Category Archives: cocktails

Dec 31 2014
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Christmas, cocktails, holidays

Christmas Food at Karen’s

Winter Sun Cocktails We spent Christmas morning at Karen’s for a little brunch before we came home and hibernated with gifts for the rest of the day. We had to journey alllll the way across the hall, but it was totally worth it because Karen is always good company and her brunch food was delectable. I was in charge of cocktails. Since it was morning and it’s been so gloomy lately, I chose to make this Winter Sun cocktail. A nice burst of citrus was just what we needed. If you are looking for a breakfast cocktail (because who doesn’t like day-drinking?), I highly recommend this one. It’s kind of a fancy screwdriver…but a thousand times better. (Do people still drink screwdrivers? I haven’t had one since college.) Freshly-squeezed clementine juice, lemon, triple sec…and the citrusy sugared rim on the glass…we might have to make these again for New Year’s Day!  Japanese pancake bakingKaren made an egg casserole (which was delicious) but the highlight of the meal was the “Japanese Pancake”. It’s a long-standing Karen’s family tradition to eat these “Japanese pancakes” on Christmas morning. It’s not Japanese, and the closest thing I could come up with that’s similar is a Dutch Baby Pancake…but oh, is it heavenly! It’s a thin, simple batter poured into a hot cast iron skillet and baked in the oven. It puffs up as it cooks and when it’s done, it’s the perfect blend of light and airy and crispy.Japanese pancake done It already is flavored by the butter in the skillet, but you can add jam, syrup, powdered sugar, and fruit, too. I just added a dusting of powdered sugar to mine. It was perfect.Presley's gift from Karen, noisy catnip fishAfter breakfast we came back home and gave Presley her gift from Karen. It’s a catnip fish that makes water sounds when you swat it. She’s in love. More on the rest of the gifts Friday…

In the meantime, have a wonderful & safe New Year’s Eve! Thanks for spending a bit of your 2014 with me! We are heading back to Golden Steer (for the third year in a row!) with some friends and then coming back home for snacks and cocktails and the countdown to midnight. Happy New Year!

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Dec 25 2014
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celebrations, Christmas, cocktails, holidays

Merry Christmas

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/fe5/34713830/files/2014/12/img_0013.jpg Cheers to you & yours for a wonderful holiday!

Dec 18 2014
3 Comments
cocktails, vintage

New Vintage Cocktail Glasses

Pendergast cocktail in vintage glassesLast week, I was the lucky recipient of some vintage cocktail glasses. They were Karen’s grandparents’ and she remembers seeing her grandfather mixing up a pitcher of Manhattans and drinking out of these. They are tiny…bigger than shot glasses, but not as big as typical modern day glasses. I measured and they are just a tiny bit over three ounces…yep, perfect for a Manhattan. old cocktail glassesWe hosted a Hasegawa Happy Hour this week and served up Manhattans. They were perfect, very Mad Men. I am excited to have them in my collection. (Thanks, Karen!!)

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Oct 09 2014
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cocktails, snail mail

Cocktail Perfected: The Negroni

Negroni cocktailI tried a Negroni for the first time at a restaurant a couple of summers ago. It was okay, but not so great that I wanted to buy the ingredients to make one at home. But somehow a bottle of Campari made it into our bar and I haven’t stopped drinking them since. I’m convinced that the restaurant that served me my original Negroni didn’t use good booze. There is no other reason I wouldn’t have liked this drink. With the right gin and vermouth, the Negroni sings a bitter break-up tune that wins my heart.

The Negroni

1 oz gin (I like North Shore No 6.)

1 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica is my favorite.)

1 oz Campari

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into a cocktail glass.

OR

Pour ingredients into an old fashioned glass with ice and stir.

Garnish with an orange peel.

Enjoy while catching up on your mail for World Post Day.

Oct 06 2014
3 Comments
cocktails, vintage

From the Attic: Vintage Game Birds Shot Glasses

Anchor Hocking Bird Shot Glasses When my parents visited, they brought me an attic treasure–these vintage Anchor Hocking shot glasses. The glasses were wedding gifts from 1972! Anchor Hocking Bird Shot Glasses They still have their original box, and aside from being a little dusty from the attic, they are in tip top shape. Anchor Hocking Bird Shot Glasses Even their gilded rims are perfect! (Seriously, Dad. Did you even use these?)

