cocktails

Vermouth: From Medicine to Mixology

November 9, 2016 By Brian Petro

Roman wormwood, vermouth’s humble beginnings.

Combing through history, you will see one fact common to most liquors: they started off as medicine. Beer and wine had other uses. They were easier to make and used for everything from paying workers to surviving fasts to having something to drink that would not kill you. Before we started to dig into the science of diseases, doctors would prescribe methods that we would now call alternative medicine. Anything from draining humours through leeches to mixing a variety of herbs into a liquid and drinking it. One of the earliest herbs used was wormwood, based on the belief that it was effective in fighting stomach ailments.

The wormwood-infused wine would be consumed after a meal to calm the stomach and aid in digestion. This technique was used in Europe as early as 400 BC and in some cultures earlier than that. As the wine became popular in the 16^th century, those creating it added other herbs and spices to take the horribly bitter edge off the wormwood. In Germany, this bitter root was called Wermut. When the French and Italians took hold of it, they just Romanticized the word, calling the new batch of fortified and aromatized wines “vermouth.”

Modern vermouth became popular around the end of the 18^th century when Antonio Benedetto Carpano introduced it to the market. It quickly became a darling with the courts in the area and started to spread to the rest of the country. Not too far away, in southern France, dry vermouth was gaining steam. The French kept the botanical punch that the Italians had built into the wine, but dialed the sugar content back considerably. This is what gives dry vermouth its herbal punch. The Italians also have a version of a white, or blanco, vermouth that is a sweeter version of the French dry. It does not have less of an herbal kick; it has more sugar to hide it. Traditionally, these were the three styles of vermouth found in any liquor store. With the boom we see in craft cocktails, manufacturers are experimenting with other wines and herbs to offer new flavor profiles. There are rosé and orange wine-based vermouths now that utilize other botanicals.

Gaze upon this collection of Martini vermouths…

For over 100 years, vermouth had a starring role in the cocktails the world enjoyed. Two of the classics, the Manhattan and the Martini, were based on the herbal flavors they brought to rye whiskey and gin, respectively. Flipping through classic recipe books, you can see that after the tremendous impact vermouth had when it arrived in the United States in the mid-19^th century, it started to wane. The amount of vermouth became smaller and smaller until we settled on the 3:1 or 5:1 proportions you may see in bars. Venues that focus more on the classics will put the ratio closer to 2:1 spirit to vermouth, and may even offer the Martinez. The Martinez is one of the few vintage cocktails you will find where the vermouth, not the spirit, is the star in the glass. Two parts vermouth to one part gin (or 1:1, or 1.5:1, whichever proportion the bartender assures you is the original) is what you will find, with some maraschino liqueur to balance out the herbal quality.

Martinez

2 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Old Tom gin (Ransom is an excellent choice)
1 tsp. maraschino liqueur
2 ds. Bitters (Boker’s is in the original, but Angostura works well)

Glass: Cocktail
Ice: None
Garnish: Lemon zest

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir until the cocktail is well chilled, then strain into the glass. Twist the zest over the cocktail then add it to the glass.

Martinez cocktail (credit: Ann Larie Valentine)

Any trace amounts of vermouth you were going to find in cocktails were wiped clean when Prohibition covered the land. Liquors that could not be faked were purged, lost in America for decades. When we finally returned to the business of drinking, vodka was becoming the spirit of choice. Vermouth has a strong flavor, and vodka has little. Vodka martinis, now sporting olives, forcefully pushed dry vermouth to the back of the bar shelf. And while some of the war vets were still big on the Manhattan, no one wanted to drink what their parents drank. Sweet vermouth soon found itself collecting dust as well, watching rum take over the brown liquor spot as vodka took over for clear liquor. The 1970’s and 80’s were dominated by sweet cocktails, balanced slightly by citrus juices. Unless grandpa was bellying up to the bar, vermouth was on the sidelines with the bitters.

The craft cocktail boom has invigorated the industry. From just a few bottles of Martini and Rossi on the shelf to an ever-widening array of flavors, vermouth is back. Before you run out and add that amazing collection to your liquor shelf, keep in mind that vermouth has to be at least 75% wine. That means an open bottle is only going to be good for up to four weeks on your liquor shelf. You can extend that through refrigeration, but not by much. Many brands offer smaller bottles to purchase. Grab one of those if it is just for you around the house. Or considering adding vermouth as part of your dinner plans to either get the stomach ready or calm it down after the meal. If the bottle lasts long enough to go a little south, you can add it to recipes that call for wine. Another requirement of vermouth is that it has wormwood as part of the recipe, best known as a dominant flavor in absinthe. That flavor heightens when you cook with it. You can put it in some cocktails to enjoy with your meal as well. Beyond the traditional Manhattan (sweet vermouth) and Gin Martini (dry vermouth), there is a wide array of cocktails that call for this fortified, aromatized wine.

Negroni

1 oz. gin
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. sweet Vermouth

Glass: Cocktail or Coupe
Ice: None
Garnish: Orange Zest

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Stir, then strain into the cocktail glass. Twist the orange zest over the cocktail, then add to the glass. Alternatively, you can pour all of the ingredients over cubed ice (larger cubes work best), stir, then serve.

A Negroni on the rocks. (credit: Geoff Peters)

The Negroni is a vintage cocktail from Italy. The rumor is that Count Negroni, after an extended stay in America, was traveling the Italian countryside. When he came to his usual bar for his usual drink, an Americano, he asked to replace the soda water with gin. The concoction worked and had been the springboard for countless variations. Substitute the gin with rye whiskey, and you have a Boulevardier. Exchange the gin with champagne for a Negroni Sbagliato. The possibilities are endless.

Vieux Carré

.75 oz Rye Whiskey
.75 oz Cognac
.75 oz sweet Vermouth
1 tsp Bénédictine
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Glass: Old Fashioned
Ice: Cubed
Garnish: Cherry OR Lemon Zest

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir, then strain into the Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice. Garnish with either the cherry or the lemon zest. Both, if you want to.

Built in New Orleans in the post-Prohibition era, it is a celebration of the vibrant cocktail culture that developed there. It is well balanced and a delight to drink. A bottle of Bénédictine herbal liqueur is a versatile addition to any home bar.

Scofflaw

2 oz. Bourbon or rye whiskey
1 oz. Dry vermouth
.25 oz. Fresh lemon juice
.5 oz. Grenadine
2 dashes Orange bitters

Glass: Cocktail
Ice: None
Garnish: Orange Zest

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing tin over ice. Shake well for 20 – 30 seconds, then strain into the cocktail glass. Twist the orange twist over the cocktail and add to the glass.

This Prohibition cocktail is appropriately named. Developed at Harry’s Bar in Paris in the 1920’s, it reaches for the traditional French dry vermouth instead of the sweet usually found in whiskey cocktails. There is also some debate as to the use of lemon or lime juice. The original recipe calls for lemon juice, and I will back that one. But experiment as you like.

With the resurgence of vermouth over the last few years, the options for bartenders have expanded. From Dolin to Noilly Pratt to Carpano, we have come a long way from just the bottles of Martini and Rossi on the shelf. Grab a bottle and take a sip before you start adding it to a cocktail. You may like what you taste!

National Coffee Day Tipple: Irish Coffee

September 29, 2016 By Brian Petro

We all take coffee for granted as just part of the daily routine. Wake up, brew or buy a cup of coffee, then get to doing something productive with your day. Before it was grown, roasted, boiled, and consumed, first it had to be discovered. The story is that a shepherd in Mocha saw his flock frolicking about after eating berries from a certain shrub. He took the berries, then to make them palatable roasted them then boiled them. He found the drink gave him vast amounts of energy, and the technology spread through the Middle East and Africa. It had to fight various bans for its mind altering effects, as scholars debated on whether or not it counted as being intoxicated when you were hopped up on caffeine. It passed the test with Muslim imams and eventually the Catholic church. According to the story, Pope Clement VIII was charged by his followers with banning the drink of the Muslims. He tasted it before the ban and chose to allow the drink to spread, stating it should be baptized as Catholic to get it from Muslim hands. This is all around 1600.

Coffee has always warmed us up and given a little jolt of energy. It also encourages conversation and the spreading of ideas. From the coffee houses of Shakespeare’s time to Starbucks, people who were looking to connect with others came together under one roof. The chef at an airport bar in Ireland concocted the drink for passengers coming off a plane looking cold and miserable. He offered hem some coffee with a little shot of Irish Whiskey in it. The passengers loved it, and it became a menu item on at the bar in question. One of the travelers that eventually enjoyed the cocktail was Stanton Delaplane, who brought the drink to San Francisco with him and championed it to the city. It was first served at the Buena Vista Cafe in 1952, and embraced by the city. It has been served there, and anywhere else that had coffee and Irish whiskey, ever since.

This is the critical ingredient: Irish whiskey

Irish Coffee

1.5 oz./ 45 mL Irish whiskey
2 tsp. brown sugar
4-6 oz./ 120 – 180 mL hot coffee
Glass: Irish Whiskey
Garnish: Whipped cream
Ice: None

Prepare the glass by warming it with hot water. Empty the glass when warmed, then add the coffee and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then add the Irish whiskey. Stir again. Evenly spread the whipped cream over the top of the coffee and serve.

I love this drink. It is delightful any time, day or night. It is just warm and inviting, the bite and sweetness of the whiskey just peeking through the coffee flavor. You may be tempted to stir the whip cream in, but don’t. The layer of cream on top gives you a little with each sip, and acts as a delicious insulator for the coffee. If you are looking for some caffeine to add to your liquor, I suggest this over vodka and Red Bull any day. And you get whipped cream!

