Face Of New Orleans

So, on the topic of mixing drinks, many people are realizing that big cubes work exceptionally well (harkening back to the bartender’s tools of old…you know, the icepick and whatnot). I’ve already mentioned the Tovolo trays in the past, but you may notice in the photograph above that one cube is infinitely more pleasing to the eye than the other. The way to get your cubes to look like the one on the left is to…ready for it? Boil them. So, if you can afford a Kold Draft machine, you really don’t need to read this post, but if you tend bar at home, grab youse some Tovolo trays (just so y’all know, the blue trays are straight walled and the purple ones are textured) and boil up some water.

Another point of note is that I use (and recommend that you do as well) distilled water. More on that later.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

Those of you that have ever been to New Orleans have, no doubt, come across Abita Amber. It essentially replaces Budweiser in most places that serve draught beer. I wouldn’t say that it is an especially great beer, but it has enough going on in it that makes it quite enjoyable.

On the other end of the spectrum, Abita has hit us with a one-two punch of hops in their latest brew: Jockamo IPA.

Much more robust than their amber, Jockamo has a nose of cherry and birch with a silky mouthfeel. This one is excellent a bit warm, not super frigid like most beers are served. The bitterness it presents is quite pleasant, not overwhelming like some IPA’s and barleywines can be.

For those of y’all that are uninformed, it takes its name from the song Iko Iko. Something that’s also fun about the name is that you can replace “fin année” with IPA and the rhyme still fits.

Be sure to enjoy this one sittin’ by da fay-o. It’s truly delicious.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

This drink actually has a story. One time during college, Em and I were driving out of Arkansas and Em said out loud, “hell is hot.” I tried to maintain control of the car, but had to ask what in god’s name she was talking about. As I looked over to my right, I see a small wooden sign tacked to a tree that says, surely enough, “hell is hot.”

We bring the story up occasionally, prefacing it with…”only in Arkansas.”

Fast forward a bit to the tasting of this particular cocktail. Trying to figure out a name for it, Hell Is Hot popped out of Em’s mouth like magick.

So, I give you:

Hell Is Hot

3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

2 oz of Diabolique Rum

1/4 oz of Clement Creole Shrubb

1/2 oz of simple syrup

1/8 oz of Pyrat Pistol Rum

Add ingredients into empty rocks glass (no ice). Pour into another rocks glass that’s filled with sno-ball type ice (beat the hell out of your cubes). Garnish with grated nutmeg and a cherry.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

Prepared as follows:

Curaçao Punch

1 Heaping Barspoon Sugar

Enough Lemon Juice To Moisten (about1/4 of a lemon)

1 oz Seltzer

2 oz Orange Curaçao (I used Bols)

1 oz Brandy (I used Torres)

1 oz Dark Rum (I used Gosling’s Black Seal)

Add sugar, lemon juice, and seltzer to a collins glass (I use the Riedel Vivant ones, and yes, they call them highball glasses….they’re wrong). Muddle to incorporate. Then pound a bunch of ice like you were trying to get a rent check out of it and fill the glass. Then add the curaçao, brandy, and the rum. Frappé. Enjoy.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

I love beer that’s so thick you can chew it. I adore heavy stouts and I.P.A.s make my bottom all tingly, but there’s a special place in my being that’s purely reserved for barleywine. Just the fact that the IBUs can get well over 100 in this wonderful style of beer is enough to intrigue…well, anyone. I went through three of said style of brew recently (it would have been four, but the frickin Rogue barleywine was something outrageous like $16 for a pint and some change).

We’ll start off with Sisyphus from Real Ale Brewing Company. The label is actually quite plain, although it is metallic blue and silver. I’m not quite sure why they chose a name for a person forced to move/be trampled by a boulder day after day, but the ale is delicious nonetheless. It comes off creamy and syrupy. The nose/mouth of it is grassy with apple notes. It’s quite bitter, but the alpha acids are balanced really well with sweetness. It has a medium acidity to it and I suggest serving it slightly chilled, nowhere near what a store’s beer cooler will keep it at.

