...I'm Sweet Enough.

A fundamental building block in mixed drinks, we thought we'd give you a brief insight into sugar: where it came from and how it got here.  I referenced a few sources to compile this, but in all fairness, the majority of this article has been heavily-influenced by Wayne Curtis' fine book on rum: 'And a Bottle of Rum - A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails'.

Sugarcane first appeared in Asia around 4000 B.C. - most likely Papua New Guinea.  As trade routes opened up and empires expanded, as did the reach of sugarcane, with the cultivation and processing moving west via China, India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Iberia and the Atlantic islands of Madeira, the Canary Islands and the Azores.  Christopher Columbus was subsequently responsible for carrying live sugarcane seedlings to the New World on his second trip in 1493 (his Father-in-Law was a Madeira sugar planter) planting these on Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti).  It turns out the Caribbean islands offered the perfect climate and soil conditions for sugarcane and the colonists were quick to establish plantations in Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

To produce sugar, the cane syrup is machine-pressed from the cane and heated until near-crystallisation.  It is subsequently cooled and cured (this is the point at which the by-product molasses appears).

With great quantities of sugar being produced in the New World colonies, prices fell in Europe and many of the plantation owners were ruined.  Meanwhile, New World plantation owners were making a killing, building great houses like the one below...

In England, the demand grew quickly as sugar evolved from a luxury item only the aristocratic classes could afford, to a staple for the common man.

To keep up with the sugar needs of Europe and their emerging colonies, slaves were imported.  On the colonised islands, native tribes had been decimated by European disease (such as small-pox) and poor working conditions.  Thus began the Trans-Atlantic triangular slave trade, carrying sugar and rum from the Caribbean and New England to Europe where these were sold and the profits used to purchase goods to be traded in West Africa for slaves to be transported to the Caribbean to work in the plantations, to produce sugar for...you get the idea.

As the European powers continued their colonisation of the world, sugar, in turn, reached new territories: Brazil, Pacific Islands and Australia, among others.  Significantly, in 1747 a German scientist discovered sucrose in Beet Root and shortly after, beet sugar began production.  This didn't really take off until the British blocked all Caribbean trade with Napoleon's French Empire.  Beet sugar grew as a result and now accounts for 30% of today's sugar production.

An important point to note is that, currently,  sugar prices in the US and Japan are higher than the rest of the world due to import tariffs and as a result their domestically-produced high-fructose corn syrup is favoured over sugar, especially for soft drinks and processed foods.

The trend with us bartenders is to make our own 'cane syrup', usually to 65 degree brix.  'Degree brix' is the sugar content in an aqueous solution, with one degree brix equating to 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution measuring representing the strength of the solution as a percentage of weight.  Hence, if you make your cane syrup (or sugar syrup, or simple solution) in a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water, then the degrees brix is 65.

Back to Basics...

Those of you who know the bartenders of this blog will know we all share two things in common: An unending passion for cocktails, and a somewhat unhealthy love for Rum. To that end, for my first outing on the Corpse & Cocktail, I decided I would pay homage to the glorious spirit by going back to the original drinks it made.

Now we all know Pirates drank Grog right?

Wrong. In reality, it was the conscripted sailors of the royal navy who quaffed Grog. The reason for this was that they would spend longer at sea than your average pirate or privateer. This meant that they wouldn’t have access to fresh fruit, vegetables and sugars which would in turn lead to scurvy. Navy Grog was simply watered down rum, and if you were lucky you might get a lime to go with your Grog, to fend off the scurvy.

People often speak of Grog, but in the days of Pirates, Bumbo (or Bombo / Bumboo) was the better drink. Bumbo was a better version of Grog because, lets face it, pirates plundered all the good stuff from villages and merchant ships. Also, to give pirates a little bit of credit, they were better at living off the land than the conscripted sailors, who rarely got shore leave.

Bumbo is a simple drink, with its key components being rum, water, sugar and nutmeg. Bumbo, however, gets better depending on the resources at hand. It can obviously incorporate limes but for the most part were not included. Fruit juices can also be added. Think tropical fruits in the Caribbean. In essence, if you think about it, pirates may very well have been the first people to drink “girly drinks”. Jack Sparrow does wear guy-liner, so it may not be that far from the truth.

