The Sour in the Sweet

One of the secrets to mixing a good cocktail is balance. The right amount of sweet, countered with the right amount of sour, stimulating the appropriate taste buds to create a pleasing mix of flavour.

My grandmother came out of her sitting room recently holding up a bottle and said, "What am I supposed to do with this?" It was a full bottle of Limoncello, one of the nicest liqueurs for assisting in this sweet vs. sour mixology; a lemony, slightly sour liqueur which I have found to be indispensable in martini mixing to counter the sweet content. While similar effect can be achieved with a splash of lemon juice, the Limoncello has a strong lemon flavour, with less of the bitterness of fresh lemon juice.

Take for example the following mix:

1 1/2 measures mango rum
1 1/2 measures Alizé Wild Passion liqueur
3 measures mango pineapple juice

Sounds almost sickly sweet doesn't it? So add to that a three quarter-measure of Limoncello and the sweetness subsides, the mango flavour comes through clear with a citrus finish. Truly brilliant stuff.

Until next time,

Drink With Care, Friends

The Bitters Truth

I lived in a house with Angostura Bitters for most of my life. It was used sparingly but used, particularly in drinks, enough that I could recognize its very distinctive bottle anywhere. But it would seem that my house was the exception and not the rule as most of my friends now have never tasted, and some have never heard, of Angostura Bitters.

Developed in 1824 by Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, Angostura Bitters was named for the town of Angostura in Venezuela where Dr. Siegert had been appointed as the surgeon general by Simón Bolívar. The aromatic bitters were originally brought into existence as a stomach ailment remedy for Dr. Siegert's friends and family, however it's restorative properties were quickly discovered by sailors as a cure for seasickness and thus the product began traveling the world.

By 1830, Dr. Siegert had begun export of the bitters to England and Trinidad and by his death in 1870, a partnership between his eldest son Carlos had been established and Don Carlos, as he became known, began exhibiting his father's brainchild the world over, including Paris, Vienna, Philadelphia, and Australia. By the end of 1960, Angostura Bitters was being exported to 140 different countries.

The taste itself is extremely distinctive. Tried once, you will forever remember the flavour and will be able to identify it quite readily. Deep red in colour, it is a terrific addition to many beverages, but should not be ignored as an additive to meat, fish, or even desserts.

Determined to bring Angostura Bitters to the knowledge of my friends, I recently threw a small dinner party where it was the central focus of the evening. My guests were first treated to a classic Champagne Cocktail; a sugar cube placed in the bottom of a champagne flute, soaked in a few drops of bitters, half an ounce of brandy or cognac and topped with champagne. The sugar slowly dissolves into the drink, releasing both its own sweetness and the flavour of the bitters at the same time.

Next, I prepared a dish I found on the Angostura web site called Chicken with Champagne and Bitters Beurre Blanc. It was easy to prepare, basically chicken breast with accompanying veggies, but the sauce of shallots, champagne, bitters, cream, and finished with butter was the star, turning a rather ordinary sounding dish into very extraordinary.

The Angostura Group hosts a bi-annual Global Bartender's Challenge in which bartenders from all over the world are challenged to prepare original creations both alcoholic and non. One of 2008's winning recipes was from Danilo Oribe of the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and called the Angostura Vice, which my guests finished their Angostura experience with.

Angostura Vice

4.5 ounces Mango Rum
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
3 ounces apple juice
Shake the above in a cocktail shaker and pour into champagne flute;
Top with champagne


The above makes enough for two flutes and was a very tasty sipper.


My guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves and have now been properly introduced to Angostura Bitters. If you've never tried it, start small by ordering a dash in your next gin and tonic at the bar. I highly recommend the experience.


Until next time,


Drink With Care, Friends

Akvavit

Akvavit (or Aquavit for us Colonials, or Akevitt for the Norwegians), is a flavoured spirit made from potatoes or grain and produced in Scandinavia that generally contains about 40% to 45% alcohol. Often flavoured with caraway seeds, anise, cardamom, or fennel, Akvavit is a traditional part of the Scandinavian drinking culture and is used particularly to accompany fall and winter meals such as pinnekjøtt and smalahove. It is a very fragrant spirit that comes in several varieties, from the lighter, fruitier tastes, to the darker, heavily spiced notes.

While Akvavit is produced in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, the Norwegians have a particular production called linje akvavits. These have been carried on ships in oak casks from Oslo, Norway across the equator (linje) to Australia and back to Oslo via Asia and North America. The claim is that the sloshing about in the casks and the changes in temperature extract more flavour from the casks.

The earliest written reference to Akvavit was found in a letter from a Danish Lord to the last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Norway dated April 13, 1531, which evidently accompanied a package and stated in part:

"Dear lord, will your grace know that I send your grace some water with Jon Teiste which is called Aqua vite and the same water helps for all his illness that a man can have internally."

I visited Norway in Fall 2008 and, at my request for a traditional Norwegian meal, found myself sitting down to pinnekjøtt with ample amounts of Akevitt. The idea is that, while not necessarily as medicinal as the Danish Lord proclaimed, the Akvavit aids in the digestion of foods rich in fat.

Later that evening, we were taken to a bar called Logen in Bergen  where we took part in an Akevitt tasting. I personally found that I enjoyed the lighter varieties far more than the dark, but I suspect that this is primarily due to my personal dislike of the caraway/anise type flavourings.

Interestingly enough, there is a restaurant in Manhattan, New York called Aquavit which boasts traditional Scandinavian cuisine and a list of Aquavit based cocktails. Perhaps a pilgrimage to this cocktail menu is in order...


Until next time,

Drink With Care, Friends