric. Still, I appreciate their commitment to quality and ethical production and with a bit of development and experience, I have no doubt that they will continue to improve their very good chocolate. Askinosie chocolates can be purchased on their website.

It's heartening for me to see artisan chocolate being made in Missouri, of all places. The food revolution has truly arrived and, with dedicated producers like Patric and Askinosie, will continue to thrive.

Whiskey Wednesday: The Classic Whiskey Cocktail

For the next month, I thought I would do something novel: a series on the classic whiskey cocktail. Whiskey Wednesday will explore the composition of three classic American whiskey cocktails: the Sazerac, the Manhattan and the Mint Julep.


But Sku, you told us that serious whiskey drinkers only drink their spirits neat (or maybe with water). What's happened to you?

It's true that the best way to taste the true flavor of whiskey, and the only way to truly understand it, is to drink it neat or with a few drops of water, but that isn't to say it's the only way to drink it. You should similarly taste good chocolate plain to understand its flavor, but that doesn't mean you can't make a fabulous chocolate souffle with it. Like chocolate, whiskey can be enjoyed on its own, but also as an ingredient in a larger dish.

Now it's true that I went all snarky on Bourbon & Coke on Whiskey Minute, but that's a different story. Bourbon and Coke is a drink that masks the flavor of the whiskey to assist in the drinker's inebriation; if you throw anything short of motor oil in Coke, it will taste pretty much like Coke (and depending on the motor oil, maybe that too). The cocktails we are going to explore seek to highlight and enhance the flavor of the whiskey. The whiskey is as integral to the cocktail as chocolate is to a mousse.


Shouldn't you use the cheapest liquor you can find for your cocktails?

Absolutely not. If you were making a beautiful roasted chicken would you seek out the cheapest, third rate bird you could find? Of course not. The whiskey is the centerpiece of these cocktails. You should never make a cocktail with something you wouldn't drink.

Now, even I would tend to cringe at adding a really amazing whiskey in a cocktail, but why should that be? Going with our chicken analogy, shouldn't you want the best. In that spirit of experimentation, I will try some of these cocktails with a variety of spirits, some of which will make the whiskey geeks cringe.

Now, that being said, certain whiskies are going to make better cocktails than others. In a Sazerac, for instance, you need a strong rye to stand up to the Absinthe and bitters. I doubt I'd use a Sazerac 18 year old because it's too subtle. I might, however, use an Old Potrero because of its super-strong rye flavor. We'll see.


Why aren't you going to make any Scotch cocktails?

It's personal preference really. I like the taste of bourbon, and especially rye, in cocktails more than I do Scotch, but if you've got a winner of a cocktail that calls for Scotch, let me know and I'll try it out. And in the spirit of experimentation, I may well do the unthinkable and slip a Scotch into one of these things. Anything is possible.


How can I learn more about cocktails?

Compared to the small ghetto of whiskey related websites, there are oceans of websites and blogs dedicated to cocktails. Many of these, however, focus on icy, syrupy drinks with titles that include silly sexual innuendos. You could literally spend hours on YouTube watching imbeciles make drinks.

If you are interested in classic cocktails that highlight spirits, I would recommend three web-based sources. The first is Jeffrey Morgenthaler's excellent eponymously named website. Morgenthaler is an Oregon bar manager who posts drink recipes as well as super-amusing lists of things like what not to say to your bartender.

A second excellent source is Drinkboy which has numerous cocktail recipes and demonstrations.

Lastly, a real treasure, which I actually learned about from Morgenthaler's site, is the amazing YouTube series on New Orleans Best Cocktails by barmaster Chris McMillian which are available on this channel. McMillian is a font of knowledge about the history of various cocktails and makes near perfect versions of everything from the martini to the cosmo.

In fact, these sites are so good that I'm just going to refer to them for instructions on how to make these cocktails. I will concentrate on the flavors of these cocktails and the impact of using different whiskies.

Next Wednesday we begin the series with the Sazerac.

Strip Mall Love: Phillip & Harriet

As you know if you've been eating in LA for any length of time, some of our best food is in strip malls. I often think about which strip malls have the best combination of food, the widest variety or the just plain weirdest.

There is a strip mall I love on Third and New Hampshire that has a Oaxacan place, a doughnut shop and a Hawaiian barbecue. I've always been partial to the Santa Monica Boulevard strip mall that has both La Pupusa Loca and a Pizza Loca.

But I can't think of any better strip mall for a single meal than the Inglewood mall which includes Phillip's Barbecue and Harriet's Cheesecake.

Phillip's is a classic South LA BBQ (and yes, I prefer it to competitor Woody's)which reliably doles out amazing ribs and spicy links with traditional sides of baked beans, potato salad and greens. I prefer their beef ribs to the pork and I can't get enough of the spicy beef links, all bathed in the rich Phillip's BBQ sauce.

Harriet's Cheesecake is lesser known but comparably wonderful. Just to the left of Phillip's, Harriet's is not obvious to the passerby. It now has a sign, a big addition, but it still resembles a vacant storefront, lacking even the simplest elements of decor. When you walk in you will see only a small counter and an empty planter. This is clearly a shop which relies on those in the know.

Behind the counter is a dry-erase marker board showing a massive list of pies. On any given day, though, they will only have a few of these, so you need to summon someone from the back and ask what they have that day. Don't worry though, as they are all excellent.

One of my favorites is the pecan praline. The cheesecake itself is sweet and chewy, textured almost like it has some ricotta in the base. The cake is topped with nuts and drizzled with some caramel. The result is irresistible.

The graham cracker crust at Harriet's may be even better than the wonderful cheesecake. The thick crust must be made with a pound or two of butter, enough, anyway, to create an almost cookie-like substance which sticks to the pie pan until you peel it off and eat it plain. I can't say I've had a better pie crust than Harriet's.

At Harriet's, slices are $6 and a small cheesecake goes for around $23.

Phillips Barbecue
1517 Centinela Ave
Inglewood, CA 90302
(310) 412-7135‎

Harriet's Cheesecake
1515 Centinela Ave
Inglewood, CA 90302
(310) 419-2259

A Stinky Hooligan - Hooligan Cheese

We are now at least fifteen years deep into a renaissance of American artisanal cheese. There are phenomenal goat cheeses, sheep cheeses, cheddars, semi-softs, blue cheeses and others being produced all over the US.

One thing US producers have shied away from though is the stinky, washed-rind cheese, the American equivalent of French Epoisse or Italian Taleggio. I'm happy report, though, that America has found its stink, in Connecticut of all places.

Cato Corner Farms is a small, family farm located in Colchester, Connecticut which makes a variety of raw cow milk cheeses. One of their most acclaimed is the washed rind Hooligan.

I picked some Hooligan up at the Cheesestore of Silverlake and was not disappointed. It was soft and creamy with a strong pungency. It smelled earthy and musty in the particular cheese-stench way. The taste was similarly explosive, more akin to a Livarot than an Epoisse. A good cheese, very high on the stink meter.

So get yourself some stinky Hooligan and enjoy.

Whiskey Wednesday: WhiskyLive is Dead

As you may recall, I gleefully reported in February that WhiskyLive, the Whisky Magazine sponsored tasting conference, was planning to come to Los Angeles in October.

Well, unceremoniously and without explanation, the Los Angeles event has been dropped from the WhiskyLive calendar. I emailed the good people at Whisky Magazine to inquire but received no response. However, they announced on one of the Magazine's forums that they had a problem with the venue and will try again for next year.

It looks like the second biggest city in the US will again lose out on a major whiskey event.

I will shed a solitary tear into my Lagavulin and hope for better things in 2009.