How are we doing folks? It’s kind of an unsure time, isn’t it? Some of my friends haven’t seen the sun for five weeks. Some of them are out protesting the stay at home orders. Philip Larkin and Dorothy Parker’s poetry grows more relevant by the day. In times like these, we can all return to one simple, clean, mantra.
NUNC EST BIBENDUM.
That is, say it with me:
NOW IS THE TIME TO DRINK.
This is Part II of my blog series regarding the things I like to drink at home, and it is the one for which I will absolutely stress the importance of drinking responsibly. Alcoholic drinks are delicious. They are canvasses for creativity, experimentation, and beautiful expression, history, and art. They are also quite, uh, spiritual.
That is to say that these drinks are strong.
These are the drinks for the hard times, the times requiring quiet, the times requiring a little bit of relaxation. Turning to them for this purpose often shouldn’t be the point. One, once in a while. But they’re there when we need them, and we are forever grateful for that. Please drink responsibly.
These are the drinks I turn to when I, you know, just really need a drink. That’s not to say these are necessarily easy things to drink, or that they’re not supposed to be well-made and appreciated, only that they fill that itch when it arrives. A few of these are often my after-work drinks for that reason alone. I hope, if possible, you can appreciate them when that itch calls. Responsibly, of course.
Also, again, none of this is branded or intentionally advertorial because that’s lame. This is just what I drink, y’all.
Whisk(e)y
Ha! Got ‘em. That’s not a cocktail, is it? No, it’s not. But it’s a drink when you need it. Many times a day at work (hey, remember work?) I’ll mention to people that when I’m not drinking wine, I’m drinking whiskey... or whisky. (There’re two gin drinks in this post, though, so take note.) That’s because it’s true. I love wine, don’t get me wrong, I want to work in wine for a long time. But whiskey isn’t work the way wine can be. It’s not something I have to think about as intensely and so it’s something I can legitimately drink to relax and, often, just to have something in my hand. But not all whiskies are created equal my friends. There’re ones better to mix with and ones better to drink neat, some to ponder and some to finish quickly, ones to add ice or water to, and ones to enjoy neat. To avoid snobbery, I now turn to the advice of The Whiskey Vault-
What’s the best whiskey? The whiskey you like to drink. What’s the best way to drink it? However you like to drink it.
I’m not going to judge you for what or how you drink (minus irresponsible drinking). But these are the, let’s go with three, whiskies I turn to when I, as the post says, really just need a drink.
Four Roses Small Batch. Neat. Rocks Glass. This is, if I can have something like it, my ‘everyday’ whiskey. It’s not particularly complicated, but flavorful, and easy enough to drink. It’s the next step up in the Four Roses line from their normal bottling, and delivers so much more on the nose and palate, and it’s not super expensive, either. I drink this neat because part of me likes really feeling this whiskey. There’s some good rye spice (black pepper, a little cardamom) that really accentuates the warmth, almost a bit of burn. The bourbon sweetness is kept in check by that spice, and by a sizeable hit of wood tannin (dry and bitter) the longer I taste it. Round it out with a big hit of vanilla and brown sugar, and you’ve a whiskey that’s the definition of ‘solid.’ It’s unfussy, delicious, and always on hand in my house when I need a pour.
Monkey Shoulder. On the rocks. Right?? On the rocks? What is he doing? Oh my God! Calm down. This is rich whiskey, full, smooth, and wonderful on its own. So, why drink it on the rocks? It cuts a bit of that richness and turns this from an almost dessert whiskey (it’s a thing), into a more reliable sipper. To be fair, as delicious as Monkey Shoulder is, it’s not particularly complicated stuff, and I don’t sweat putting it on ice as much as others might. The price point certainly supports it when other whiskies feel a bit out of reach. Look, let’s be honest and agree that it’s sweet for a scotch, but that’s okay! I like those notes of crème brûlée, big hits of malt, a buttery feel, and a finish like (I’m honest to the Lord above) toasted marshmallow. (Now I want to dip a marshmallow in this and flambee it just to see what would happen. Probably nothing, but you never know). That last note actually becomes kind of dominate when put on ice, and is kind of why I reach for it when I’m in the mood to drink something tasty, chilled, and alcoholic.
Glenlivet 15 in a Glencairn. There’re a few drinks, wine bottles, etc. that I am attached to more out of sentiment than how much I enjoy what they are. Long Meadow Ranch cabernet sauvignon is one of those things. It’s good Napa cab, sure, and I have around six bottles in my little collection, but I drink it as much as I do because it was the wine I had right after finishing my introductory sommelier exam. It was the first bottle of wine I drank once I realized, at three-weeks 21, that I could, in fact, work in this industry.
