Category Archives: alcohol
Bacardi: The Original Mojito Since 1862?
From The Intoxicologist is in:
“BACARDI®, the world’s number-one selling rum, today announced the launch of a new multi-media advertising and marketing campaign that emphasizes the brand’s 147-year history and rum making expertise. Featuring an all-new BACARDI Mojito television spot entiled “Eras,” the campaign seeks to convey the message that the best Mojitos are made with BACARDI, the innovative rum brand first used to make this legendary cocktail.”
Permit me to nerd out for a moment.
1. Ok, I really dig the song.
2. While they do a great job capturing the general ambiance for most decades, the costumes on the Victorian women suck. Keep in mind the Victorian era spans about 60 years. The costumes in that “era,” while individually beautiful, are some sort of amalgamation of the 1820s, the 1870s and the 1890s, and definitely NOT 1862. Except for maybe the Col. Sanders looking dude. And who has ever dressed like that tart that gives him the eye at the end? (history nerds: are they doing the Virginia reel?)(update: confirmed. they are doing the Reel.)
3. “Since 1862, the best mojitos have always been made the same way.” Mojitos…in 1862? When I saw this commercial for the first time during the Daily Show last night, I was hard pressed to believe mojitos had been around since 1862. Not only have I never come across a mojito recipe, they aren’t similar to anything else imbibed at that time. Except, perhaps, their distant cousin, the mint julep.
I first checked with our old friend Jerry Thomas (who’s book was coincidentally published in 1862.) Not a mojito to be found. I began to scour the internets.
From Wikipedia:
“Cuba is the birthplace of the mojito, although the exact origin of this classic cocktail is the subject of debate. One story traces the mojito to a similar 16th century drink, the “El Draque,” in honor of Sir Francis Drake. It was made initially with tafia/aguardiente, a primitive predecessor of rum, but as soon as Spanish rum became widely available to the British (ca. 1650) they changed it to rum. Mint, lime and sugar were also helpful in hiding the harsh taste of this spirit. While this drink was not called a mojito at this time, it was still the original combination of these ingredients..”
So while a combination of ingredients similar to the mojito existed, in the 19th c. it was being drunk by the Cuban working class. Definitely not Victorian tarts in spangly dresses.
I’ve also read that “The earliest “mojito” recipes…found are from 1931 and 1936 editions of a Sloppy Joe’s Bar Manual.” Sloppy Joe’s was a famous bar in Cuba, where Hemingway apparently popularized the drink.
Bacardi was founded in Cuba, and it was known for refining what was a previously unrefined drink. Rum was a dark pungent spirit; Bacardi classed it up by running it through a charcoal filter, creating a much lighter liqour appropriate for swanky bars.
And perhaps that’s what happened to the Mojito; it transformed from the rugged El Draque, to the gentile Mojito with the creation of Bacardi Rum.
Read up for yourself, and weigh in:
The History of the Cuban Mojito
Other Rum drinks from the 1860s:
P.S–Nothing personal against mojitos. They’re delicious.
A Bit More on the Mint Julep
Jerry Thomas writes in his 1862 Bartender’s Guide:
“…We have knowledge of several old-fashioned gardens where the mint bed under the southern wall still blooms luxuriantly ; where white fingers of household angels come every day about this time of the year and pluck a few sprays of the aromatic herb to build a julep for poor old shaky grandpa, who sits in the shady corner of the veranda with his feet on the rail and his head busy with the olden days.
In such a household the art is still preserved. With her sleeves rolled up, the rosy granddaughter stirs sugar in a couple of table-spoonfuls of sparkling water, packs crushed ice to the top of the heavy cutglass goblet, pours in the mellow whiskey until an overthrow threatens and then daintily thrusts the mint sprays into the crevices. And the old man, rousing from his dreams, blesses the vision which seems to rise up from the buried days of his youth….
The mint julep still lives, but it is by no means fashionable. Somehow the idea has gotten abroad that the mint ought to be crushed and shaken up with water and whiskey in equal proportions. No man can fall in love with such a mixture. Poor juleps have ruined the reputation of the South’s most famous
drink.”
I like the idea that the mint julep was “out of fashion” in the 1860s. Perhaps because of the Civil War?
History Dish Mondays: The "Real" Mint Julep
The Kentucky Derby is upon us, and that means the start of mint julep season. Juleps are my hands down favorite drink; I’ve even purchased a few live mint plants so I can make them at a moment’s notice. Captain Maryatt, a 19th c British admirer of the American Julep, had this to say on the frosty drink:
“I must descant a little upon the mint julep as it is with the thermometer at 100 one of the most delightful and insinuating potations that ever was invented and may be drunk with equal satisfaction when the thermometer is as low as 70.”
He also said that American ladies who drink juleps are “irresistible.”