If you stick to the traditional recipe, however, a mug of Bumbo would basically be a spicy rum cocktail. Cinnamon was often added, along with the nutmeg, to make the drink taste better. It seems almost Christmas-punch-like: we have the strong, the weak, the sweet, the spice…add some sour and you’re there. In my research, I couldn’t quite find a proportional recipe from the time, so it was more likely to be to each person’s taste.

Jody’s Bumbo Recipe - this is a basic one, but have fun and experiment with it.

-50ml Amber Rum (use something from the Caribbean please, we strive for authenticity - I used Pyrat)

-25ml Chilled Water – I shook some water in an ice filled shaker to get it chilled enough.

-1 Sugar Cube (brown or cane sugar)

-Sprinkle of Cinnamon

-Sprinkle of grated Nutmeg

-Friends of mine tried a dash of Masters Of Malt Christmas bitters and they found this rounded the flavour off well.

1. Grab a mug or Old Fashioned glass.

2. Combine all ingredients

3. Muddle/crush sugar cube and stir.

4. Consume.

It’s as easy as that.

Bumbo doesn’t take ice so it is served only slightly cooled. But if you want you can add ice, the modern preference being for drinks to contain ice. Additional things that would have been added to Bumbo include coconut water, any tropical fruit juice, or of course… more rum! A bartender…er…I mean pirate can never have too much rum.

Interestingly enough, Bumbo was commonly used during election campaigns in colonial British America. In fact it was used to the extent that treating voters to gifts and other freebies during election campaigns was referred to as "swilling the planters with Bumbo". George Washington himself was particularly noted for using this technique:

A 24 year old George Washington first ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Burgesses, he attributed his defeat to his failure to provide enough alcohol for the voters. When he tried again two years later, Washington secured his appointment to office partly on the rum, punch, hard cider and beer his election agents handed out. A little under half a gallon was issued for every vote he received. His papers state that he used 160 gallons of rum to treat 391 voters to Bumbo during campaigning for the Virginia House of Burgesses in July 1758.

Just goes to show that Politicians really are just like pirates!

Bacardi Legacy Finalist...Metinee Kongsrivilai

The second of our series of posts on the outstanding Bacardi Legacy competition (Matthew Dakers, eventual winner of the 2009 competition, featured back in February 2010) highlights Metinee Kongsrivilai (May) of Edinburgh's Bon Vivant, who placed in the final three with her drink, The Matinee.

The Bacardi Legacy competition has firmly cemented itself as one of the top bartender competitions in the world, with a grand final that must put a slight dent in the (deep) pockets of Bacardi every year.  Having been a guest at two finals myself, I can confirm that no expense is spared in hosting this magnificent occasion.

Every year, three finalists are chosen to spend the next year marketing their drink in any number of ways.  May has chosen to initiate a website featuring bars and bartenders who are supporting The Matinee.

In May's own words, here's the story behind the creation of The Matinee:

"Initially it started out as remark from a friend who thought it would be funny to make a joke out of my name: 'Metinee Kongsrivilai'..."hahaha...why don't call the drink 'Matinee'?". At that moment, the switch was clicked inside my head. To me, the definition of a 'Matinee' is “a performance or entertainment that can also be enjoyed during the day”. Something that I think The Matinee delivers. Jokes aside, there’s an element of seriousness to the background of the drink.

Learning about the hardship and the success that the Bacardi family had experienced across eight generations inspired me to take a look at my own family history and heritage. Generations of my family lived in poverty surviving floods and supporting such a large family with minimal money. Throughout all of this, the Kongsrivilais attempted a sweet and dessert making business. Their business wasn’t amazingly successful, yet, Like the Bacardi family, it was their determination and passion that made has eventually established them as one of Thailand’s greatest dessert business, three generations on.

In the end, I was inspired to incorporate the element of heritage into The Matinee. The Characteristics of Bacardi together with the Martini Rosso and Vanilla represents the dessert component that is so important to my family. The Kaffir was inspired by the Jungle that had surrounded my home for generations and a source of provisions that helped my family survive. We're very lucky to live in a globalised world, and have access to so many wonderful flavours of the world. I thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of this.

The Bacardi legacy competition has been career changing for me and has helped me rekindle my love for this industry a just before the competition, I started to have doubts as to whether there's a place for me within it. For the time being, I'm just going to keep pushing the Matinee as I believe that there's a place for it in this new generation of contemporary classics, but we'll just have to see."

We're currently hoping to tie up a Guest Bartender appearance from May as part of her final Bacardi Legacy presentation, so we'll keep you updated on that one.  In the meantime, best of luck May!

