(Photo courtesy of That's My Jamm)
David Ruiz of Mr. Smith's makes jams and preserves just for cocktails. I wrote about it with a quick note about jam in cocktails historically, and in which bar you can find a mezcal drink with strawberry-raspberry-jabanero jam. Yumz.
Read about That's My Jamm on Tasting Table. The story is here.
Now that we know one way to make crystal clear ice, what are we gonna do with it?
One thing I've wanted to attempt is to make ice balls. These can be carved by hand, but that's a lot of work. The big copper ice ball makers make lovely ice balls, but these cost a ton of money. I've been trying to think of a new solution.
When they send bars the copper ice ball makers, they send an ice cube tray that makes a big enough cube to use in it. Unfortunately that tray produces cubes that are cloudy in the center, for reasons described earlier on this site.
I am a big enough nerd that I have brought my own clear ice to a bar that had the ice ball maker to produce a clear ball. It was lovely.
So I made a first attempt at another way of creating ice balls with conventional equipment: The Stovetop Ice Ball Method.
Don't get too excited: So far it doesn't work.
The theory is that I'll start with a clear block of ice and melt it into a heated metal bowl, creating a half-sphere. Then I'll turn it over and make another half sphere joining that one to form a complete sphere.
I bought a bowl at Ikea that's probably four inches in diameter – too big for a glass but fine for an experiment. I sat the block of ice on it, and set the bowl on the stove burner.
Click the link below (if you see one) to keep reading.
A couple years ago I made Peep straws. Here's the original post.
Here's the Easter Ice project from a couple years ago that I'm reposting. Go here to learn how to make it.
In my story in this Sunday's SF Chronicle, I discuss some ways that cocktail bars are trying to build drinks faster, and how nightclub-type spaces are trying to make better quality cocktails without slowing down.
In theory, we appreciate the extra time and effort bartenders spend on their cocktails – using exact measures of ingredients, thorough shaking or long stirring, and general attention to detail.
But alas, reality.
"People are becoming more accepting of waiting for quality cocktails, but I don't think anybody really wants to wait for anything at all, ever," says Justin Lew.
The story includes mention of how they do it at The Wilson, the Hideout at Dalva, Azul, Rye, and Rickhouse.
Michael Callahan kills it with the end quote. Put it in your brain here.
(Photo: Alex Washburn / The Chronicle)
Depending on where you look online, you'll find that there are either three or four categories of Peruvian pisco.This is confusing if you want to write about it.
The Problem
Some sites say that there are four types: Puro, Aromatico, Mosto Verde, and Acholado.
Others say three: Puro (which includes the four aromatic varietals of the Aromatico category above), Mosto Verde, and Acholado.
As far as I know, the national pisco association of Peru has no official information in English. And the two very official-looking websites above have different answers.
The Evidence
But in the process of trying to figure out how many types of pisco there are I think I also figured out why there is confusion. Or rather, I asked enough people who figured it out for me. Particular thanks go to pisco historian/author Guillermo Toro-Lira who scanned in the old laws so we can compare it to the new ones.
When the pisco norm (technical standard) was released in 1989, there were actually five approved categories of pisco. Toro-Lira scanned in the norm for us, which comes from the book: "Crónicas y Relaciones que se refieren al origen y virtudes del PISCO Bebida tradicional y patrimonio del Peró", Banco Latino, Lima Perú, 1990.
Here are the most relevant pages (click to enlarge) especially the second one. As you can see, the five categories are puro, mosto verde, aromatico, aromatizado, and acholado.
The aromatized category allowed for distilling or infusing other fruit into pisco.
But when the norm was updated in 2006 [PDF of it is here], there aromatizado category is gone (maybe that was eliminated between 1989 and 2006; not sure) and Aromatico and Puro are merged into Puro:
5. CLASIFICACIÓN
5.1 Pisco puro: Es el Pisco obtenido exclusivamente de una sola variedad de uva pisquera.
5.2 Pisco mosto verde: Es el Pisco obtenido de la destilación de mostos frescos de uvas pisqueras con fermentación interrumpida
5.3 Pisco acholado: Es el Pisco obtenido de la mezcla de:
– Uvas Pisqueras, aromáticas y/o no aromáticas.
– Mostos de uvas pisqueras aromáticas y/o no aromáticas.
– Mostos frescos completamente fermentados (vinos frescos) de uvas aromáticas y/o no aromáticas.
– Piscos provenientes de uvas pisqueras aromáticas y/o no aromáticas.
What looks to be fair translation of that is here.
The Answer
So, the current law as of 2006 is that there are three categories of Peruvian pisco. Seeing how the law changed, we can understand all the confusion.
With The Bitter Truth Sloeberry Gin joining Plymouth Sloe Gin in the category of sloe gins that have sloes and gin in them, your Sloe Gin Fizz doesn't need to be full of false advertising.
That's basically what I talk about in my most recent post for Fine Cooking.
This is a project I've been consulting on for several months- time for the big announcement!
[For those of you just discovering this, take note of the date of this post…]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ramada Inn Launches New Dining Concept in 18 US Locations: SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs
Aberdeen, SD, April 1, 2011 –Great restaurant chains are founded on great ideas. Tiki drinks created by Donn Beach provided the inspiration for the Trader Vic's empire. Fern bars that began with Henry Africa's begat T.G.I.Friday's, Houlihan's, and Bennigan's.
Today, in a style inspired by speakeasy bars Death & Company, Bourbon & Branch, and PDT (Please Don't Tell), Ramada Inn is proud to announce SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs, a series of cocktail and dining experience centers opening in 18 US hotel locations this May, with a planned expansion to 35 locations by the end of 2012.
SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs celebrate American Prohibition, a time period when jazz music thrived, flappers danced, and mobsters threw all the best parties. Each SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pub will have unique "secrets" including hidden dining areas like replica bank vaults, one-way mirrors, and special menu items only available with the password. All experience centers will share menu and design elements including:
- Bartenders and servers in mustaches, suspenders and bowties or flapper dresses.
- "Hidden" restrooms behind sliding bookcases.
- Cocktails served in teacups, coffee mugs, and flasks inside hollowed-out books.
- Soda guns that look like Tommy guns and salt and pepper shakers in the shape of shotgun shells.
- Birthday party "police raids" on special request.
- Secret Passwordz (TM) Just-For-Kids Menu.
- Unlimited Frozen Hemmingway Daiquiri specials at happy hour.
- Breakfast specials including Flapper-Jacks (TM) and Grits Gatsby (TM).
- Beverage pairing menu items, including Charles Lindbergh Cheese Sticks (TM) with our I'll Take Manhattan(TM), and Mustache Curly Fries(TM) with Slip Me a Rickey(TM)
- Thin WoMan (TM) low-carb cocktail menu
All SpeakEZ Prohibition Pubs will embody our motto: "Good Times Are Not Prohibited."
-END-
About Ramada Inn: Ramada Inn is part of the Wyndham Worldwide group. Wyndham Worldwide is one of the world's largest hospitality companies across six continents. We offer individual consumers and business customers a broad array of hospitality products and services as well as various accommodation alternatives and price ranges through our premier portfolio of world-renowned brands. For more information, contact press manager Avril Phule.
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