Glenlivet 15 was part of my first major experience with scotch, and for that reason it is always in my cabinet. Going to college in Florida meant occasionally running from hurricanes. When Irene swept through and all of campus shut down, my girlfriend at the time and I decided to do a small tour of the south on our way to and back. It led us to Atlanta, in a small hotel beside a big box liquor store. On a particularly boring, rainy day, I went to that store, and there, behold, was a rep from Glenlivet who called me across the room with a simple “Hey! Do you want some free scotch?” Who was I to deny her? She had their whole line. This was my first big tasting of something other than bourbon for whiskey (college in the south, recall) and it was eye-opening. My favorite bottle of the tasting was the 15. It preserved that green-apple candy flavor that’s such a part of this distillery that I thought the older bottlings lack. while introducing enough of the wood tannin and aged notes that made it seem at the time so wonderfully complex in comparison to the younger bottles. I still sip it now, slowly, from a Glencairn when I feel nostalgic (I am a history major, after all), and it takes me back to those early steps in food and drink when I realized I’d found something of a calling, or at least something of a passion. It’s nice to have, and nice to sip, and that’s about all there is to it.
Death in the Afternoon
Beside my collection of actual bottles of wine I keep on hand, I constantly keep around 6 tiny bottles of Heidsieck Monopole for two reasons- both on this list. Why Heidsieck? Well, it’s actual champagne, which is good for the soul, the bright yellow bottle and shockingly blue tops are flashy, a necessary part of entertaining, and it’s actually sold in tiny bottles, helpful for mixing when a whole bottle of champagne seems unnecessary. (I know it’s hard to imagine champagne being unnecessary, but bear with me.) For this drink, tiny bottles will do. You only need one. But still, legends around this drink supposedly invented by Ernest Hemingway tell tales of how he would drink three or four of at a sitting to the amazement of those watching. I am likewise amazed, and intrigued enough to try this on my own. My friends, absinthe makes its return in this eerie, pale green, slightly bubbly concoction known only as a Death in the Afternoon. It is bracing, herbal, anise-powered, bubbly, and strong enough that one will do you. After a hard day of work (ha, work), it’s become my go-to.
I encourage responsible drinking, of course, but will tell you that all you need to do is slip an ounce and a half of absinthe in a champagne flute and top it with the requisite bubbly. Please use real champagne. Please sip this carefully.
Gin Gimlet
Hey, remember when I did a three week series about this drink? Maybe go back and read that? It’s still my favorite. Honestly, I love these things. I have so much lime juice at home, and as many bottles of gin. Alright, so my ratios have changed from those old blog posts, but my point still stands. Gimlets are complex, refreshing, citrusy, and absolutely essential. My current go-to for gins are Brooklyn Gin and Karner Blue, if you need brands. Brooklyn is a rather well-known craft gin, one of the older ones to come out of the gin renaissance. Huge on citrus, nicely floral, that finishes with the requisite balance of juniper. Karner Blue is a local gin, made by Flag Hill and named after New Hampshire’s own karner blue butterfly. It’s a little sweet, bigger on the juniper than Brooklyn, but still wonderfully smooth and classic feeling with enough florals to keep it feeling ‘crafty.’ Both work well in gimlets. It’s a mood thing.
Currently I’m doing 3 ounces of gin to an ounce of lime juice and a half of regular simple syrup. Shake, garnish with a lime slice if you’re not feeling lazy, and serve up. Sip away your worries.
French 75
Word has it this drink was named for a piece of French artillery in World War 1 that was light but powerful. This drink is light and powerful, and is the other reason for keeping tiny bottles of champagne around the house. Much like a gimlet, a 75 is refreshing and citrusy, but it packs a similar heady punch as a Death in the Afternoon. Great for after work, summer evenings, or whenever my mood switches from lemon to lime. For adding calming effect, I make my 75’s at home with a lavender-infused simple syrup, 1:1 ratio of white sugar and water, then add a teaspoon dried lavender and let sit for around 5 minutes. It compliments the florals of the gin and I love the combination of lavender and lemon. I already gave you what I’m drinking for gin above. Both work fine here.
Chill a champagne flute. Add two ounces of gin, a half of lemon juice, and a half of the lavender syrup to a cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Pour into the flute, and top with champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist, if you’re not feeling lazy. Enjoy!
I hope some of these help take the edge off of staying at home, and the edge off of everyone complaining about it and the craziness swirling around. Stay sane, stay responsible, and stay healthy y’all.