This is day 27 of a series, #100DaysOfCocktails, being done by Smart Guy In A Tie Cocktails. You can follow along daily on my Instagram page on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Dive Bar Tuesday – Dr. Doodles Lounge

June 7, 2016 By Brian Petro

Welcome to Dr. Doodle’s Lounge!

There has been a theme in the last few dive bars we have explored. They are small and intimate venues, where is it hard not to meet know people because you were in pretty close proximity to them. Bar space was limited, and there was not much light in the room, which tends to bring people closer together. Space is expensive; unless you have a good deal, what you pay for the building, as well as its maintenance, can be costly. This could be a reason that dive bars tend to end up in places that are hard to find or out of the way. Many of the ones that are on our list are out of the way places that people almost have to draw us maps for to ensure that we find it. Had people not told us about Time Out Cavern or Adrienne’s White Rabbit Lounge, I am not sure we would have stumbled on them by just wandering down the street. In some ways, this week’s adventure to Dr. Doodle’s Lounge follows that script. In more ways, it breaks it.

Dr. Doodle’s Lounge (1510 Miamisburg Centerville Rd, Dayton, OH 45459) DOES have a sign on 725 that lets you know it is there. However, you won’t see it from the street. You need to go around the back of the Original Pancake House to find this delight. When you do head back there, the first thing you will notice is their nicely enclosed patio. It is spacious and covered, so as long as the weather is warm, you can sit out there with your favorite beverage. When you enter and pass a small shelf of books and a jukebox on the left, there is a good chance someone is going to say hello to you. And it may not be the bartender. Like most of the other bars we have gone to, we immediately felt welcome here. More than one person we spoke with mentioned the feel was very much like the beloved Cubby Hole, complete with several of the bartenders that made that venue great. It was also said a few times that “the stranger you are, the more you fit in.”

This place seems a little strict with rules.

The openness was not just for the customers and staff. The whole atmosphere was open, thanks in large part to the walls of windows on two sides of the building. The ceilings were high, and there was natural light (possibly Natural Light too, we did not check) pouring through space. The bar was tucked into the corner, so there was plenty of room for activities like darts, pool, trivia, the occasional Sunday karaoke night, and any other events one can imagine. Even on nights in the past, we were there, and it was busy, it did not feel like a cramped space. There is room for everyone to come in for a drink!

And come in for a drink you should! They have three taps for beer, but a much wider selection of cans and bottles for you to enjoy. There was a cocktail list, but it has been lost to history. The spirits they keep behind the bar offer an imbibing option for everyone and the bartenders there know how to use them. Specials, as well as food, depends on the night that drops in. Each man or woman handling bar duty that night will have their own special, from $3 shots of Fireball to $10 buckets of beer. The food menu is just as dependent on staff taste. One night could be pulled pork sandwiches; another they could be grilling brats on the patio. This is one of the beauties of small, independent businesses. There is always something different going on, and the staff has some leeway to cater to the customers. In fact, some of the customers will bring in side dishes depending on the night and the bartender. Who needs a regular menu?

What are you in the mood for today?

It would be easy to become a regular here. The whole atmosphere is a big warm embrace. There is going to be a motorcycle run in August to Indian Lake, starting with some hamburgers and brats on the patio and finishing with the ride. Last year over 200 people participated in the event, and this year will probably be bigger. Every night will offer a different experience, which means if you go often enough, you will find the right time for you. It does not matter who you are or what you do; there’s a bar stool and a cold drink waiting for you. Just a cursory look at the parking lot ran the gamut of styles, from hard working pick-up trucks to shining and stylish high-end cars. Stop by Dr. Doodles Lounge over a few different nights as the summer starts to heat up. Enjoy the patio, the food, and the friendly atmosphere. Pretty soon you too will be welcoming people as they walk up to the bar for a drink.

Dr. Doodles lounge is located at 1510 Miamisburg Centerville Rd, Dayton, OH 45459. Their number is (937) 434-8748, and they are open every day from 12:00 PM to 2:30 AM. You can find their upcoming events and other information on their Facebook page.

Dive Bar Tuesday – Adrienne’s White Rabbit Lounge

May 31, 2016 By Brian Petro

That is the whole cozy space, ladies and gents.

In 1865, a mathematician named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (His pen name was Lewis Carroll.) wrote a book about a little girl who has an amazing adventure in a faraway land. Alice’s adventures begin when she spies a white rabbit run by as she is drowsily listening to her sister. The rabbit is in a petticoat and muttering about how late he is as he stares at his watch. She follows him into his rabbit hole, and that is where her adventures in Wonderland begin. Ever since that book, the white rabbit has been a symbol of diving into something mysterious with a fantastic payoff. Adrienne’s White Rabbit Lounge was that for our band of merrymakers. This is the first dive bar we patronized that we were not overly familiar with. We had been told of it by Big Ragu and The Crew, but we did not know much. Now we do, and we did have a fantastic adventure.

You are not going to stumble randomly on Adrienne’s White Rabbit Lounge (889 South Main Street Centerville, OH 45458, 937-435-3150); someone is going to have to lead you there. It is located in a strip mall pushed away from the street. When we went in, there was a handful of people at the bar. The first thing we noticed is that the place was small. Performers would call the venue “intimate”, and they would not be wrong. The size of the space contributes to people being able to see and experience everything happening. There are some nooks and crannies, but they don’t offer much in ways of privacy. It was well lit, and the music that was playing was at the right level. You could have a conversation and still enjoy the jukebox. Televisions cover just enough of the walls to be seen from any point in the room. The ceiling tiles are decorated with advertisements and other patron artwork. There are still some spaces available for only $25 each.

Adrienne's White Rabbit Lounge Beer and Cocktails

Drink all the drinks!

The drinks here are well-priced. And by well-priced I mean inexpensive. That is not even taking into account the daily specials they offer, from shots based on the vodka flavor of the month to seasonal beer specials. There is also a Queen of Hearts game that happens on Thursday nights, where lucky gamers can win a nice sized jackpot. They have house-created cocktail specials, an excellent selection of domestic beers (some part of their daily specials), and something I have not yet found at other bars we have explored. They have a special cabinet filled with tequilas and other special liquors. A rotating list of unique bottles is one more unique things the White Rabbit offers. They even have events that feature these gems, like the tequila they event they are planning for June 3. The cocktails were tried were both tasty in their way; one was a refreshingly summery sour cocktail, and the other was a seasonal recipe. We asked Tori, our bartender that night, what we should try and she pointed us to the Merry Cherry. It was a Jägermeister cocktail where the spices of the liqueur came through just enough to give some zest to the cherry and raspberry in the drink.

If you are looking for a place to eat, there are many options nearby that will have a reliable menu. Like any real house of mystery, the food is a grab bag depending on the day and if there is an event. There are always some snacks in one of the nooks. Typical bar food that the regulars help to keep stocked, like pretzels, chips, and cheese balls. For special events, like Derby parties or events with customers (the bar, usually closed Sundays, can handle special events), you will find a more robust fare. Burgers, brats, pulled pork, and other staples of great get-togethers will be available.

The snack nook, complete with deer head wearing shades.

Above anything else, the thing we were most impressed with was how friendly everyone was. The bartenders treated us as if we had been loyal bar patrons for months, being very friendly to us and answering every question we had. We had multiple conversations with other bar patrons, from what we did as a business to the current state of Reds baseball. There was even a round of drinks purchased for the whole bar, which at the time was pretty damn full. It was not a bumping Friday night, but there were people there. It was a neighborhood bar in the best sense. A place where it felt like you could go at any time and either meet friends you already knew or make some brand new ones over some music and a round of darts.

We left at the end of our time there glad that we found another lovely place to go for a drink in Dayton. Adrienne’s White Rabbit, which has been around in a variety of forms for almost forty years, is what most people are looking for when they are seeking a casual watering hole. There may not be any rabbits, hatters, living playing cards, or red queens, but you will have to enjoy a friendly experience when you go.

Adrienne’s White Rabbit Lounge is located at 889 South Main Street, Centerville, OH 45458. They are open Monday through Saturday from 1 PM to 2:30 AM, closed on Sundays. You can find them on the web at adrienneswhiterabbit.com, or visit their Facebook page for information on upcoming events. Their phone number is 937-435-3150.

Dive Bar Tuesday – Diplomat Lounge

April 26, 2016 By Brian Petro

Welcome to the Diplomat Lounge!

After an extended hiatus, we are back! Of course, that is one of the best things about any good dive bar you go to. Any bar, really. They become more than a place to just get a drink after work; you get to know the bartenders. You start to discover that other patrons are from a town near yours, or enjoy Game of Thrones as much as you do, or weep quietly every Sunday after a Browns loss. Whether you go to the best wine bar in town or a venue where their craft beer is Budweiser Lime-A-Rita, you are going for more than the product they are offering. You are going for the comfortable feeling it provides. Of all the bars my friends and I have gone to so far, the Diplomat Lounge has felt the most comfortable.

The Diplomat Lounge (2766 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, OH., 45419) was located a little further down the road on Smithville Rd., just past where it splits from Wilmington Pike. There was some major construction in the mall area they were located, changing an old Kroger and the surrounding stores into a small neighborhood. The Diplomat moved down the street and has been there since. Where many of the other bars we have gone to were more focused on pool, this is a place where darts appear to be king. They offer BYOP dart tournaments once a month on the second Saturday of the month (the next one will be May 14, 2016), and Luck of the Draw tournaments on Sunday nights. Have no fear, pool players. There are a couple of tables for you in the back half of the bar. But there are darts on both sides.

Back room pool tables, and the doorway to the “secret patio”.