Naoto and I aren’t big shot drinkers (well, not since the crazy days of our youth anyway.) And I use this Anchor Hocking measuring glass for my cocktail mixing. (It’s practically the perfect size for measuring the ingredients for one or a batch of cocktails.) But I’m thinking we could use these for after-dinner limoncellos or sips of other liqueurs. I’m excited to have them as part of the bar collection.

Thanks Mom & Dad!

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Jul 03 2014
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cocktails, Japan Does It Better

Japan Does It Better 16: Canned Cocktails

japan Does it BetterDrinking is pretty prevalent in Japan. I’m kind of a lightweight there…especially in Naoto’s family where even his mother could drink me under the table. (And, as you know from my happy hour and cocktail posts, I do enjoy my cocktails!) Most often, the drink of choice is beer, especially for picnics or small parties or in the izakaya. At the izakaya, it was easy because I would order sours while everyone else enjoyed their Japanese beers. But in picnic or small party situations, I was worried that I would be left out because I hate beer. (Don’t give me the whole “acquired taste” schpeal…I’ve tried.)

Then, on our first trip to Japan, his sister took me over to the grocery store shelf that held the canned cocktails. Canned cocktails are just pre-packaged cocktails, often made with shochu and fruit juice. They aren’t as tasty as an Old Fashioned or a Tom Collins but they are good enough for a picnic. They are light and fruity and carbonated, easy to drink (and sometimes they sneak up on you…) Canned cocktails come in all sorts of flavors. Naoto’s sisters sent these home with him to give to me. The STRONG brand one is lemon and it is a potent 9% alcohol (hence the name). The Slat brand one is made with the açai berry and blueberry and it contains orange pulp (according to the red label with the orange icon). Slat is a much weaker 3% alcohol…there’s a little something for everyone’s tolerance!

Maybe the American equivalent of a canned cocktail is a Mike’s Hard Lemonade (gross) or a wine cooler (double gross), but trust me…the Japanese versions are tastier and I love that they include real fruit.

Portable options for non-beer drinkers…Japan Does It Better!!

To see more JDIB posts, go here.

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Jul 01 2014
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cocktails

Scenes from Hasegawa Happy Hours-June Edition

fresh radishes, Hasegawa Happy HourJune is in the books and another month of Hasegawa Happy Hours is behind us. We only had three happy hours but each one was good fun…quality over quantity, right?

To start, we invited our friends Laura and Scott over for mojitos. We know Laura through the community garden, so we met them at the garden and showed off our plots and talked about vegetables. Then we all came back and enjoyed Laura’s first radish harvest and other snacks. We made mojitos with Laura’s mint (my balcony mint wasn’t big enough at the time) and sat outside on the balcony.
Hasegawa Happy HourThe next week the temperatures dropped and the cooler weather called for a cozy cocktail. I found a recipe for Pendergast cocktails (bourbon, Benedictine, vermouth and bitters) and they fit the bill. They are a new favorite, more fitting for the fall and winter though under normal circumstances. Hasegawa Happy HourFinally, last week when Naoto got home, I made us Mai Tais…real Mai Tais, not the sickly sweet ones tiki bars try to pass off as cocktails. The real version isn’t sweet at all, it’s more tart and rummy with a hint of almond. I used this Mai Tai recipe from the New York Times. There are a few different versions of “original Mai Tai recipes” but this one used both dark and light rums and it was well-balanced, so tropical and so delicious.

For the Mai Tais (and some other cocktails I’ve been researching), I made my own orgeat syrup. There are slightly more complicated recipes for making your own orgeat syrup, but most of them made too much for my use. It only lasts a couple of weeks in the refrigerator and I didn’t want to waste anything, so I found this easy orgeat recipe from Craft Cocktails at Home and tried it instead. It worked like a dream and tasted delicious. I’d like to try making my own the “hard way” with whole almonds eventually, but to start, the Craft Cocktails at Home recipe is easy experimentation.

