Results tagged “cocktails”

If you were crazy enough to make the Tiki on Acid after we posted about it then chances are you've still got a bottle of green chartreuse in your liquor cabinet. The magical green elixir has such a potent kick that a little goes a long way, and there aren't many cocktails in standard rotation that even try to incorporate its intense herbal flavors.

              

(Last month we arranged to have our "Properly Sauced" tag team of Anthony and Rob tour North Shore Distillery. North Shore's Sonja Kassebaum told us that today is the distillery's fifth year anniversary. We hope you enjoy this recap of Anthony and Rob's tour.)

Before “Shaken not Stirred,” medium-dry vodka martinis and fresh bottles of Stoli, James Bond was a drinker of a different sort. In his initial outing as Britain’s favorite superhero spy, he instructed the bartender to make him a drink, which has become one of our favorites. Later, the drink was identified with the love interest of the story, Vesper Lynd. We love the Vesper for a lot of reasons - the association with the dapper gentleman of the 60s, the combination of Gin and Lillet Blanc - but it has faded from public view in favor of flashier, neon-colored successors.

As we discussed in our review last week, the cocktails are the high point of dining at The Drawing Room. Watching an expert mix the cocktails that he designed is a joy, and Charles Joly is an affable and knowledgeable mixer. He was also kind enough to provide us with the recipe for our favorite drink of the evening, The Nooner.

       

At least among our limited circle of friends, the Drawing Room is a restaurant masked by confusion. Despite their intense PR efforts over the past couple of years, some seemed unsure about what, exactly, the Drawing Room is. “Isn’t that just a nightclub?” “I have no idea where that place is, and I’ve walked past it a thousand times!” “Isn’t that, like, a hidden strip club?” Admittedly, the last one was a bit of a stretch. We had visited Le Colonial, their upstairs neighbor, at least 10 times without noticing the entrance and staircase leading down to the basement restaurant. We’re very glad that streak has finally been broken. The Drawing Room is a gem of a place; small and cozy, beautifully designed, offering interesting, well-priced food and amazing cocktails.

Earlier this summer while on a trip to L.A. we made a pilgrimage to Tiki Ti. A tiny place perhaps (it seats fewer than thirty people) but its importance in the world of cocktails looms large. Opened in 1961 by Ray Buhen, a former bartender at the original Don the Beachcomber's as well as several lesser establishments, Tiki Ti has almost single-handedly kept many a vintage cocktail recipe from vanishing forever. Buhen passed away in 1999 but his son and grandsons proudly carry on the Tiki Ti tradition.

Heirloom tomatoes are finally starting to roll into farmers markets throughout the city. With that comes some pretty outstanding cocktail recipes. First, there's the always busy Adam Seger of Nacional 27. Seger's monthly cocktail class was the subject of a cover story in the New York Times style section yesterday. The Paper of Record also published Seger's Heirloom Tomato Mojitonico recipe for Anthony and Rob to try at home.

Polynesian Pop expert James Teitelbaum is looking ahead at the same time he's looking back. His previous book, Tiki Road Trip 2, has proved invaluable for scouting out tropical vibes no matter where we happen to be. Thanks to Teitelbam's advice, during a recent trip we spent a wonderful evening at Los Angeles' legendary Tiki Ti (an upcoming Properly Sauced post will feature a facsimile of a drink we imbibed there.)

Yesterday was National Rum Day, but just because it's over doesn't mean we'll stop imbibing. Today's weather is in fact perfect for a Dark 'n Stormy® (one of the few cocktails to feature a trademarked recipe, by the way).

   

Culinary gimmickry seems to be everywhere these days. Molecular gastronomy, bacon-infused candy, flavored air - oh my! While this epicurean mayhem can be a bit overwhelming, we’re always ready to try something new. As we have learned from restaurants like Moto and Alinea, sometimes “gimmicks” can be an opportunity to showcase artistry, creativity and some really tasty food. Or, it can go horribly, horribly wrong.

At first, we called this refreshing cocktail a “Pomegranate martini.” This nomenclature has become the standard in restaurants and bars all over the nation, as anything served in a martini glass has become a “something-tini.“ Apple-tinis, berry-tinis, chocolate-tinis; it seemed like the trend would never end, so we intended to quietly add our own to the list in the form of the “Pom-tini,” or something equally witty.

Summertime: living is easy, the fish are jumping, and it's time to sit back with a long cool one and get pleasantly hammered. We have just the thing.

We’ve written about our love of root beer many times, so when we last visited The Gage and saw this drink on their menu, we just had to order it. The Gage does lots of nice things with root beer (including a decadent dessert) but this is our favorite so far. Unfortunately, the drink was seasonal and is no longer on the menu - but they were nice enough to give us the recipe, so we can drink to our heart’s content. And we will. Oh yes.

      

None of our friends knew that The Green at Grant Park existed. We got many incredulous looks when we said that there was a miniature golf course and restaurant hiding just south of Millennium Park. No, we exclaimed, we don’t mean eating at the Park Grill and then hitting people in the fountain with a putter - a real miniature golf course! With cocktails!

In the weeks leading up to our anniversary party Saturday night, Whistler mixologist Paul McGee was in touch with Sonja and Derek Kassebaum of North Shore Distillery to work on the cocktail that many of us downed in large numbers. McGee came through with flying colors with an eponymous, deceptively potent concoction with North Shore No. 6 gin as the base spirit. "I like the botanicals in No. 6, which is one of North Shore's lighter gins," McGee said.