When I say both sides, the bar cuts the space in half. If you are not familiar with the space, you may think that it is a little small, until you realize there is this great space on the other side of the bar as well. This is where the pool tables are, and it is a slightly darker, more intimate space. You are tucked away from the storefront windows and people coming in and out of the bar. Service was on both sides, which would be great on a busy Friday or Saturday night when you are trying to get a beverage while tossing darts or warming up your pipes for karaoke. The weekends may have all the action, but there are liquor and beer specials all week. Every night there is a liquor with a little discount and a beer that is just a dollar. My personal choices are fifty cents of tequila on Tuesday and $2 cans on Monday. Feel free to drop in and check out their other daily specials.

If you are looking for a menu, this is not the place. They do have a menu for their specials on their Facebook page, but that is the one menu we found. Their food options are limited to pizzas and chips (perfect fuel for long nights of drinking), but there are plenty of other food options nearby if you want to eat before you show up or stop somewhere after you leave. There was not a cocktail menu to be seen, and if you ask the bartender they will share the beer list with you. It offers little in the way of craft beers or cocktails, but it that really why you are going here? No, no it is not.

They have a few bottles for you to choose from…

Two things to note when you plan on making the trip to the Diplomat. The first is that motorcycle riders are welcome here. If you have been looking for a place to stop with your bike on a ride around town, we have found another place for you. Though you most likely knew it already. It is about three miles from 675 or 35, just a hop, skip, and jump. The other thing to note is that once you have discovered the back room, keep going because there is a patio! It is a great enclosed space that has a cozy feel to it, the outside world being held at bay by a wooden fence. One other thing I have found in every bar we have gone to is that each has a little surprise inside.

The Diplomat Lounge is a great place to hang out for a few hours, enjoy a few drinks on a quiet patio, and leave the world behind. If you are so inclined, they are creating summer dart leagues right now! What are you doing Tuesday nights that is more important? And who knows, maybe this is the comfortable after work spot you have been seeking. You know there will be some dart fans or motorcycle riders there to meet.

The Diplomat Lounge is located at 2766 Wilmington Pike, Dayton, OH 45419. They are open 1 PM to 2:30 AM Monday through Friday, and 12 PM to 2:30 AM Saturday and Sunday. You can visit their Facebook page for more information, or call (937) 293-2508.

Dive Bar Tuesday – Phone Booth Lounge

February 2, 2016 By Brian Petro

And the the night began: with a cocktail or two).

Since the team started working on Dive Bar Tuesdays, one bar has been at the top of our list to get to sooner than later. It is one that we all discovered while working together and we had been attending for a while. The location was relatively central to where we all lived, the food and drink prices were right, and the atmosphere was incredibly relaxed. Schedules did not align, especially since on Tuesday nights the bar was packed. Packed to the point people were making reservations. Reservations? In a dive bar? When Tuesday Night Trivia is so popular that majority of the tables in the place are set aside, something special has to be happening. This week we were finally able to make it to the Phone Booth Lounge in Kettering. It was much quieter than the last few times we tried to enjoy the calm atmosphere we were accustomed to.

The Phone Booth just exudes calm. It could be the fact that they have been serving customers for the last five decades. That’s right, they have been sitting there taking care of customers since 1964. The wood paneled walls and stained ceiling tiles tell that tale well. And not in a “this place needs an update” way. It is just comfortable, like a well-worn sweater. The bartenders are friendly, going the distance to help me find a whiskey I enjoyed (I was feeling some Bushmill’s) and rooting through the beer cooler for me. There were photos of bands surrounding the stage, and lit signs indicating all of the upcoming events being held there. There is live music all weekend, including a Blues Jam on Thursday nights. Monday through Wednesday they have beer specials and something different each night; Wii bowling on Mondays, trivia on Tuesday, and warm up the stage on Wednesday with karaoke. This month they will also be teaming up with the Dayton Blues Society for their Second Annual Youth Showcase on February 20^th.

Their cocktail menu reflects their claim of being the Home of Kettering Rock and Roll. The shot list falls on the more traditionally named side, with Black and Blues, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Sweet Tarts. When you look over to the cocktail menu, however, the rock comes out. You can find some Sweet Emotions, possibly Blinded by the Light, or end up Knocking on Heaven’s Door. There is a list of beers, wines, and other liquors they have on the back, but it is not a complete list. There is one thing that they took down that I really enjoyed using to see all their beers; a beer shelf that hung over the bar. It allowed you to look at the selection of specialty beers and be ready to order on a moment’s notice. This is also one of the few bars I have been to where all of the liquor is not up where it can be immediately seen. The hiding of the complete beer and liquor menu may just be a clever ploy to get you to chat with the staff.

So. Many. Nachos.

The food menu is a perfect complement to the space. It is all very comfortable food. You are not going to hit many surprises on it, unless you order the nacho platter without understanding what you are asking for. There was other food on the table, like hot dog pretzel bites and fried mushrooms, but we all turned our heads when the nachos came. It was big enough to serve the five people that were sitting there, and there were enough toppings on it to hold it all together. Even after nibbling on it for the better part of an hour, we did not finish it. It was one hell of a surprise to see on the table, and makes me curious as to what other surprises may be lurking in that kitchen.

Why is this place packed on a Tuesday night? It is definitely more than for just the trivia. Good food and good company are part of the equation, even if you come alone. You have great bartenders to talk with, and there is pool, darts, and on Monday nights, bowling to keep you occupied. You can admire the art show on the ceiling tiles through the building, some of which has been there for years. In the warmer months there is a patio for your enjoyment. For a low key night with friends, it is the perfect place to meet, get cozy, and hang out for a few hours.

The Phone Booth Lounge is located at 155 E. Stroop Rd., Kettering, OH 45459. You can call for information at (937) 298-8712.

Dive Bar Tuesday: Dog’s Breath Tavern

January 19, 2016 By Brian Petro

Fat Heads and pool? What more do you need?

Last week was cold. And snowy. So when we were looking for a dive bar to visit, we wanted something relatively central. There are many in the area that we have been to, but one I had always been curious about but had not explored. Well, not since I moved to the great city of Dayton, and it was better known as Alan’s Billiard’s and Brew. When it was Alan’s, I remember pool tables as far as the eye could see and beer that was exactly what beer should be: inexpensive and cold. I don’t remember much in the way of food, but who needed it? It would just ruin the flow of beer and pool.

Bits and pieces of it became the new Dog’s Breath Tavern (1912 E. Whipp Rd, Kettering, OH), which after a brief stint with a previous owner was relaunched under new ownership just over a year ago. This is where we chose to head over for our Dive Bar Tuesday. We had not heard anything about the bar, but the parking lot was always full when we drove by. People more hip to the Dayton food scene, namely The Food Adventures Crew, explored the food and gave it their stamp of approval. Normally there are football games on, people on stage belting out karaoke favorites, and bands testing the limits of the sound system. The bartenders would be taking care of customers like pros, and games of pool and darts would be going on.

Unless it is a week night during the first real snowfall of winter. Then there are a handful of people chatting warmly at the largely empty bar. Much of what we found out about the weekend shenanigans was from the bartender that night. He was incredibly friendly and informative, as well as multi-talented. Not only was he the bartender, but the cook as well. There are several dart boards for metal tipped play and some pool tables that were enjoying some action the evening we were there. Checking out the signs around the bar, there is something interesting going on every night; beer specials, trivia, 2 4 2’s Day (a wide variety of $2.42 specials on Tuesday evening, and karaoke to kick off the weekend. The one that caught our eye was the food truck rally. They have a kitchen (more on that in a few sentences), but they are willing to support local businesses and bring food trucks to a place where few are going to tread. The only other place I have seen food trucks in this area is Eudora Brewing.

So much room for activities…

During an evening of drinking, you are going to get hungry. Fortunately, they have a kitchen to take care of that for you. The menu consists of solid bar fare like burgers, wings, and appetizers like jalapeno poppers and cheese sticks. We had to try the burger (of course), their signature Dog Bones (egg rolls filled with an assortment of unique fillings), and one other thing. Since we were enjoying beers that night, we also added the pretzel bites. What goes better with beer than pretzels? The burger (which came with chips) was lovely. We tried the Barbecue Pulled Pork Dog Bones, and were impressed with the flavor, though there was a lack of traditional barbecue sauce. The pretzel bites…well, we were really unsure about them, so we had to get a second order. For evaluating purposes, of course.

Did we mention beer? They had an excellent selection of beer, from the ones you would expect every bar to have to local favorites like Yellow Springs and Warped Wing. Their selection of craft beers is a fine one, and the ones we had went down well. You have your choice of taps which are always rotating, bottles, and cans of other favorites. If you want to keep up with the beers they have, you can find them on BeerMenus and keep tabs on their changes. The bartender knew his way around the taps and bottles, which is a good thing. The impressive chalk board and printed menus on the table had not been updated in a while. There is a cocktail menu as well, filled with comfortable favorites like the classic Dirty Martini and Cosmopolitan. The staff has added their own unique cocktails like the Dog Gone Good Martini and the DBT Bulldog for good measure.

We are planning on making a return trip in the future, and not just because of convenience. The atmosphere was friendly and the food was delightful. Did we mention the pretzel bites? There will be other beers to explore the next time we step in, and a few cocktails to try out as well. I am not sure anyone in our group is going to step up for karaoke, but when the pool tournament starts up, count us in!

Dive Bar Tuesday: Miami Valley Sports Bar

January 12, 2016 By Brian Petro

The bar is just as I remember it. The rest…

We love to talk about the crafted, well built side of the culinary world: fine dining, well balanced cocktails, and hand crafted beers. What we don’t discuss very often is the other side of the coin. The places where the food is comfortable, the shots are full, and the beer is cheap. Dive bars do not get the love that fine dining gets, and there is no good reason for it. There is a certain charm to loud and dimly lit places. You have some control of the music. They are a little more willing to serve one more (heavily poured) drink after last call. They have character, and there is nothing better for a drinking establishment to have than character.