The following recipe is from our old friend, drinksmaster Jerry Thomas. In his own words “This is the genuine method of concocting a Southern mint julep…” I have used this recipe many times with great success, and highly recommend it for your Derby parties this Saturday.
***
(Use large bar-glass.)
Take 1 tea-spoonful of white powered sugar. (or superfine)
¾ wine-glass (1.5 ounces) of Cognac brandy.
¾ wine glass (1.5 ounces) of peach brandy.
About 12 sprigs of the tender shoots of mint.
¾ wine-glass (1.5 ounces) of Cognac brandy.
¾ wine glass (1.5 ounces) of peach brandy.
About 12 sprigs of the tender shoots of mint.
Put the mint in the tumbler, add the sugar, having previously dissolved it in a little water, then the brandy, and lastly, fill up the glass with shaved ice. Stir with a spoon but do not crush the mint. Whiskey may be substituted for brandy if preferred
***
I have a few variations on this recipe: Contrary to Thomas’ recommendation, I muddle the mint, powdered sugar, and water in the bottom of the glass before adding the alcohol. You could also make a simple syrup instead. Additionally, I one day dream of making my own peach brandy, but in the meantime I find the best substitution is a peach liquor.
History Dish Mondays: The Blue Blazer
The Blue Blazer was the signature drink of infamous mid-19th century bartender Jerry Thomas, author of The Bartender’s Guide. At a recent party I attempted the Blue Blazer, and it didn’t turn out too badly: I scalded myself only slightly, and the crowd sure was impressed.
I also caught wind of a guy who is mixing and drinking his way through The Bartender’s Guide. You can read his blog here.
Historic Gastronomy: Everybody’s Wearing Curly Mustaches
Along with Josh Ozersky of The Feedbag, I recently got the pleasure of peeking in on the Zagat sponsored Vintage Dinner at Per Se. We caught up with Tim Zagat and chef Thomas Keller a little before the meal, and talked with them about the inspiration for the vintage dinners and the historic gastronomy movement. Watch the video below to find out who is looking at 100-year-old menus to inspire contemporary cuisine.
There are still more vintage dinners coming up, including a Vintage Cocktail Hour which features the Blue Blazer, a cocktail in which flaming whiskey is poured at great distances between two silver plated mugs. Yeah, awesome! And for any of you who saw me prepare a Blue Blazer last Saturday night, this bartender will probably not scald his hand or set a table on fire.
P.S.: The Vintage Dinners make me both simultaneously happy and furious. I’m thrilled at the attention historic gastronomy is getting, and salty because I’m not more involved.
A Shout-Out to Lenell
I wanted to make mention that Lenell’s, my favorite liquor store in New York, is closing today. She wants to reopen in a new location sometime soon, and I hope she does. She’s the best supplier for hard-to-find historic cocktail ingredients, including an unparalleled selection of bitters, Absinthe, Old Tom Gin, and peach brandy for making traditional Mint Juleps.
Read the full story here: Last Call: It’s closing time for Red Hook’s cocktail rock star—for now
Come back soon, Lenell.
History Dish Mondays: Ginger Beer
Ginger Beer, not so clear.
I was inspired to try this recipe after Zaite sent me a simple brewing recipe from Alton Brown, that reminded me of the daily home brewing that was common in the 18th and early 19th century America. For families, it was an important source of clean water and nutrients; home brewing seemed to be less common after the temperance movement started to take hold in the 1840s.
***
Ginger Beer
Original recipe from The House Servent’s Directory by Robert Roberts.
Modern recipe adapted from Alton Brown.
1 tablespoon powdered ginger; or 1 1/2 ounces finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
7 1/2 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Modern recipe adapted from Alton Brown.
1 tablespoon powdered ginger; or 1 1/2 ounces finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
7 1/2 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Place the ginger, sugar, cream of tartar and 1/2 cup of the water into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
If you use fresh ginger, remove from the heat, cover and allow to steep for 1 hour. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing down to get all of the juice out of the mixture.
If you use ground ginger, remove from heat and add remaining water and lemon juice; set in the refrigerator, uncovered, until at least room temperature, 68 to 72 degrees F.
Using a funnel, pour into a clean 2-liter plastic bottle and add the yeast. The bottle will not be filled to the top–this is necessary to leave room for the yeast to expel gas, carbonating the drink.
Place the cap on the bottle, gently shake to combine and leave the bottle at room temperature for 48 hours. Open and check for desired amount of carbonation. It is important that once you achieve your desired amount of carbonation that you refrigerate the ginger ale. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, opening the bottle at least once a day to let out excess carbonation.
You can also try this recipe with molasses for an “Excellent Jumble Beer.”