Amid all the recent turnover at Sepia a few months back, seeing mixologist Peter Vestinos leave to become the on-staff cocktail guy at Wirtz Beverage Group (formerly known as Judge & Dolph) probably hit us harder than seeing chef Kendal Duque leave. Vestinos's tenure at Sepia was an unqualified success and his cocktails received raves from diners and critics alike.

We recently received a sample of Mount Gay Extra Old, a fine aged rum from Barbados we'd never tried. On the rocks it's superb: a true sipping rum with hints of burnt sugar and spice, and a subtle floral scent. Actually it reminded us a lot of bourbon. That started us thinking ...

Food & Wine magazine released its "Cocktails 2009" guide this week. Listed in the guide's contents are the top 100 bars in America. Chicago charted five bars on that list, which will only reinforce the belief of some that Our Town's moment in the culinary zeitgeist is over.

The Negroni is one of our favorite pre-meal cocktails. Deeply colored, intensely flavored and stimulating to the appetite, the mixture of Campari and Gin has become a staple after-work drink in our house. We’ve always been an advocate for under-utilized liqueurs, and Campari definitely fits the bill. Moreover, we hope it will stimulate the curiosity of home bartenders, leading them to a whole new class of drink, the Italian “Amaro” or bitter liqueur.

Cinco de Mayo is just around the bend so we'd like to introduce you to an old friend of ours, El Diablo. You may already know his foreign cousin, Suffering Bastard. El Diablo comes off as the quiet younger brother to his more popular sister Margarita, but he's no shrinking violet. He's at his best during the long, hot days and nights of summer. We guarantee that you'll want to invite him to your barbecues and picnics again and again.

Sometimes you just need to face reality and come to terms with the fact that when you're thisclose to 40 like us, you need a little kick in the ass to get you to sunrise. Gone are the days when we had the world by the curlicues, when Mom lived equidistant between Marie's Riptide Lounge and the old Blue Note on Armitage, and we could stagger out of either establishment at sunrise for some biscuits and gravy.

On our first visit to Mercat a La Planxa, we asked to taste this strange-sounding concoction before we committed to an entire $30 pitcher. We were completely taken with the flavor, and have ordered it every time we’ve been back. The folks at Mercat were good enough to give us the recipe, which we’ve adapted for your home use. After looking at the effort required to make it, we’re less shocked by the price tag.

That's what some of us will be by the end of the day, no doubt. Might as well get there pleasantly. And that means avoiding the stupid green beer -- or anything else that looks like the slime mold from Swamp Thing. Instead, try some nice Irish whiskey with a goodly portion of lime juice. To be honest, the Suffering Bastard is really more of a summertime drink. But since it's so gorgeous out there today, what's the harm in having a little wishful thinking?

     

A few weeks back in the Friday Buffet, Laura posted a notice about a special that SushiSamba Rio was running for brunch. We’d been there a couple of years ago, but that was for a sushi and booze-laden lunch. A touch skeptical about their brunching abilities, we braved the blizzard and ventured north this past Sunday.

        

As Chuck kindly pointed out, I competed in Texas de Brazil and Meals on Wheels Chicago's Inaugural Caipirinha contest (and actually won!). My goal was to take what makes a caipirinha awesome and crank up those flavors - hence sugar infused with lime oils from the zest and the addition of the lime juice from those zested limes. Having turned in my drink recipe and instructions a week before the contest, I felt a little..err,..boring when I saw the fantastic ingredients (ginger, cilantro, blood orange juice, strawberries...) in front of the other contestants' stations and realized it was too late to improvise or change directions. After watching me bite my lip worriedly, Chuck reassured me to stick with my game plan and that simplicity was a good thing. So, without further ado, here is the L-Stop Caipirinha recipe:

When it comes to competition, we here at Chicagoist don't mess around. You ask us to participate in an alt-media slam, for example, and we will scorch the earth beneath you like Sherman marched through Georgia.

A party is always a great excuse to get out the punchbowl, and an Oscar party calls for sparking wine. By the end of the evening at least few people will feel like celebrating; and well before the end of the evening the rest of us will feel like drinking. For many years the Weinstein brothers held their Oscar party at the Beverly Hills Trader Vic's. That particular location is not quite the same, alas, but we have a tiki punch recipe straight from the Trader's cookbook that we've made before and loved. We've modified it, boosting its star power. Francis Coppola named his sparkling wine, Sofia Blanc de Blancs, after his daughter. It's light, crisp and refreshing. In other words: perfect for punch. In Chicago it's available at Sam's, Binny's, Cost Plus, and elsewhere. None of the Coppola clan are nominated this year, but surely they'd approve.

Here at Chicagoist Cocktail Labs, we’re somewhat skeptical about new spirits. All too often, they are artificially flavored grape-root beer-blue raspberry malt liquor concoctions masquerading as fine “vodka” with price tags to match. Believe us when we say VeeV is different. This stuff is tasty, addictive and compatible with tons of cocktails or sippable on it’s own.

As if we ever needed another excuse to go to Trader Vic's, they've given us a new one. On February 13 and 14 they're offering a special Valentine's Day package. For $50 each you and your sugar-nums will be treated to an ultraromantic dinner, including a pupu-style appetizer plate meant for sharing, choice of main course entrée (go with the tenderloin, trust us) and dessert. The ladies get a red rose while the men get a souvenir Trader Vic's cocktail glass. Same-sex couples presumably get to choose! The package also includes two glasses of champagne or two Mai Tais. Better make your reservations soon by calling (312) 642-6500.

Who wants an ice-cold cocktail when temps are this bone-chilling? Not us. And certainly not your party guests, should you be throwing a holiday party over the next few weeks. Place a warm mug full of something high-octane in their frost-bitten hands as soon as their coats have come off and they'll be toasty in no time.