The first of many Dive Bar Tuesdays happened at Miami Valley Sports Bar, a watering hole I remember from my days working at Jokers Comedy Cafe. It was a place we would periodically go to on a Sunday after work to unwind. There was virtual golf, pool tables as far as the eye could see, and some snacks to nibble on as we discussed the shift. It was smoky, and they had dart boards for metal tipped dart, not just electronic ones. If you ordered a shot of something, it was a double. I found that out the hard way the first time, but subsequent visits were not as painful the next morning. Good times were had by all into the wee hours of the morning.

Fast forward quite a few years to our visit. When we walked in the wooden trellis and candy machines were still there, as were the pool tables and game machines. It looked exactly as I remembered it from the last time I went. Even as I approached the bar with their variety of flavored whiskies and Skittles infused vodkas, all was familiar. Then I turned the corner and saw there were some huge changes. The space where the steel tipped dart boards and virtual golf had occupied was glowing purple with dozens of taps and bottles of liquor. There was a separate patio room with a few more pool tables and a kitchen. A kitchen I say! There was some serious remodeling of the building, and from chatting with some of the staff the changes had not stopped.

Miami Valley Sports Bar Tillie's Tavern Craft Beer

Thirty one taps is nothing to sneeze at.

The taps are part of Tillie’s Tap Room, a little slice of craft beer heaven. They currently have thirty two taps, thirty one pouring craft brews and one with Abita Root Beer for the designated drivers and children who visit the bar. The prices are reasonable, and the list is organized by color and tap location, with Ohio-brewed beers indicated with a state shaped magnet. The glassware is not fancy, but it really does not need to be. The taps had some delightful liquid coming out of them, like Warped Wing’s Whiskey Rebellion, The Brew Kettle’s White Rajah, Lucky Star’s Wicked Step Mutha, and other Ohio favorites. Have no fear, it is not all craft. I saw a few people while I was there with the old standbys of Budweiser and Michelob Ultra.

Cocktails. They have cocktails! A wide variety of Mules, including the classic Moscow Mule, are available. Some of them came in collectable cups, some came in the proper copper mugs (which are NOT collectible), but all of them stuck to the original formula while adding some flavorful twists. My friends and I sampled the Hawaiian Mule and the Canadian Mule. The ginger beer had the right snap to it, but did not overshadow the rest of the flavors that were in the drink. We did not get to the rest of the cocktails that covered a few pages in the menu, but it looked like there was something there for everyone.

And did you know that Miami Valley Sports Bar had food? Not the nachos with questionable cheese sauce and popcorn that you might expect, but pizzas, wings and sandwiches as well? We tried the wings and the pizza and were pleased with both of the offerings. I am going to guess that the kitchen will keep expanding its menu, as it is only a few months old.

A cozy place to sit down with a good drink and better friends.

The food and drink offerings, as well as the large screen televisions on the walls and a few of the columns, make this a great place to watch the game of your choosing. For those in your party that are not sports fans, there are enough pool tables and dart boards to keep everyone entertained. They also have shuffleboard, air hockey, and skee ball. The air hockey alone is enough to tack on an extra star to the review, if giving stars was something I did with the reviews.

If you have not been to Miami Valley Sports Bar in any length of time, now would be a good time to revisit it. For those of you that are south of town, this is a great little bar that has something for everyone. It is just off of 75 if you live near downtown and want to make the ten minute drive and check it out for yourself. Head over on Tuesdays to take advantage of deals in Tillie’s Tap Room or have a few cocktails with friends. Just be careful with the shots. One thing they have not changed is the pours for the shots; they are still doubles.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 shot glasses.

Miami Valley Sports Bar is located at 930 Watertower Ln, West Carrollton, OH 45449. They are open daily from 4 PM to 2:30 AM. You can keep up with their specials on their Facebook page.

Cocktails with Champagne: A New Way to Ring in a New Year

December 30, 2015 By Brian Petro

New Year’s Eve means champagne, champagne, and more champagne!

No one appreciates champagne like they used to. The bubbly wine was created, accidentally, in England in the 16^th century. The process was developed over the next two centuries, first to get the bubbles on a regular basis, then to create a bottle with the strength to contain the pressure of the carbon dioxide in the wine. Once the bottles stopped exploding, this treat became a favorite in the French courts. The French leaned to the sweeter sec and demi-sec varieties, while the English preferred the drier bruts. The wealthy were the only people that could afford it initially, turning it into a status symbol for extravagance and a rare treat for the working class. Champagne and all of its sparkling white wine compatriots have become much more common since the beginning of the 20^th century, but the effervescence of the liquid and the pop of the cork kept the drink in celebratory circles.

New Year’s Eve is here, and champagne corks will be exploding for the evening. Most people will just enjoy the bubbles and the flavor out of either a toasting flute or a coupé. Experts and extreme lovers of champagne will drink it out of a white wine glass, which combines many qualities of the flute and coupé. This is a fine way to enjoy any sparkling wine, but it is not the only way. There are many cocktails over the years that have been developed with champagne as a co-star to other flavors being created. The cocktail, and your tastes, should dictate the type of champagne you choose to add. The list of champagne cocktails is a long, long one, so I have selected a handful that include spirits people usually have on hand or are easy to find.

BOURBON – Seelbach Cocktail

The Seelbach is named after the Louisville, Kentucky hotel it was created in. Most cocktails ask for a dash or two of bitters. This one calls for multiple dashes of two different bitters. They help balance out the sweetness of the champagne and the Cointreau (orange liqueur).

1 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. Orange liqueur (Cointreau is what the recipe suggests)
7 dashes Angostura bitters
7 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Champagne

Pour the orange liqueur, bourbon, and bitters into a mixing glass over ice. Stir, and then strain into a champagne flute. Fill with champagne and enjoy.

Our very own Belle of Dayton, providing something to mix with champagne!

RUM – Sparkling Rum Punch (courtesy of My Recipes)

There are two great reasons to go with a punch when it comes to rum. First, from a traditional standpoint, rum is very common in classic punch drinks. Rum and brandy were very popular libations in the heyday of the punch in the late 18^th century through the middle of the 19^th century. Second, having a punch cocktail at a party allows guests to help themselves to something delicious as they arrive.

2 c. fresh, low pulp orange juice
.5 c. orange liqueur
.5 c. dark rum (Belle of Dayton has a 1775 Colonial Reserve that looks perfect)
2 750 mL bottles of chilled champagne

Blend the orange juice, orange liqueur, and rum into a medium bowl. Place in the refrigerator to chill and allow the flavors to marry for an hour. Before guests arrive, move the mixture into a larger bowl and add the champagne. Serve chilled.

GIN – French 75

The 75 mm field gun the French used at the end of the 19^th – beginning of the 20^th century was a massive anti-personnel weapon. It delivered a variety of ammunition to the enemies of France, from shrapnel filled explosive shells to canisters of toxic gas. When Harry’s New York Bar in Paris blended gin and champagne into one glass, many said the cocktail had the same kick as this powerful weapon. Like the versatile weapon this is named after, it can be made with gin or cognac.

.5 oz. lemon juice (about half a lemon)
.5 oz. simple syrup (1:1 mixture of sugar and water)
1.5 oz. gin
3 oz. champagne

Combine the lemon juice, simple syrup, and gin in a mixing glass over ice. Shake, and strain into a champagne flute. Add the champagne and enjoy!

Tiny bubbles…dancing with my cocktail.

TEQUILA – Lime Sparkler (courtesy of She Knows)

This is something like the marriage of Jesse James and Sandra Bullock: you are not sure how it happened or why it worked, but it did. For a while, at least. Fortunately, liquors stay together for a longer time. The tequila-lime-sweet combination is a classic, and the champagne adds an extra burst of flavor.

1 oz. blanco (silver) tequila
.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
.5 oz. agave nectar (you can use simple syrup, but the nectar adds some richness)
Champagne

Combine the lime juice, agave nectar, and tequila in a mixing glass with ice. Shake, and strain into a champagne flute. Fill with champagne, and serve.

BEER – Black Velvet

When Prince Albert of England passed away in 1861, the country went into mourning. His wife, Queen Victoria, was inconsolable, and mourned the loss the rest of her life. At the time of his death, everything was draped in black. Clever bartenders at the time poured some Guinness into the champagne served at royal events, giving it the same black covering the rest of the décor had. It did not, however, make the people who drank it sad.

Stout (Guinness is the traditional selection, but any will do)
Champagne

Fill the champagne flute half way with champagne. GENTLY float the stout on top of the champagne. If you pour too quickly, the champagne will foam up and over the edge of the glass.

VODKA – Sparkling Cosmopolitan (courtesy of Inspired Taste)

Happy New Year! And happy cocktailing!

There is a wide variety of cocktails that incorporate vodka and champagne. Vodka is neutral enough to just add some kick to the cocktail and allow any other flavor, usually fruity, to shine through. This is another champagne concoction that modifies a base cocktail by adding some sparkle.

1.5 oz. vodka (Buckeye Vodka fans, this one’s for you!)
.5 oz. orange liqueur
.5 oz. cranberry juice
.5 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
Champagne

Pour the vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice in a mixing glass. Shake well, and strain into a champagne flute. Fill with champagne, and serve.

Whether you are christening a boat or celebrating a major event, champagne’s traditional hold on the celebration market is far from over. There will always be a thrill when the cork pops out and the bubbles start to fly. Keep the cork flying to a minimum, though. Shooting someone’s eye out is not the best way to start the new year. For them or for you. Cheers!

Welcome Back Disco Era Cocktails!

September 18, 2015 By Brian Petro

You like Pina Coladas, right?

The 1970’s and 80’s were not good for cocktails. The primary drinkers of the time were trying to distance themselves from the cocktails of their parents, meaning that vermouth and bourbon were out and sweet liqueurs and vodka were in. The balance that classic cocktails enjoyed started to tilt to the sweet side and chemical side. Fresh herbs and squeezed juices were replaced by schnapps of all flavors and hues and juice from concentrate.