Easy Orgeat Syrup (barely modified from Craft Cocktails at Home)

6.5 ounces plain almond milk (Pacific brand is recommended, and brand matters. See Craft Cocktails at Home for more details.)

~6 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) almond extract

1/16 teaspoon (or 4 drops) orange blossom water

Add ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid. It works best if the almond milk is at room temperature (as in, a new carton fresh from the grocery store) so the sugar dissolves easily. Shake vigorously to combine and dissolve the sugar. Mine kept in the refrigerator for a little over two weeks without any problems.

You can use orgeat syrup in many different cocktails. So far I’ve made Mai Tais and Japanese cocktails and I have a few more up my sleeve in July.

For now, I’m trying to dream up something festive for Independence Day on Friday.

For more Hasegawa Happy Hours, go here.

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Jun 05 2014
2 Comments
cocktails

Scenes From Hasegawa Happy Hours-May Edition

hasegawa happy hourHasegawa Happy Hours are still happening, but I need to get back into making them happen in a big way. And documenting the happenings better…like when we have special guests, getting a good picture of all of us together. (Special guests, you’ve been warned.) Hopefully I can find a good groove this summer.

So in May, we hosted our special guest James. We had so much fun with him, even though I only have a picture of the meat and cheese and roasted grapes to prove it. We made the Pining for the Queen cocktail for James and it was a big hit. hasegawa happy hourI also finally shared my Barrel Aged Martinez with Naoto. I have to say it was really awesome and easy to have a ready-made cocktail on hand. No measuring needed. We also had roasted vegetables and frozen appetizers this night, so it just may have been the laziest HHH ever! hasegawa happy hourIn mid-May, Naoto brought home a new bourbon for me to try and I found a new favorite website. I found the recipe for a Fancy Free cocktail there and it was a hit. It’s similar to an Old Fashioned but the Luxardo replaces the sugar and the fruit.  The best part of the Fancy Free for me is that it is the cocktail version of those quick meals you can make from your pantry. All of the ingredients are bar staples (bourbon, Luxardo, Angostura bitters and orange bitters)…there is no need for citrus (unless you count the garnish) or herbs or making simple syrup. You can enjoy this one without going to the grocery store. hasegawa happy hourThe Fancy Frees were our first official HHH cocktails enjoyed on the balcony and our first enjoyed with our new cocktail napkins from Marissa. hasegawa happy hourAnd for our final May happy hour, I made Kentucky Monks, which had the most ingredients ever in a cocktail. It was really refreshing and light for a bourbon cocktail–a good one for summer afternoons.

Cheers to June and more cocktails, more evenings with friends and more Hasegawa Happy Hours!

For more Hasegawa Happy Hour posts, go here.

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Jun 03 2014
6 Comments
adventures, celebrations, cocktails, some stuff about me

Our 8th Anniversary

naoto in chicagoYesterday Naoto and I celebrated eight years together. We both had the day off, so the morning involved a whole lot of relaxing, gift exchanges and, of course, coffee.Naoto and his alarm clockIt was rainy, but we sat out on the balcony to eat breakfast and exchange gifts. According to the Anniversary Gifts by Year (which we have been following all along), the eighth anniversary gifts are pottery (traditional) and linens (modern). I got Naoto a fancy new alarm clock that will hopefully wake him up with light and bird tweets. Not a theme gift, but he is a serial snooze pusher and I’m hoping this alarm clock helps make mornings a little bit easier for all of us. Naoto and spoon rest from Circa CeramicsAnd, for the “pottery” theme, I bought him a cat spoon rest from Chicago’s Circa Ceramics. It will add the perfect amount of whimsey and usefulness to our kitchen counter. vintage table runnerNaoto got me a new juicer (the kind I used at North Shore’s cocktail class) and this amazing vintage table runner. It’s currently residing on our dining room table. I’m in love with it. lunch at Little Goat DinerOnce the rain stopped, we headed into the city for no real reason. On the way, we decided to go to Little Goat Diner for lunch. You can see our entirely healthy meal above…we had to push back our dinner reservations because we were so full. (Oh, and that’s a Ol’ Blue cocktail above: bourbon, blueberry jam, benedictine and lime…go get it before they change the menu!) pie at Little Goat DinerOh, and there was pie…because well, chocolate cookie crust with sea salt caramel and caramelized bananas…how could we not?Chicago Wrigley building It was a teeny bit warm, but it really was a perfect day in Chicago. We walked along Michigan Avenue and lingered along the river.