The Matinee

50ml BACARDI SUPERIOR
2-4 Kaffir Lime leaves
12.5ml Martini Rosso
12.5ml Lemon Juice
12.5ml Vanilla gomme
12.5ml Egg white

Shake and double strain, serving straight up with a kaffir lime leaf garnish.

10 Dollar Shake & 17th Letter Presents...Repeal!

The anniversary of the repeal of the Volstead Act is upon us again, albeit we're celebrating a day early so we can land on our usual Sunday night.  The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, and the only amendment ever to be repealed.

If you look back to this time last year, we did a little write-up on the history.  The long and short of it all is that prohibition in the States was much more complicated than a few paragraphs can illustrate.  Take our advice and hunt down Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's documentary, 'Prohibition'.  In three episodes and five-and-a-half hours, the documentary runs the gauntlet from the rise of the temperance movement, the ratification of the 18th Amendment, the age of the speakeasy and subsequent gang warfare, and the eventual repeal.  I can't recommend it enough.  Sure, viewing time is steep but you'll gain a fantastically-detailed insight into the 'Noble Experiment'.

Education-aside, we always find a way to party so this Sunday we're holding our annual party, Repeal!.  Prohibition-era cocktails, live jazz courtesy of our house band The Corpse Revivers (17th Letter) and bartenders dressed appropriately in flat caps and braces.  Doors from 8pm, look forward to seeing all you fellas and broads...

Vinegar in Cocktails

By no means a brand new ingredient to the art of mixing drinks, vinegar is somewhat enjoying a slight resurgence at the moment.  Vinegar is an acetic acid (CH3COOH if you're scientifically-minded), produced through the fermentation of ethanol by way of oxidisation (think of the change in taste to red wine after being left opened for a few weeks).  Historically, vinegar has been used for medicinal purposes with Hippocrates (year 460 - 377BC) prescribing it for persistent coughs.  Common day treatments include sun-burn and jellyfish stings - however apparently the myth that it may circumvent urinalysis testing for cannabis is unfounded!

Acetic acid is known in the food industry as E260, an acidity stabiliser.  An essential ingredient in salad dressings, vinegar first appeared in fruit shrubs, helping to both preserve the fruit and add a sharp, sour edge to the sweetness.  A similar thought is applied in the production of gastriques - a caramelized sugar, de-glazed with vinegar.  Addition of flavourings and spices, opens up a host of imbibe possibilities.  We're making an orange/cardamom gastrique, and a strawberry/balsamic gastrique for our list this evening.

Tonight's Cocktails

Caprese Martini - vodka, kitchen-made salsa di pomodoro, balsamic reduction and basil served in a salt-rimmed coupette and garnished with a pickle.

Clements Shrub - bourbon, fig preserve, lemon, apple cider vinegar, cider, cinnamon and cracked pepper.

House Shrub - Blackberry, raspberry and red wine vinegar shrub.  Drink on it's own or in a Whisky Smash.

R'Apple Cider - light rum, velvet falernum, cider vinegar and cloudy apple juice.

Rum Old-Fashioned - mature rum doused with an orange/cardamom gastrique.

Strawberry & Balsamic Mojito - Classic Mojito twisted with a strawberry/balsamic gastrique.

Bourbon Knocks Scotch Off Top Spot...

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (July,  2011) – George T. Stagg, the iconic uncut, unfiltered bourbon released annually from Buffalo Trace Distillery, has been named the number one spirit in the world, knocking off the perennial favorite Highland Park 18 Scotch Whisky for the first time since 2005. The list, compiled annually by noted sprits reviewer F. Paul Pacult, was released in his June 2011 issue of The Spirit Journal. The George T. Stagg is also the first American Whiskey to ever be named number one in The Spirit Journal’s 13 years of tabulating.

Notes Pacult, “This version (2010) of the GT Stagg is the latest layer in an incredible body of work performed by Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley that deserves to be recognized as genuinely great.”

The George T. Stagg Bourbon Whiskey is part of the Antique Collection that is released each fall from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Long considered the frontrunner of the Collection, the Stagg has collected numerous awards over the years, including the 2011 Ultimate Spirits Competition Chairman’s Trophy Winner; 2011 Double Gold Winner, Best Bourbon, San Francisco World Spirits Competition; the 2010 American Whiskey of the Year from Jim Murray’s 2010 Whiskey Bible; 2009 Bourbon of the Year and Best Bourbon Aged 13-17 Years from Jim Murray’s 2009 Whiskey Bible; and the Best in Class in the 2009 New York Spirits Awards, among others.