Bartending in that era took a nose dive as well. Instead of a career in hospitality, it was seen as a quick fix between “real” jobs. This is still true today, but the perception is changing as hospitality workers see a career path in the industry. The bartenders were not looking to create new cocktails, they were looking to pump out drinks as fast as they could, maybe juggle some bottles while they did it. The craft of making cocktails disappeared into a sea of blue curacao and bottled sour mix.

Fortunately, modern mixologists took the time to brush off some of these discarded cocktails and give them new life. The art of making your own sour elements and syrups have come back into fashion, and there is a class that can teach you how to make these cocktails taste much better than their disco-era counerparts. This class will teach updated recipes for:

The Stinger is back!

The Stinger – Brandy has a lovely flavor all of its own. Burying it with something artificial and syrupy like Crème de Menthe does not showcase its nuances. We will remake this cocktail with simple syrup and freshly muddled mint.
Pina Colada – It is very easy to head out and buy some premade Pina Colada mix. It is almost as easy, and better tasting, to use the original Coco Lopez and fresh pineapple juice to make one yourself!
Tequila Sunrise – Not a difficult one to make, but there are elements you can make on your own to enhance the flavor! No cheap tequila here and juice from concentrate here. We’ll use fresh squeezed orange juice and homemade grenadine to enhance this 80’s staple.
Appletini 2.0 – Will it be neon green? No. But neon colors have not been popular for a long time. You can still make a delightful apple cocktail with all-American Applejack, fresh pressed apple juice, and a little sour mix.

“Re Imagining the Cocktails of the 70’s and 80’s”, taking place at Scratch Event Catering on September 29^th, will help you make all four of these cocktails, plus give you the recipes to take home for your next cocktail party! There will be some time appropriate snacks to munch on while we make drinks to sample and learn how simple it is to make some popular ingredients. Space is limited, so get your tickets soon!

Evolution of an Icon – National Martini Day

June 19, 2015 By Brian Petro

The cocktail. The myth. The legend.

The martini is an iconic drink. So iconic, in fact, that the glass it is served in with an olive is an almost universal symbol of a cocktail. June 19^th every year is National Martini Day, one day we get to celebrate this legend and all of the varieties it has spawned. Starting with Mae West and James Thurber, to James Bond to Sex in the City, martinis in all their various forms have been embraced by pop culture as elegance in a glass. Maybe it is the simplicity of the ingredients. Maybe it is the balance of sweet and strong ingredients. Maybe it is the flexibility of the cocktail over the ages. Whatever the reason, more has been written and said about the martini than almost any other cocktail in history. And it all started in a little town in California.

The Golden (Rush) Age

The grandparents of the martini are just as distinguished as the cocktail itself. The Manhattan, well known to whiskey enthusiasts, is thought to be one of the original influencers on the cocktail. The use of vermouths and other aperitifs in cocktails was well established by the mid-nineteenth century. The other big influencer on the creation of the martini is the Martinez, a cocktail created in California during the Gold Rush. There are many stories told about how the Martinez was created, but the most common one involves a miner stopping at a bar in Martinez, CA and requesting that the bartender make him something special. Sometimes that bartender is the iconic Jerry Thomas, sometimes it is not. The bartender then created the cocktail as listed below:

The Martinez utilized sweet vermouth and gin, but it soon evolved.

The Martinez

1.5 oz. gin
1.5 oz. sweet vermouth
¼ oz. Maraschino liqueur (some recipes call for orange curacao)
2-3 dashes of orange bitters
Garnish: Lemon Peel

Pour all of the ingredients over ice into a glass. Stir for 20 seconds until the cocktail is chilled; strain the ingredients into a martini glass. Twist the lemon peel over the cocktail then add to the drink.

Even the glass the martini is served is in designed for the enjoyment of the libation. The glass is stemmed so you can hold it away from the drink, keeping it is chilled as long as possible. In all martinis, the water you get from stirring or shaking is important to the enjoyment of the cocktail. It softens the gin and smooths out any rough edges. The reputation of this cocktail spread from California to the rest of the country, and the rest of the country had something to say about how the cocktail was made.

The Martini Dries Out

This is as close as the vermouth should come to your cocktail.

The first place the martini recipe was actually written down was in 1882 by Harry Johnson in his Bartender’s Manual. It is much different than the one we would recognize today, adding gum syrup for some sweetness and thickness and with liquor proportions like the Martinez. As the 19^th century turned into the 20^th, dry vermouth, or French, vermouth was becoming more and more popular in bars on the east coast. It even found its way into the martini, immediately changing the complexion of the cocktail. Originally a martini with dry vermouth was known as a Dry Martini, but the dry was dropped as dry vermouth became the go to aperitif for the cocktail. As the nation got closer and closer to Prohibition, the martini became drier and simpler, losing sweeteners and having the ratio of gin to vermouth drop. It eventually settled to a 3 to 5 parts gin to one part vermouth ratio. In The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, author David Embury even went as far as to insist the perfect ration is seven part gin to one part vermouth. A dry martini indeed.

The Dry Martini

2 ½ oz. gin
½ oz. dry vermouth
2-3 dashes orange bitters

Pour all of the ingredients over ice into a glass. Stir for 20 seconds until the cocktail is chilled; strain the ingredients into a martini glass. You may choose to add an olive or a twisted lemon peel for a garnish.

It was only called a Dry Martini at the time to distinguish it from its sweet vermouth based cousin. Time and other circumstances kept pulling the vermouth out of the cocktail.

Cocktails during Prohibition were not complicated at all. “Pour some liquor in a glass and drink” is a pretty accurate description of most drinks in the United States during this period. All of the great bartenders fled overseas and were creating new libations in Europe and the Caribbean. The ones still in the states were trying not to get caught serving cocktails, so ingredients like vermouth became novelties. Martinis became a little more than some chilled gin in a glass, and that is the way many people liked it. Even after Prohibition ended, the dryness of the martini stayed. Many luminaries of the time insisted the only way to drink a martini was to leave out the vermouth all together and just drink chilled gin in a martini glass. Maybe have a bottle of vermouth in the room or toast in the direction of France as you enjoyed your drink. This was also a time bartenders would use atomizers with vermouth or just wash the glass with vermouth to add a hint of the flavor, but not much of one. It was during this era that the dryness of the martini referred to a lack of vermouth as opposed to using different vermouth. This changed with the introduction of a new spirit to the American palate: vodka.

Leaving us Breathless

A vintage 1953 Smirnoff ad. It even advocates the Vodka Martini.

Vodka is a relative newcomer to the U.S. cocktail menu. It arrived on the shores in the 1950’s, and became hugely popular with the “Leaves You Breathless” campaign used by Smirnoff. One of the advantages vodka had over gin was the fact that after a three martini lunch, you did not carry a piney smell around for the rest of the afternoon. Since the art of bartending was just still filtering back into the United States, most bartenders substituted gin with vodka in cocktails as experiments. One of those was the martini, which for some reason was then christened the Kangaroo.

The Kangaroo

2 oz. vodka
1 oz. dry vermouth
Garnish: Lemon Peel

Many bars today don’t even add the vermouth to a vodka martini. There is no other flavor to balance out the cocktail, so instead of overwhelming the vodka, they just leave it out. Vodka opened a door for other experimentation. Since it is odorless and flavorless, it is a blank canvas on which to work. This gave the men and women behind the bar more room to play with flavor and other ingredients, straining them into a martini glass, and called the concoction some form of martini. This led to a little darker era for the martini purists.

Appletinis, Chocolate Martinis, and Questionable Martini Creations

It could be argued that the Cosmopolitan, developed in the 1970’s but not reaching peak popularity until the 90’s, was the precursor to the flood of flavored martinis. It could also be argued the Cosmopolitan was the precursor to the flavored vodka boom, but that is a different article. Other cocktail historians point to the French Martini at Pravda in the late 1990’s as the flash point for flavored martinis.

So…this era happened…

French Martini

1 oz. vodka
1 oz. Chambord (any fine raspberry liqueur will do)
2 oz. pineapple juice

Pour the ingredients into a mixing tin over ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds; strain into a martini glass.

This is a delicious cocktail, but is it a martini? Purists (myself included) would say no, that this is a delicious cocktail in a martini glass. A martini is gin (or vodka) and vermouth in a martini glass. The blank canvas expanded to include Lemon Drop Martinis, Appletinis, Cherry Cheesecake Martinis, Espresso Martinis, and all other manner of concoctions and variations. Menus became full of these cocktails, and for a while it was all the rage. Something in the bar community shifted in the early 2000’s, and classic cocktails fought their way back to the menu. This meant that the original martini, full of gin and vermouth and old world flavor, returned to menus as an option to the other martinis that were offered. You would be hard pressed to find a White Chocolate Martini in a craft cocktail bar these days. Though if you asked nicely, I am sure they would be able to make you one.

No matter how you enjoy your martini, June 19^th, National Martini Day, is a perfect day to, as Mae West put it, “slip into a dry martini”. Plenty of vermouth or no vermouth, flavored or not, you have many options to explore in one day. Just pace yourself. There is still a whole weekend of martini drinking to get through, and you may want to have one with dad on Father’s Day. Cheers!

Five For Drinking – Gin Edition for World Gin Day!

June 12, 2015 By Brian Petro

The common juniper berry, the berry that gives gin its flavor.

Gin has been around for a very, very long time. There are stories that date it back to the times of the Black Plague, where people would sip on juniper-flavored spirits to stop the spread of the foul disease. It was the Italians that initially started adding herbs, including juniper, to base spirits. The Dutch perfected the flavor, balancing the juniper with other herbs to create liquor known as genever, which is where gin earned its name. It was not until the British put their hands on it that is became the spirit we all know and love today. June 13^th is the seventh World Gin Day, recognizing of the global popularity of this herbal liquor.