The next in line is Chicken Killer from Santa Fe Brewing Company. In contrast to Sisyphus, this one needs to be served cold. It has a thin, more carbonated mouthfeel and is dark redhead in color. The hop body isn’t all that complex, but it does have a nice grassy nose. The amount of carbonation detracts from mouthfeel/taste. The taste comes off with maple syrup and apple tones, but the bitterness isn’t quite balanced with the malt. This is definitely a beer that pairs well with salty food. It would also be much better if you opened it and left it sit in the fridge for about 20 or so minutes prior to pouring.

Last up is Old Ruffian from Great Divide Brewing Company. This one has a medium rare carbonation, slightly syrupy mouthfeel, and a wonderfully fresh, almost pinching nose. There are distinct coffee tones in the malt and it’s a bit more bitter than sweet (not quite balanced, but great for hopheads). I only prefer it chilled, because it gets far too bitter when it warms up. It weirdly had an aroma of apple in the back of my throat as I drank it.

Overall, I preferred the Sisyphus. It was just thick enough, just bitter enough, and just a baby bit of carbonation to tie all things together.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

If you ever wanted to know what it feels like to be a Greek god and hundreds of women are feeding you grapes, now you can. Just take a sip of

Bacchae

1 1/2 oz of Barsol Acholado Pisco

1/4 oz of Vya Sweet Vermouth

1/8 oz of Suze

1/4 tsp of Marie Brizard Parfait Amour

1/4 tsp of Grenadine

Stir for a very long time (45 seconds or more for me). Strain into pre-chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

In honor of my birthday (the 11th for those of you that are uninformed), I created a wonderful way to start or end your day. It’s very soft and comforting. I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Baby Blanket

1 oz of Gilbey’s Gin

3 spearmint leaves

1 oz of Barsol Acholado Pisco

1 egg

1/2 oz of orange curacao

1/4 oz of simple syrup

1 oz of seltzer

Add gin to shaker, along with the spearmint leaves. Lightly press (not muddling, keep the leaves intact) the mint, and extract/discard. Then add all the rest of the ingredients, minus the seltzer. Shake like you’ve got tremors and strain into a highball glass with one large ice cube in it. Add seltzer, stir gently. Garnish with one large spearmint leaf (after clapping it).

Wonderful morning drink.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

This beauty is what followed:

Natural Harmonic

2 oz of Damrak Gin

1/8 oz of I.P.A. Syrup (see below for instructions)

1/4 oz of fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz of Maraska Maraschino Liqueur

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel over, rim glass with peel, then drop in.

Fantastic with a baked potato.

Make the I.P.A. syrup by taking two 12 oz bottles of I.P.A. (I used my organic homebrew) and reduce it to a syrupy consistency in a saucepan. Let cool and put in refrigerator.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

Brandon, the boy who takes care of me, was so kind to supply me with the rest of the Infusionique line. I’ve been pretty exhausted as of late, so I actually didn’t want to force making a drink with my newly received hooch. When I was nearing heading off to bed, the bottle of Angelique told me that it was lonely and that I should find it some friends to play with. A woman that needs no pity:

2 oz of Angelique Tequila

1/2 oz of fresh lime juice

1/4 oz of grenadine

1/4 oz of Suze

2 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters

Build in a highball glass filled with large ice cubes, then add seltzer and Peychaud’s. Stir gently, garnish with a slice of pineapple.

Excellent paired with a fresh green salad tossed with cranberries.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

Ok, so I got really sick of having the choice of paying out the wazoo for true maraschino cherries or needlessly suffering through the lye-soaked mess that they pass off as “cherries,” so I made my own. I made a mishmash of brandied cherries and maraschino cherries, and they turned out fantastically.

Cherries A La Kincke

1.5 pounds of fresh cherries

1/8 cup of sugar

7/8 cup of water

1/2 oz of lemon juice

7/8 cup of brandy

1/2 cup of maraschino liqueur

Fill half-pint mason jars with fresh cherries (I left stems and pits in). Put water, sugar, and lemon juice in a container that you can easily pour from, stir to dissolve sugar, then add brandy and maraschino liqueur. Pour liquid into cherry filled jars, then place jars into a water filled pot (like you’re making jelly). Boil for approximately 20 or more minutes. Let cool and get ready for yumminess.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.