“This is such an honor,” notes Harlen Wheatley, master distiller at Buffalo Trace Distillery. “To be the top spirit, not just the top whiskey, but top spirit, in the world, and then to find out it’s the first American Whiskey to hold that distinction is quite a privilege – especially coming from someone as well respected in the industry as Paul.”

Adds Pacult in his review, “This is more of a clarion call that American whiskey distillers run with the best of Scotland and Ireland and, in some cases, like GT Stagg, eclipse them.”

The 2011 version of the George T. Stagg will be released later this fall with the Antique Collection.

Thanks to WhiskeyIntelligence.com for this article.  The Spirit Journal's Top 20 spirits of 2011 are available HERE.

Tales of the Cocktail

'Tales of the Cocktail' has established itself as an internationally-renowned cocktail festival in New Orleans.  Running for it's 8th year, the festival begins today (until the 24th July) with a series of seminars, special events, luncheons/dinners, excursions and competitions.  A host of well-known brands run complimentary events such as the Absolut Bloody Mary Bar, the Leblon cachaca Caipi-Mobile and a 'Tales After Dark' pop-up jazz bar with Benedictine.

The Corpse & Cocktail team are unfortunately missing out this year, but 2012 is a certainty.  Our good friend Matthew Dakers will hopefully be dropping us a report on his two days in the city...but knowing his passion for over-celebrating, I wouldn't count on it.

(International) Guest Bartender: Adam Murphy

Q. Adam, you made the move across the Irish Sea.  Tell us about your new role with All Bar None...

       
A. Well, there‘s lots of different aspects of my job to be honest which is one of the best things about it.  Our main thing at All Bar None would be the event side of things.  These would mainly be events from all of the major drinks companies.  We have a number of portable bars which we install to venues, and our main focus would be cocktails.  As it’s summer time, festivals is what we're mainly busy with at the moment - just had our 1969 converted airstream at Taste of Dublin the other week, and then Body and Soul, a small festival, this past weekend and Sea Sessions coming up this weekend.
But as I said there are other aspects to my job which include cocktail training (again it’s mainly the major drinks companies who get us to do this), most recently Pernod-Ricard (Ireland), with a focus on Havana Club rum. Of course, other parts of the job are events like private parties and the like..

Q. Do you miss the daily grind of being behind the stick or have you found your niche in events?
       
A. Absolutely!  There are a few things I miss.  The thing I really miss is the rapport with customers and building up a relationship with people in the bar through different drinks and chat and being able to make drinks for people that they really enjoy and make them happy.  Or being able to try out new drinks and play around with stuff - because you have all of the equipment at your disposal and the people to try it.  When you make 1500 whiskey sours in two hours, like we did at a Jameson event recently, you can't really get that sort of rapport with customers or be able try things out!

Q. Bartending has grown in recent years as a viable vocation, especially with the growth of roles such as beverage consultants and brand ambassadors.  5 years ago, did you think you would be following a career in this industry today?  Where do you reckon your lucky charm will take you in the next 5 years?

A. Em, I don’t know.  Probably not to be honest.  Working in bars and bartending is something I've always enjoyed and always done.  I was working in a bar from the age of 15 then behind a bar and pulling pints when I was 16. But I don’t think I really saw it as a career until recently - although I had thought about it quite a lot while I was at Uni.  It was at Uni when working as bartender became a real passion and interest for me.  I probably spent more bartending and learning about that than I did actual studying!  It’s really great that the industry has become a more respected and viable career option for people nowadays.  5 years from now?  God knows.  But if my lucky charm could get me anything, I would like it to get me my own bar, like most bartenders want.  I would say that would be the end goal.  So I think that possibly could happen in 5 years.  I would also love to start something, perhaps a brand maybe.  Have a few ideas, so we'll see what happens.

Q.  So, you have the honours of being the first international guest bartender at The Corpse & Cocktail.  What can we expect on your list?

A. Yeah, gotta say I'm pretty happy about that and really looking forward to it.  Well I haven’t had too much time to think about it, but since I'm coming over from Ireland, and we are Celtic cousins, I might do a Celtic Connections cocktail list!  All of the main spirits being Irish or Scottish, or maybe just a loose connection.  We'll see how the list comes together!