Gin, like tequila, is a flavor that people either love or hate. Bartenders and Britons through the ages have loved it, because of the powerful flavors it adds to any cocktail. When William III (or William the Orange if you like) ascended to the British throne in 1688, he brought gin with him for the British people. The British then brought it to the rest of the world through their empire. When they started to explore more tropical climates, they discovered more than just new people and lands. They found malaria. They also discovered that an element in cinchona bark, quinine, helped stave off the disease. Cinchona bark is incredibly bitter on its own, so the Brits tipped a little gin into the tonic they were given, added the lime they always had on had (scurvy, you know), and created the cocktail they are best known for, the gin and tonic.

Care for a spot of gin?

Bartenders also fell in love with gin due to the fact it was readily available and offered a unique flavor. Many modern cocktails began with a gin base, and eventually evolved as palates changed and other liquors became popular. The martini glass, and the cocktail it holds, is the default icon for cocktails and drinking establishments. Vodka martinis are more popular in this day and age, but the three martini lunch was a gin based affair. Because of this affinity bartenders have with gin, and the fact we may be in another Golden Age of bartending, the spirit has evolved. Craft distillers have played with the flavors, reviving older styles of gin like Old Tom and adding other elements to it like barrel aging. If you are someone who has not tried gin in a long time, here are five classic recipes for you to explore:

Tom Collins

2 oz. Old Tom gin
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup
Club soda
Garnish: Lemon wedge

Pour the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously, and strain over ice into a tall glass. Top off with club soda and add the lemon wedge.

The Tom Collins is one of many cocktails mention by Jerry Thomas in his 1877 book “How to Mix Drinks: The Bon Vivant’s Companion”. It was one of many other Collins drinks that he mentioned, all of them containing a base spirit, lemon juice and simple syrup. It is whispered that this cocktail is based off a punch created by a gentleman named John Collins, a server at Lattimer’s Old House in London. Like many other cocktail origin stories, that may or may not be true.

Of course he made his own cocktail. What can’t he do?

Vesper

3 oz. Gordons Dry gin
1 oz. vodka (Belle of Dayton or Buckeye would be lovely)
½ oz. Lillet
Garnish: Lemon Peel

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Twist the lemon peel over the cocktail, then drop into the drink.

Ian Fleming created this cocktail for his hero, James Bond, to sip on in Casino Royale. It is named after the female agent Bond was sharing it with at the time. Gordon’s is what is mentioned in the text of the book, but any London gin will work. Over the years the cocktail evolved into a martini, and now into Heineken. How the mighty have fallen…

Negroni

1 oz. gin
1 oz. orange liqueur
1 oz. Campari
Garnish: Orange Peel

Pour the ingredients into a short glass over ice and stir. Twist the orange peel over the cocktail then drop into the drink.

The Negroni has been growing in popularity over the years, as evidenced by Negroni Week, a celebration of the cocktail and all of its varieties. After a long day doing whatever Italian counts do, Count Camillo Negroni went to his favorite bar, Caffé Casoni, and asked the bartender substitute gin for the club soda in an Americano. It became an instant hit, and spread quickly through Europe.

Classic Martini

2 oz. gin
½ oz. dry vermouth
Orange Bitters (optional)
Garnish: Lemon Peel

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir for 10 seconds or 30 turns of the spoon. Strain the cocktail into a chilled martini glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink, then drop peel in.

There are hundreds of ways to make even the classic gin martini. You can garnish it with olives or twists, change the proportions by adding more gin or removing some of the vermouth, or leave the vermouth out altogether. Winston Churchill once said that the only way to make a martini was to chill the gin, pour it into a cold cocktail glass, and bow in the direction of France. Some will make the martini “wet”, which is equal parts gin and vermouth. Yours should fall somewhere in between.

This is Dayton. Of course aviation was going to be mentioned.

Aviation

2 oz. gin
½ oz. Maraschino liqueur
¼ oz. Crème de Violette
¾ oz. Lemon Juice
Garnish: Maraschino cherry

Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry and enjoy.

This is a lovely cocktail. Nicely balanced with the sweet and savory elements in it, and the light purple-bluish hue makes it stand out in a bar. It was created just before Prohibition hit, then promptly lost as the country went dry and Crème de Violette disappeared. This purple, sweetly floral liqueur has reemerged because of the craft cocktail boom. The name came from its bluish color, celebrating the fact that flying was becoming quite the rage.

The liquors that may be unfamiliar to you can be found at Arrow Wine. They may only have a bottle or two of some like Crème de Violette, but they will have them. They have a wonderful selection of gin as well. Ransom is a fabulous Old Tom Gin, and there are many other great newcomers on the scene like Hendrick’s, Death’s Door, Aviation, Plymouth, and Watershed Gin. And as a secret sixth cocktail, if you want to substitute champagne for the soda water in the Tom Collins, you will have a French 75 (named after the World War I gun that provided quite a kick). Or you can just grab a bottle of tonic water, a few limes, and enjoy a simple gin and tonic on World Gin Day. Cheers!

The Second Century

November 26, 2014 By Brian Petro

Shhhhh…they’re sleeping.

Bourbon is complex. It starts off as any ethanol does, trapped in corn kernels and barley shells. Those grains, the proportions of which are known as a mash bill, are warmed up to release the sugar. While the meal is still warm, the yeast and a little sour mash feast on it in stills made of a variety of materials. The completed wash is then poured into unused, charred white oak barrels, where they take a nap of two years or more. After that long nap, they are usually blended from their 65 percent (130+) proof) or higher barrel strength down to a more drinkable 40 to 50 percent (80 to 100 proof). The aging process at that point it stopped, and it is ready to be enjoyed. According to Travel and Leisure, in Dayton you can enjoy it at one of the best bourbon bars in the country, The Century Bar on Jefferson. Joe Head, the driving force behind that bar, has been patiently guiding it for over a decade to where it stands now. Where it stands now is changing.

The changes started to occur around the end of summer/beginning of fall this year. “It was time to get into the cocktail world,” states Joe. Through the urging of Molly Wellmann, a Cincinnati-based purveyor of bourbons and fine spirits at places like the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar and Japps Since 1879, and his own exploration of craft cocktails, he discovered one he had an affinity for. The venerable whiskey sour rose above the rest. Joe’s reasons are ones that many loves of this cocktail site. “It is light and airy, and the egg white adds some smoothness to it. The ingredients are simple and fresh, so you know where they come from.” This led to the creation of Whiskey Sour Sundays at The Century, as well as a seasonal craft cocktail menu. “The bartenders decide the whiskey sour we are going to feature. It gives anti-sport fans something to look forward to on Sunday,” he states. By the look of some of the images they have posted on their Facebook page, they have some innovative sours. Joe’s favorite sour is the traditional one, but of the ones his staff has created, the Smokehouse Sour stands out most in his head. It features smoked sugar and vanilla, with fresh lemon juice.

The whiskey sour is making a triumphant return to the bar scene.

The fall season is ending, so it is time for a new seasonal menu! That menu will be introduced after Thanksgiving, and will feature “drinks that make sense for that time of the year.” It will have figs and other popular winter flavors on the menu, as well as spirits other than bourbon. According to Joe, “We use a variety of spirits, but on a limited basis. Summer is going to be for gin. We are going to use spirits that enhance the cocktail, not just using them for the sake of making a cocktail.” You are not going to see any recommended brands, either. What you will see, though, are cocktails with eggs in them. Turning through the pages of any classic cocktail book, you will see many recipes with eggs as an ingredient. The Century makes their sours with egg white in it, to enhance the richness and the mouthfeel of the drink. Their customers enjoy them as well. “You have a better chance of choking on a bar nut than getting sick from eggs,” Joe states with a wide smile. They shake it warm as well, to minimize and possible risk of illness.

The shift to the craft cocktails, among other pursuits, reflects a shift Joe sees in the clientele. “People are drinking differently,” he notes. “They used to drink to get drunk. Now they are drinking for an experience. They want to watch their drink being made. They want to be educated on what is going into it.” The foodie culture is making its way into the cocktail realm, and just knowing the ingredients is not enough. They want to know where those ingredients are coming from, how they are made, and what is unique about them. That is another angle that lead to the creation of the cocktail menu and its seasonal rotation.

Bourbon barrels, as mentioned earlier, can only be used once for the creation of bourbon. After that, they are typically sold to a variety of industries to be reused for other purposes. One of those purposes is to rest another liquor in it. Most of the flavor components that give bourbon its caramelly, sweet flavor have been extracted, but all of the bourbon has not. Even after pulling out the excess liquor from the staves, some of the flavor still remains. Joe and Tim Fry of The Century Bar recently collaborated with John Haggerty of Warped Wing Brewing to create Whiskey Rebellion. Using barrels from Angel’s Envy, they married bourbon with a locally brewed Russian Imperial Stout, creating a beer with a delightful bitter chocolate flavor backed with a sweet bourbon finish. It has been available locally at many brewpubs and bars, including Warped Wing, The Century, Chappy’s and soon at Fifth Street Brew Pub for an event with ARC Ohio!. The beer has been immensely popular, not only for the outstanding flavor but the limited availability as well. Joe and his team did not stop there. He is also working with the team at Toxic Brew Company on another bourbon barrel beer, this time utilizing a Belgian quad (much like Toxic’s Abby XXXX) and used barrels from StillWrights in Fairborn. It will be released exclusively at Toxic in early December, so keep an eye out for an early holiday present!

The collaboration with Warped Wing, Whiskey Rebellion, was a hit.