***
When I opened the bottle after two days, it foamed up a lot. Enough that I had to hold it over the sink. I poured a little tasting glass, and it had all kinds of floaties in it. I don’t know if it was the yeast, of grains of ground ginger that got kicked up from the bottom when it was opened. It tasted alright: a little zingy, a little citrus, a little yeasty.. I put the rest in the refrigerator to mellow for a few more days.
I found the longer it sat, the better it tasted. A week later, it’s sweet and smooth, and still carbonated. For you home brewing guys out there, I’d love to find out what the alcoholic content is. And if you live in NYC, I still have some left if you’d like to taste it.
Rating: A
This recipe is simple, and an easy introduction to the world of home brewing.
Oh, and P.S.: If you’ve been following the Spruce Beer Saga, there’s been a tragedy:
“With the sudden change in weather over here in Cleveland a drastic and sudden change has occurred with the Spruce beer. With a sudden drop in pressure a bottle has exploded! Inspection of the other bottles showed excessive pressurization and further investigation showed evidence of a Gusher infection. Little Bacteria were fermenting everything in site and leaving only chaos and terrible flavors in their wake. The cause of the infection hasn’t been determined yet. It seems like the product was ok through fermentation. But it’s unknown yet if it picked up it’s bugs during bottling.”
Waah-waan.
Try This At Home: Spruce Beer
From American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, 1798.
Two friends of mine are attempting to make Spruce Beer, a very old recipe for homemade beer. In America’s early days, Beer was an indispensable household drink, being an important source of fresh water, calories, and in the case of spruce beer, vital nutrients received from the boiling of spruce branches.
Simmon’s recipe uses essence of spruce, which can be purchased in most brewing stores. Or, you can make your own by boiling spruce branches in with the hops, which is a great source of vitamin C. I’ve tried to make this recipe once before and it tasted like ass, but I made a few mistakes that my friends are correcting in their recipe.
Their photo slide show tells the story; they’re bottling their brew this Saturday, and tasting it in another couple weeks. I’ll give you the full report when I have it.
***
Spruce Beer
Ingredients
3 gallons distilled water
48 fl oz blackstrap molasses
2.5oz Fuggles hop pellets
1 tbs spruce essence
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 packet Nottingham yeast
Supplies
Stock pot with lid
Big Spoon
Thermometer
a few small bowls, such as Pyrex measuring bowls
Fermenter (lidded food-grade pail & bubbler)
Ice
Spray bottle with distilled water
small quantity of vodka
Sanitize everything within a 35 block radius. Put 2 gallons of water into stock pot. Add all molasses to the pot and stir until dissolved. Turn heat on and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. some time while the pot is heating place the third gallon of water and the spruce essence In the fermentor, shaking it vigorously for a few minutes (this adds oxygen into the water.) Once the water has reached a boil, add 2oz of hops pellets. There will be a hot break once the hops are added (the pot will foam) so spray the hot break with the spray bottle to keep it from foaming over. Dissolve the yeast nutrient in a small quantity of water. 5 minutes after the hops pellets were added, add the yeast nutrient. Continue to boil for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove and place in an ice water bath in the sink. Keep the lid on the pot at this point to keep contaminants out. Use the thermometer to monitor the temperature – once the temperature drops down to around 100 degrees, activate the yeast. Follow the directions on the packet, which will tell you to put the packet and a quantity of warm water in a small bowl and wait 15 minutes.
Pour the liquid contents of the pot into the fermenter, making sure not to dump the sludge from the bottom of the pot in too. Give the pot a quick rinse to get rid of the sludge. Pour (most of) the liquid back and fourth between the pot and fermenter 4-5 times to add more oxygen to the environment. The liquid should end up in the fermenter.
Pour in the activated yeast bowl into the fermenter. Put the lid on the fermenter. Fill the 2 chambers of the bubbler with vodka and insert it into the fermenter lid.
Place the container in a cool place, and wait a week. After 2-3 days if the bubbler is not happily bubbling away, you have likely done a disservice to your yeast and it is dead. You can grab another packet of yeast and get a good culture growing and then add it into the fermenter.
If it does bubble, you should spend this week reflecting on life and catching up on your favorite television episodes.
(thanks to Zaite and Mark S.)
Eggnog Goes Better With Booze
From Jeff via NPR: Many old cocktail recipes contain raw eggs, including this recipe for Egg Nogg. It’s a practice that died out probably around the time salmonella came into the picture. But never fear! NPR shows us that the alcoholic content of, in this case, Eggnog is enough to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.
Video: More Evidence That Eggnog Goes Better With Booze (NPR)
And for further old-timey cocktail reading (via Graham): Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails
“This site is dedicated to the Gin Fizz, the Widow’s Kiss, and the Singapore Sling – the drinks our mothers and grandmothers drank, the drinks we strive to save from extinction as a small measure of remembering those great women and their great cocktail parties.”