Before dinner, we headed to the garden to check out our plants. (More on that later this week.) dinner at golden steerWe had a late dinner at Golden Steer, our tradition since we moved to Forest Park in 2010. As usual it did not disappoint. For the first time in the history of our relationship, Naoto could not finish all of his steak and we both ended up bringing something home. During dinner, we wrote our 2014 Summer Manifesto–simple but spectacular. (I’ll share tomorrow!)

And with that, eight years are in the books…little goat diner photo booth

 

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May 22 2014
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cocktails, homemaker's challenge

Homemaker’s Challenge #4: Barrel-Aged Cocktails

oak barrel, barrel aged cocktailsI’ve been intrigued by barrel-aged cocktails ever since I had the Foghorn at Girl & the Goat last summer. When I got home and googled the ingredients, I kept coming across the Martinez which led me to the barrel-aged Martinez. I was really excited to try aging cocktails, especially once I poked around the internet a little bit more and realized you could age just about anything (minus fresh ingredients) to make a more mellow and slightly different cocktail. I researched and researched barrels vs wood chips. Aging in a barrel seemed more “authentic” and fun, but shipping wood chips was a more economical option. But when it came down to it, aging my first cocktails in a barrel just made me more excited about the project, so I went with that.

So back in December (notice the Christmas decorations in the picture above) I ordered my barrel from Oak Barrels Ltd. Their prices seemed reasonable (though, I’ve never ordered a barrel before, so take that for what it’s worth) and when I asked a question about their manufacturing process, I received a clear, friendly and positive response. Their barrels are made by a cooper in Mexico who sources the wood from American barrels. I bought the 1-liter black hoop barrel. I was going to go higher end with the galvanized hoops or the brass hoops, but the barrels can only be used three to five times before they don’t seal anymore, so I figured I would buy the least expensive barrel this time since I was just experimenting.
DSC_0043The barrel is hilariously tiny, but mighty. It holds thirty-three ounces which is enough for about eleven magically aged cocktails. I followed the directions and rinsed the barrel and filled it with water for a few days so it could swell and seal properly. Then I rinsed it some more and I was ready for mixing.

Then I used my math “skills” to create the recipe, basically dividing how many cocktails I could get out of a one liter barrel and then multiplying the basic recipe for a Martinez by that amount. Because the recipes for a Martinez vary greatly–some have a 2:1 ratio of vermouth to gin, some have a 2:1 ration of gin to vermouth, some are 50/50, I felt like I had a little freedom to play around with my recipe to make it work for the barrel size. Here’s my “recipe” for a one liter barrel:

Barrel-Aged Martinez

21 oz gin (I used Letherbee because I happened to have two bottles on hand.)

11 oz sweet vermouth

1 3/8 oz maraschino liqueur

a few dashes of orange bitters

Using a funnel, add all ingredients to the barrel. Put in the stopper and swish things around. Then let the barrel hang out on the counter for a week or two, rolling it around every day or two and strain into a bottle when it’s ready (1-2 weeks).

Once your cocktail is bottled, pour the desired amount into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel. It’s kind of nice to have a ready-made cocktail in your cabinet!

***

Since the one liter is such a small barrel, things aged pretty quickly. (Oak Barrels Ltd recommends 1-2 weeks of aging for this size.) I started tasting on the seventh day and ended up bottling mine on the twelfth day. I just used an empty Letherbee bottle and a mason jar for the overflow.

I think my first try was a success. The barrel aged Martinez is richer and deeper than the freshly made version. I think it’s going to be fun to experiment with a few old favorites to see how they change once they are aged. I have a long list of cocktails I want to try in barrels this summer…stay tuned!

To see more Homemaker’s Challenge posts, go here.

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