Cocktails…beer…there is plenty going on with Joe Head. He has his eyes set on more things as he prepares for 2015: expansion. “We need to expand, as it makes sense for us to do it. Some people will not go downtown, and there are some limits to our downtown location that prevents us from exploring certain concepts.” The second location of The Century is going to be in the south of the city, near the Dayton Mall. It will have two patios, one for smoking cigars and one for the non-smokers just wanting to enjoy a fine bourbon outside on a warm summer evening. Another expansion in the works is not as far from their current location. In fact, it is right next door to it. “There is going to be a speakeasy attached to The Century, with a false store front and a secret entrance in the back of our bar. We are only going to have it open on Friday and Saturday only with reserved bar stools, so we can know the numbers better. That will allow us to know how much we need to prepare and keep all of our mixers fresh. Because it is a speakeasy, it should also be something that is a little elusive.” And if that is not enough on his platter, he is also considering a tequila and taco bar on a corner near The Century.

The Century Bar’s Joe Head

More locations for any business means hiring more staff. One of the hallmarks of The Century, and what keeps people coming back night after night, is not just membership to the Century Club. It is the atmosphere that the employees have created of educating their customers, not just serving them. It is talking with the customers and finding out what bourbons they enjoy, suggesting similar bourbons, and making non-bourbon drinkers feel right at home at the bourbon center of Dayton. “We have an apprenticeship program for anyone who wants to become a bartender here. I need to know that when I am away from the bar, the brand is still being well represented.” Joe requires that anyone interested in becoming part of the team to work as a bar assistant for six months, learning not only the technical specifications of the cocktails and bourbon, but the culture that The Century has developed. “I want to see that you can educate and entertain the customers while you make the drinks. There will be timing for the drinks, but I want to hear how you speak and interact with people.” The final test is over 150 questions, in front of a panel of judges. The Century’s move to the south does not mean you are going to get less of an experience. The quality is expanding too.

Joe, The Century Owner Diane and Tim

“The Century will always be about whiskey. The cocktails will make us well rounded.” Joe was very matter of fact about what was important to him: no matter where he expands to, from collaborations to new locations, the quality of the product stays the same. The Century had twenty bourbons when he began, and he has grown the small bar to over one hundred bourbons and a top stop in the country for bourbon enthusiasts. The respect he has for the industry, his guests, and his community is evident. It is one of the pieces that makes The Century such a great place to sit down and have a bourbon, beer, or any cocktail with friends. And say hello to Joe while you are there. He would love to make a few more friends over a nice glass of whiskey.

Introducing NEW Food Adventures Crew & Fried Chicken at Lily’s Bistro ($25 Gift Card)

September 25, 2014 By Dayton937 7 Comments

Food Adventures Just Got More Adventurous !

Food Adventures just got a whole lot more adventurous….. and you can benefit by winning a $25 gift certificate to Lily’s Bistro in the Oregon district.

*** FOOD ADVENTURES WITH BIG RAGU and THE CREW ***

Blazing the trails in the foodie forums since 2008, Food Adventures has developed a large following…

Today, we add some big players to the mix. They include Chefs, Foodie Fanatics, royalty and an appetite for Dayton that has never been bigger. Although we have a couple of new faces, FOOD ADVENTURES with BIG RAGU and THE CREW, is still the same FOOD ADVENTURES you have come to love. We will continue to have the MUST EATS, killer food photos that make your mouth water, and multiple visits to a place before we write an article. Will continue to give you “THE SKINNY” on our favorites. Follow our relentless pursuit of the best eats in the Miami Valley!

Together, your humble Food Adventurers will seek out locally owned restaurants, unique places off the beaten path, and even give our slant on some familiar favorites. Whenever we visit a place, we call it a “Food Adventure.” You can expect pictures of each Food Adventure we embark on. You can expect us hugging waiters, visiting mom & pop establishments, posting nostalgic blogs, tongue-in-cheek comments and emotionally eating our way through life. We don’t take ourselves seriously, enjoying the adventure all the way. “We are not food critics, we just love to eat!” Food Adventures won’t limit ourselves, we try it all – NO RULES ! We will leave no plate unturned.

You already know The Big Ragu

We will continue to set the trends, host Food Adventure dinner events, and give our unique spin on Dayton’s best “Mom and Pop” places in the Miami Valley. Food Adventures with Big Ragu and the Crew will continue to attend and support numerous local food and charity events. We eat it all, and the photos are ours. No stock pics here. We aren’t a share and click site. We are Dayton Originals, so all of our stuff is original content. Often imitated, never duplicated, accept no substitutions.

You can find us here:

Facebook Page: Facebook.com/foodadv

Website: DaytonFoodies.com

Twitter: @food_adv

Instagram: Instagram.com/Dayton_Foodies

Our recent “Meeting of the Mouths” happened last Sunday at Lily’s Bistro on Chicken Dinner night. We will get into the Must Eats from that night shortly, but first…,

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to MEET THE NEW CREW !

LEEANNE HOUSE aka “CHEF HOUSE”:

Chef House or “The Sriracha Mamma” is all about the heat. Lover of all things spicy she is constantly in the kitchen coming up with fun new ways to whip up veggies and add a little spice. She is a Dayton native, with lifelong experience in the restaurant industry, working with some of the best chefs in the Miami Valley. She loves to keep it local especially in the summer when beautiful produce is plentiful. She is a true foodie who knows we have a lot to offer in Ohio!

Chef House’s Top 5 Favorite Local Places for a Food Adventure :

(in no particular order)

1) Meadowlark (they do veggies right!)

2) Rue Dumaine (it never disappoints)

3) Fresco (best chef hands down)

4) Oregon Express (favorite pizza since I was a kiddo)

5) My kitchen ! … duh!!!!

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JACLYN SCANLAN aka “HUNGRY JAX”:

Jackie relocated to the Dayton are in 2006. This Italian from Upstate NY found herself in a very different culinary atmosphere than what she was used to back home in Utica, NY. However, different proved to be good a she fell in love with not only this “gem” of a city, but also the food and foodies within it! Cooking is a passion of Jackie’s. She loves to use her husband, John, and two daughters, Coraline and Ashlyn, as her lab rats to test recipes out. Some of her recipes have even been published in National Food Magazines! But as much as she loves to cook, she also loves to take a night off from her kitchen and enjoy eating out and letting someone else do all the work (and the clean up)! Other foodie interests include years of volunteering at the Dorothy Lane Market School of Cooking and being an Alton Brown fan since way back when he wore bowling shirts. Jackie is excited to be part of the Food Adventures team and is looking forward to experiencing some new eats!

Jackie’s Top 5 Favorite Local Places for a Food Adventure:

1) Lock 27

2) The Cakery

3) Sweeney’s Seafood

4) Dorothy Lane Market

5) Zombie Dogz

***************************************************

And our final Food Adventurer…

BLAKE KING aka “THE KING”

After hopping the globe with the Air Force, The King recently touched down in Dayton with his wife and daughters. Flying recon for great local food, the Big Ragu has set the course for his newest wingman, and he is logging some serious mileage. The King is a dessert FREAK! There is no shake too shaky, pie too flakey, nor cake to…cakey for this lunatic. He wants to find the best dessert in Dayton. Please help him. He needs it, a lot.

The King’s Top 5 Favorite Local Places for a Food Adventure:

1) Taco Loco

2) Jet Freeze

3) Bill’s Donut Shop

4) Hasty Tasty Pancake House

5) Submarine House

Now to the food of the day .. not a typical article for us, this is just about one dinner …. The Sunday Chicken Dinner at Lily’s Bistro

Get your hens ready….

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— The dinners go from 5pm – 9pm on Sundays only

— The menu is pretty much fried chicken, with the sides, appetizers, and desserts changing from week to week.

— The prices are $9 for a 2 piece dinner, $16 for a 1/2 chicken dinner, and $28 for a whole chicken

— Sides are $3, good prices, no clucking around

Now we ruffle our feathers and give you our patented.. Must Eats!

Johnny Cakes at Lily’s Bistro. Click to Enlarge the Goodness

MUST EATS:

— JOHNNY CAKES: It might have been chicken night, but the appetizers and sides stole the show ! We couldn’t stop talking about the Johnny cakes. Pancakes, as an appetizer? This was right up our alley. The King wished he could have bottled the scent to keep by his pillow at night. Made with jalepeno, for just enough contrasting kick to the sweet buttery mapleness. These cakes were slathered in butter and syrup and simply amazing. Who would have thunk it? Crispy, sweet and spicy made for a perfect combination, and Chef House’s favorite dish of the night.

— SMOKED SALMON DIP: Another great appetizer of the night, served with bagel “nuggets.” We started out polite, then found ourselves thumb wrestling for the last bits. Addicting, and addiction is an ugly thing.

— HOMEMADE MASHED POTATOES: We are talking the real deal, mashed with decent sized chunks in them. We wondered why conversation stopped, it was as if all the Food Adventurers discovered these at the same time and were very quietly stuffing their faces.

— COOLDADDY COCKTAIL: This spicy cocktail is a must. Who could pass up a drink that features Chef House’s Sriracha sauce? Tequila, handmade pepper syrup, strawberries, cilantro are also among the ingredients.

— BEIGNETS: Pronounced “Ben-yays.” Known in some circles as “pizza frite”, “zeppole” or fried dough, these puffs of dough are a perfect end to a rich dinner. Ever so slightly covered with sifted powdered sugar, Big Ragu had white on his “man bib vest” in no time.

Smoked Salmon Dip with Bagel nuggets - a must eat

Smoked Salmon dip, made in house, with Bagel Bites

Honorable Mention: The mac n cheese and hand breaded, fried okra deserve a nod!

Thank you for reading our special Food Adventure with Big Ragu and the Crew!