Q. Trend and ingredient-wise, what are you digging these days?

A. Trend-wise, I think maybe the return to an old-school style of bartending and recapturing of all the classics which has been going on for a while now.  Stuff like David Woodrich’s book ‘Punch’, could really push it back onto the cocktail agenda after being forgotten for so long, and this can only be a good thing, as it is such an under-used area.  Ingredient-wise, maybe the return of decent and more readily available Vermouths - the likes of Fernet Branca, Punt e Mes and Antica Formula for example - is great for bartenders to be able to play about with.

Q. Final words.   Favourite all-time cocktail and why?

A. Jesus, emm. I get asked this a lot by people when they find out what I do and generally struggle to answer.  It depends what mood I'm in or where and when it is!  But if I had to pick it would be an Old Fashioned.  I generally like simple classic drinks with strong flavours - Collins, Manhattans, Daiquiris, Sazeracs...you get the idea!  And if you have a really good Bourbon or Rum and make an old fashioned with it, I find that very hard to beat.  So my favourite cocktail would  be:

Rum Old-Fashioned

60ml Pyrat XO Rum
10ml Sugar Syrup
Dash Gary Regan Orange Bitters #6
Dash Angostura  Aromatic Bitters
And of course the (all important) ice!

The Corpse & Cocktail welcomes All Bar None's Adam Murphy on Sunday 3rd July.  Doors from 8pm.

Jamie McDonald, World Class UK Winner 2011

Congratulations to Jamie McDonald of Stockbridge, Edinburgh's The Raconteur for winning this year's UK World Class competition.  Jamie is now off to Delhi to compete against the winners from the other global World Class finals to see who is named Global World Class Bartender of the Year.  Previous winners include Eric Lorincz (2010) from The Connaught Hotel in London and Ryan Chetiyawardana (2009), formerly of Bramble and 69 Colebrooke Row, currently running the show at one of London's newest bars, The Whistling Shop (working alongside 2011 UK Bacardi Legacy winner Matthew Dakers).

The competition was founded by Diageo and has become one of the most important competitions in the world.  Bartenders must create a cocktail using Diageo's 'Reserve Brands' portfolio (includes Don Julio tequila, Tanqueray No. 10 gin and Ketel One vodka).  Entrants must first qualify for the regional heats before those winners line up in the UK final.  In 2010, Eric Lorincz topped an entry list of 9000 UK bartenders who all submitted entries.  No small feat there...!

Jamie's Ketel One cocktail 'Chaste' comprised of Martini Rosso, Benedictine, tobacco bitters and Caol Ila 12 year old single malt.

Good luck in Delhi Jamie!

Thanks to The Cocktail Lovers for the above video.

Painkillers: Pussers vs. PKNY

Stumbled across this article today and thought I'd briefly highlight the legal issues that go on behind the scenes in the cocktail world.  Essentially the article describes the British Virgin Island's rum brand Pusser's and a well-known cocktail called the Painkiller.  According to Wiki, the Painkiller was invented at the Soggy Dollar Bar on the island of Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands.  The drink blends dark rum, coconut cream, orange juice and pineapple juice, served over crushed ice and garnished with grated nutmeg.

Now the outcry seems to be over the heavy-handed approach of Pusser's to a New York-based bar called Painkiller (now known as PKNY).  In trademarking the name 'Painkiller', Pusser's have got their knickers in a twist over the fact a bar had the gall to name themselves after the cocktail and then use a different brand in the actual cocktail.  Trademarking cocktails is not a recent phenomenon and I can point to the Dark & Stormy (Goslings, Bermuda), Sazerac (New Orleans) and the Bacardi Cocktail as being good examples of trademarked/branded cocktails.  Were Pusser's within reason to enforce their trademark on the bar?  After having a look at the arguments for both sides, I would tend to side with Pusser's for the sole reason that if Painkiller (now PKNY) were to have used Pusser's as the base rum, then none of this would have come about.  I've now possibly risked the wrath of an entire Facebook page...

The Easter Egg Cup (sponsored by Caorunn Gin)

Sunday past saw the inaugural Easter Egg Cup cocktail competition at The Corpse & Cocktail, featuring both a singles round and a team challenge.