We always visit a place multiple times before we write a story, so we are ready for a trip back to Lily’s.. want to join us? COMMENT BELOW on the story for a chance to win!

**** CONTEST **** WIN a $25 Gift Certificate to LILY’S BISTRO WITH BIG RAGU AND THE CREW !! Just comment on the story below for a chance to win. One entry per person, please. A winner will be chosen at random. We will revisit this restaurant for an another Food Adventure and you are welcome to join us !

Follow Food Adventures by giving us a like on Facebook.

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Seeking The Greatest Bloody Mary in Dayton – The Bloody Mary Showdown

September 22, 2014 By Brian Petro

Humble tomato juice. The blank canvas for a cocktail masterpiece.

There is a reason people love brunch on the weekends. It is a nice, long, leisurely meal with friends and family. All of the best food options are there, from Eggs Benedict to thick burgers, Belgian waffles to savory paninis, every food option you can think of is available. To top it all off, it is perfectly acceptable to have a few cocktails with the meal, either as a way to kick off the day or to shake off the night before. Brunch is not a meal as much as it is an event, and one of the long running stars of brunch is the classic Bloody Mary. It is a hearty cocktail to anchor this event. Much like brunch it is delicious, flexible, and has benefits that go beyond the obvious.

The concept of a hearty, late morning meal started in Britain with hunters and traveled to the United States in the early 20^th century. While Hollywood and New York had a role in popularizing a late morning meal, it was really Chicago where the idea of brunch in the U.S. caught on. Transcontinental flights were not popular yet, making trains the most convenient way to get from coast to coast. Chicago was where you stopped in between on the long journey to refresh and relax for a little while. Movie stars and business men stopped and enjoyed this mid-morning meal. The iconic Pump Room was one of the big players in the early days of the brunch movement, hosting many of the stars of the day. As the new meal built steam over the decades, it became a substitute for Sunday dinner as women entered the workplace. They had to get ready for Monday morning too, and wanted some time on Sunday night to rest. Brunch became a social ritual to replace that dinner.

Finished! A spicy and delicious brunch treat. It looks like it is missing something…

Brunch is a blend of breakfast and lunch, coined by Guy Beringer in Hunter’s Weekly, a short lived hunting magazine. Fruit juice is just good is popular to have with breakfast, and society deems lunch as a fine time to start drinking lighter beverages like wines and beers. If you are going to combine the two meals, why not start combining their drinks! It makes a mimosa or a Bellini a perfect selection for a brunch treat. They add a little bit of fruit juice (or puree) to the traditional wine the British drank with their brunches. Those were well known cocktails in the 1940’s and 50’s, when brunch was becoming better known in society, but not as popular as a new star on the scene: The Bloody Mary. The fruit-juice-and-alcohol combination is there, but the proportions are flipped. That is not just good for a brunch cocktail, it is good for a hungover brunch patron.

Despite any debates, the tomato is a fruit. Tomatoes are an excellent way to fight a hangover as well. When you are hungover, you are dehydrated and hurting for vitamins. You liver is unhappy because it is busy trying to get glucose to the brain, but first it has to get rid of all the toxins you just put in your body. Tomato juice to the rescue! Tomatoes help in the rehydration process, considering they are mainly water. Being hydrated helps the body process what happened after you hit the third bar and thought shots were a good idea. They also add sugar back to the body, helping replenish the glucose stores the liver has been burning through. If you believe a little hair of the dog helps the next day, the low levels of vodka in the drink can will help tame the bite. There is a little something of everything in a Bloody Mary.

There! A proper garnish, demonstrated by O’Davey’s Irish Pub in Wisconsin.

Everyone has the best Bloody Mary. Everyone. At least, that is what they are going to tell you when they ask. The concept behind the cocktail is simple: tomato juice with a kick. The liquor is there to showcase the flavors you are building in some way. The spirit can be able to enhance the flavors you are adding to the juice, or is a blank canvas that gives some punch at the end. In this modern world, the range of what you can do with the tomato juice is boundless. As food culture expands to find new dishes and spices from every corner of the world, they are all ending up as experimental ingredients in a Bloody Mary. A Chicago style hot dog Bloody Mary? Maybe one inspired by the favors of the Mediterranean Ocean? Maybe some other fruits in your Bloody Mary mix? The possibilities are endless. And then there are the garnishes. Everything from a simple celery stick or olives to, well, this. The Bloody Mary is open to interpretation. And that is something to be celebrated.

And celebrate it we will! On October 11, join Dayton Most Metro, Lion and Panda, and some of the best bartenders in the city for a Bloody Mary Showdown at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. From 11am to 2pm, our mixologist contestants will be preparing their most unique versions of this brunch staple for you to sample. Brunch itself will be provided by Chef Matt Hayden and Meals from Scratch. The spirited base will be provided by American Harvest vodka, who is sponsoring Masqerage. Proceeds will go to help ARC Ohio and their fight to educate people on HIV, and provide help to those wrestling with it. It is open to everyone to show off their talents in adding the right blend of spices to make the perfectly balanced Bloody Mary. Sleep in a few hours on Saturday, then enjoy a delicious meal with the people that are close to you. Or come in and find a cure for the common hangover. Either way, we look forward to seeing to there!

Five for Drinking…Chocolate

February 13, 2014 By Brian Petro Leave a Comment

So much delicious, delicious chocolate…

Pink and red hearts, dinner, flowers, cards…all of the trappings of the perfect Valentine’s Day. The only thing that is missing is the chocolate. Last year, people bought 48 million pounds of chocolate, spending somewhere around $1.6 billion dollars on the sweet confection. Local favorites like Esther Price, Winan’s, Pure Madness, and Signature Confections look forward to this holiday, as it is the third largest holiday for buying chocolate of the year.

It is a little hard to believe that chocolate candy has only been around for 400 years.

Chocolate, while having a history that reaches back to the Aztecs, was enjoyed mostly as a bitter beverage by the ancient people of Mexico. It was not until the Spanish got a hold of it that it gained its sweet characteristics by adding milk, sugar, and a little cinnamon. That is what Europe fell in love with. Chocolate candies were made, but not common on incredibly good. The process to turn cocoa into the chocolate we enjoy by the heart shaped box was developed by John and Richard Cadbury (yes, of the crème egg fame) in the late 19^th century.

That box of chocolate you have? Why not add a nice cocktail to it? Here are five options for you to explore:

Alexander

1 oz. gin
1 oz. crème de cocoa
1 oz. light cream

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Shake well, then strain into a rocks glass.

The Alexander (and its cousin the Brandy Alexander) is a popular classic cocktail, first seen in 1915 in Recipes for Mixed Drinks by Hugo Ensslin. Gin was hugely popular at the time, and this delightful mixture uses the sweet chocolate and cream to balance the spices in the gin.

Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker…

Oaxaca Chakas

4 oz. tequila
1.25 oz. agave nectar
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cinnamon stick
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan, heat milk with cocoa powder, cinnamon stick, agave nectar and salt, whisking constantly until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking gently until it’s completely melted. Remove cinnamon stick. Whisk until smooth. Spilt the tequila between two mugs, then fill the mugs with the chocolate mixture. Garnish it with whip cream and enjoy.

Tequila and chocolate have very similar histories; both started out as native drinks in Mexico, and both were altered by the Spaniards using European technology to better reflect European tastes. This is a rich and spicy treat perfect to warm up with on a cold night. Or to make with someone special.

Chocolate Strawberry Martini

1 oz. vanilla vodka
1 oz. strawberry liqueur
1 oz. chocolate liqueur
Cocoa powder, for garnish

Set a cocktail glass into the refrigerator to chill. Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake briefly. Spread the cocoa powder on a small plate. Moisten the rim of the glass, and gently run the rim through the powder. Pour the mixture into the chilled cocktail glass and enjoy.

This is a cocktail with many, many, many variations, from the very simple to the incredibly complex. I would suggest Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and strawberry schnapps for an incredible flavor and mouth feel.

Cocoa during the roasting and grinding process.

From Russia with Love

1/2 ounce Dark Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 ounce raspberry liqueur
Champagne
Coco nibs, for garnish, optional

In a Champagne flute, pour the Godiva and the raspberry liqueur (Chambord is a great choice). Top with chilled Champagne. Sprinkle on a couple of nibs if you like.

What is Valentine’s Day without a little something special? Champagne is perfect for any celebration, and adding a little chocolate and raspberry can only enhance the enjoyment. It is an original from the famous Russian Tea Room in New York.

Liquid Snickers

1 oz. dark creme de cacao
1/2 oz. Irish cream
1/2 oz. Frangelico® hazelnut liqueur
1/2 oz. light cream
Pour creme de cacao, irish cream and frangelico liqueur over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass. Top with light cream, stir and serve.

Sometimes you don’t want fancy chocolate. You want something comforting, nutty, and satisfying.

Author Karl Petzke once commented that “Chocolate symbolizes, as does no other food, luxury, comfort, sensuality, gratification, and love.” Is there a better sentiment to describe this Valentine’s Day staple? Cheers!

cocktails

Martinez

Negroni

Vieux Carré

Scofflaw

Irish Coffee

BOURBON – Seelbach Cocktail

RUM – Sparkling Rum Punch (courtesy of My Recipes)

GIN – French 75

TEQUILA – Lime Sparkler (courtesy of She Knows)

BEER – Black Velvet

VODKA – Sparkling Cosmopolitan (courtesy of Inspired Taste)

The Golden (Rush) Age

The Martinez

The Martini Dries Out

The Dry Martini

Leaving us Breathless

The Kangaroo

Appletinis, Chocolate Martinis, and Questionable Martini Creations

French Martini

Tom Collins

Vesper

Negroni

Classic Martini

Aviation

Mon 7

Tue 8

Wed 9

Thu 10

Fri 11

Sat 12

Sun 13