In the singles, bartenders were challenged to come up with an innovative cocktail inspired by one of Caorunn's 5 Celtic botanicals (rowan berry, Coul Blush apple, bog myrtle, dandelion and heather).  From all the entrants, 4 'wildcards' were asked to join 4 'invited' bartenders.  The 8 were then asked to make a short video of themselves introducing and creating their drink, followed by a still photograph.  The photos were then uploaded to Facebook to be voted on.  Almost 600 votes later, the final proceeded to take place.

Each bartender made a superb effort with techniques and ingredients such as scented scrolls, Islay new make spirit, whey and infused teas/syrups.

For the team challenge, the 8 bartenders were split into East and West teams, based on the geography of their bars.  A speed round and bad product challenge ensued, resulting in Team West being victorious.

After the team challenge, it was time for the singles awards.  3rd place went to independent consultant Milo Smith for his drink Druids Cure featuring Caorunn, Port, white grapefruit, heather honey, whey and a dandelion/raspberry syrup.  2nd place was awarded to Bobby Patience of highly-rated bar Dusk for Symphony No. 11, his take on the classic martini featuring bog myrtle-infused Noilly Prat served with a dandelion-scented scroll and a rowan berry-sweetened tincture.

Overall winner was 99's Mike McGinty with his drink Haugh's of Cromdale, heavily influenced by the red apple in Caorunn.  The drink was created with Calvados, dessert wine, lemon juice, Pink Lady syrup, muddled red apple and of course Caorunn, all shaken together in a heather-smoked Boston shaker.

Judges were Ervin Trykowski (Caorunn Brand Ambassador), Adrian Gomes (10 Dollar Shake) and Chris Tonner (Executive Chef of La Stella / The Courtyard restaurants).

For photos of the event, please check out The Corpse & Cocktails Facebook page.

Corn and Oil

The Corn and Oil cocktail has rapidly become a favourite tipple of mine over the past few months. This simply made cocktail boasts a complex depth of flavour and when made with the right rum is an absolute delight. The drink calls for a rum with a strong molasses base and the falernum gives the extra punch. It is certainly not a beginners drink but if a Rum Old Fashion or an El Presidente are your choice of cocktails then this will definitely be a drink for you. I must admit the first time that I tried a Corn and Oil I was not that impressed, perhaps the first sip does not do it justice but as the drink goes on you will fall in love with it.

Traditionally the rum used in this cocktail is a dark rum. Havana 7 year old is acceptable but an even darker rum would be desirable. A friend of mine just sourced a rum from New Orleans called “Old New Orleans Rum.” In 1999 the first production of their white rum was released on the market. By the millennium they had added an Amber Rum (winner of 2007 American Distilling Institute Gold Medal for Aged Rum) and Cajun Spiced Rum. It was the spiced rum that my friend had sourced from New Orleans which I instantly thought would work perfectly in a Corn and Oil. Made from Black Strap Molasses its depth in character is unique as a spiced rum. On the nose it has a strong butterscotch and caramel smell. The combination of cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves creates a beautifully spiced flavour. It is certainly not over sweetened which I personally feel too many spice rums suffer from.

The choice of falernum is also vital when making a Corn and Oil. I seriously encourage you to attempt to make your own for the best results. Not only will it taste better and fresher you will have a feeling of satisfaction in your own creation. It also gives you creative freedom on how exactly you want it to taste. If however you want to use pre-bottled falernum John D. Taylor Falernum from Barbados would be ideal but this might be difficult to source in the U.K. You are looking for a well spiced version.

So this is the recipe that I would use for my Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum Corn and Oil. You can serve it straight up in a long steamed cocktail glass or follow the more traditional option of serving it over ice.


Corn and Oil

50ml Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum
15ml Falernum
3-4 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Stirred and served over ice or straight up.

Check out http://www.neworleansrum.com/ for my information on Old New Orleans Rum

Ron de Jeremy

There is a new rum hitting the market and it has captured peoples attention exactly the way the marketing team would have dreamed! Ron de Jeremy, "the ADULT Rum," (surely all rum is for adults) the Rum of legendary Ron Jeremy is about to hit the UK market in the next month or so. Although, I have yet to taste this new rum I have heard that it is actually a well balance, full bodied rum. I have my doubts however when it comes to the marketing. Does a rum need the face of Ron Jeremy in order to sell? Does this not tarnish the good name of the Cuban Master Blender Francisco Fernandez? Traditionally, rums popularity is a result of years of hard work and the perfect balance of the spirit that they create. Ron de Jeremy seems almost like Vodka marketing with the use of a celebrity to ensure its success. We have ordered a couple of bottle for the bar which should arrive at the end of April. Curiousty will get the better of you so come taste Ron's Rum...

Check out these links for more info

http://www.refinedvices.com/ron-de-jeremy
http://www.rondejeremy.com

Whisky Lexicon - www.foodandwine.com.

This has been lifted straight from foodandwine.com and is a great simple guide to understanding American whiskey.

"Americans have been making whiskey for longer than the States have been United. Sometime in the late 18th century, a band of small-batch distillers fled to the Kentucky countryside, where corn was abundant and a new liquor tax—which had just spurred a bloody rebellion—was rarely enforced. They shipped their whiskey in charred oak barrels, which imparted an amber coloring and a pleasant, sweet-smoky flavor. Recognizing a good thing, they made some more and, with a stroke of marketing ingenuity, stamped the barrels with the whiskey's region of origin: "Old Bourbon."

Two hundred years later, Kentucky bourbon is still the king of American whiskey. But, spurred by changes in the laws, a passion for local ingredients and a love of history, craft distillers around the country—from New York and Colorado to Wisconsin and Oregon—are now producing exceptional spirits."

Whiskey Terms

Straight - Made from at least 51 percent of one grain (often barley, but also corn, wheat or rye), U.S. straight whiskeys must be aged in charred new oak barrels for at least 2 years.

Rye - A straight whiskey made from a grain mix of at least 51 percent rye.

Bourbon - A straight whiskey made from at least 51 percent corn.

Tennessee - Straight whiskey distilled in Tennessee and filtered through maple charcoal before aging.

Blended - A whiskey made from different grains and even by different distilleries.

Single Malt - A whiskey made by a single distillery, and distilled from a single malted grain.

White - Sometimes called light whiskey or even moonshine, white whiskey is clear because it is unaged, spending little to no time in the oak barrels that give aged whiskey its caramel color.

Angels Draft - The Bacardi Legacy.

Congratulations to my good friend Matthew Dakers of Mahiki, London who only last week won the Bacardi Legacy UK Final held at the Freemasons Hall, the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England and the principal meeting place for Masonic Lodges in London.  Grand Lodge has been in Great Queen Street since 1775, the present Hall being the third building on the site.  The building is a magnificent example of art deco and was a fitting setting for a historic brand such as Bacardi.

Matthew’s drink, Angels’ Draft, was one of 3 drinks that won in 2010, picked from 7 regional winners, with the winning bartenders subsequently being given 1 year to promote their drink and make it into a new classic.  Matthew’s work revolved heavily around cocktail menu listings in great bars in cities such as Barcelona and London.  Scotland was represented by The Courtyard restaurant in Aberdeen and No. 40 cocktail bar in St Andrews.

Here is Matthew’s inspiration for his drink:

I am fascinated by the idea of the 'angels' share', that element of a spirit which evaporates during maturation and is lost from the barrel to who knows where.  When rum is matured in the heat of the Caribbean, as BACARDI Superior rum is, the rate of evaporation is around three to four times higher than in a cold climate like Scotland, so the Bacardi angels must be that much happier.

Ernest Hemingway used to enjoy drinking rum to inspire his writing. I love the idea that he might have appreciated my cocktail as a refreshing draft (inspired by his favourite rum cocktails, Daiquiri No.3 and the Mojito) as much as the rum angels swooping and whirling above his head.  Perhaps it would have moved him to wonderful flights of fanciful prose, hence Angels’ Draft.

Angels’ Draft

40ml BACARDI Superior rum

10ml Yellow Chartreuse

20ml lime juice

10ml honey

10ml egg white

1 dash grapefruit bitters

2-3 mint leaves

Method: Shake all ingredients with cubed ice and fine-strain into a chilled coupette glass, garnish with a grapefruit zest sprayed around the glass and then discard, add a mint leaf to finish.

Editor Note: My opinion on this is that it is a very more-ish drink with a great mouth feel and less sharp than the likes of the Daiquiri.  This is a very accessible cocktail for those who have perhaps avoided the allure of rum in the past.  5/5

Great Chieftain O' The Puddin Race!

As many of you may know tomorrow is an important date for all Scots as we celebrate the life of one of our nations greatest sons. His poetry is synonymous with the Scottish people so to honour him we created a cocktail menu using an array of Scottish ingredients. We sampled the list at Corpse and Cocktail yesterday evening and received a lot of positive feed back. The cocktails featured a Blackwood’s Shetland Gin Martini with a dash of Elderflower, the classic Rusty Nail and a Manhattan with a dot of Irn Bru syrup to sweeten it. Obviously a menu designed to catch your attention as Burns himself often intended in his works. There is one drink that I want to share with you and because of its obscurity it is definitely worth a try. It is our twist on a Whisky Sour made with Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, fresh lemon juice, sugar, a dash of egg white and a Tonic Wine float. Yes that’s right a Buckfast float on our Scottish sour. As Glasgow’s largest import we felt it was a fitting finish to this drink and the cocktail menu. So come along to 99 to celebrate Burns night with us and try one of our cocktails dedicated to The Bard. Hopefully you’ll have as good a night as Tam O’Shanter.

Despondency, an Ode

50ml Chivas Regal 12 Year Old
25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
12.5ml Sugar Syrup
12.5ml Fresh Egg White
12.5ml Buckfast Float

Dry shake and the wet shake. Single strain over ice in a rocks glass and serve with a lemon twist.

Hallelujah! The Mojito's Are On Me...!

Ladies and gentlemen, remember this day.  Bacardi have somersaulted into my good books.  Bacardi was a brand who's stylish ad campaigns (see "True Originals") always impressed me, but the product never did.  Not that it is not a good product, I wasn't sure where it fitted in cocktail-wise as the rum category is amazingly diverse and top-heavy with great brands.

Now, I get it.  The Bacardi Mojito (in a bottle) is the answer to my (and your) prayers.  Next time a chump comes up and asks for 4 mojitos, I'm going whip my bar blade out my pocket and whack off the lids on four of these bad boys.  "There you go.  £24 please."

Now before you start calling me pretentious and a snob, that is not the case at all.  I'll actually enjoy making one of these for the first time in a long-time when someone asks for an Appleton's Mojito, or a Rhum Acricole Mojito.  That shows that someone is drinking something that they didn't just see on a billboard, but can appreciate the fact that the Mojito is indeed a great classic cocktail.  The chump that asks for "4 fajitas" wouldn't know the difference between the contents of this bottle and a finely-balanced labour of love.  I'm going to rep these big-time!  Bacardi, you are back in the circle of trust.

More here: http://barmagazine.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/bacardi-unveils-mojito-and-cuba-libre-in-a-bottle/

Salt and Lime Please!

After a busy festive period I have finally been able to start experimenting and have a bit of a play around in the bar again. I was rather randomly approached by a customer to create a “green” cocktail for his wives birthday. Refusing to settle for crème de menthe or green food dye I began to think about how I could colour the cocktail. I must admit it was a strange request but I’m never one to turn down a challenge. The solution to this obscure problem was a Green Tea Daiquiri which featured on our Rumour menu for the Japanese themed weekend. This inspired me to start trying different spirits with a home made green tea syrup. I used the zest of one and a half limes and four green tea bags and added them to 300ml of stock syrup. I left this to stew on a hot plate heating it thoroughly for a number of hours before passing it through a fine strainer to remove any bits. The colour differed greatly from that of Monin Green Tea Syrup which I have used in the past. However, I am led to believe that they use artificial colourings to produce such vibrancy in their syrup.

I fell across the idea of a Green Tea Tequila Old Fashioned but never found a specific recipe for it. The idea intrigued me. I thought, like tea, that green tea would be over powered by dark spirits but when mixed with aged tequila the result is rather surprising. Firstly, I tried a combination of 50ml Don Julio Anejo, 10ml Cointreau and 20ml Green Tea Syrup. It is a very unusually fresh flavour and the Green Tea works well with Tequila. The drink was unfortunately lacking that killer punch I was hoping for, something that would truly compliment the green tea and not over shadow the tequila. I decided on Yellow Chartreuse as my substitute for Cointreau and slightly reduced the volume of syrup otherwise it would have been far too sweet. This herbaceous cocktail is well worth a try. It will help erase any negative connotations that you have of tequila This drink along with almost every tequila cocktail will have you questioning what tequila is. Great time and care is attentively put into making an Anejo (Aged) or Resposado (Rested) Tequila like that of a beautifully aged Rum or Whisky. So I beg of you to throw away the salt and lime, and please take the same attention that the creator of a good tequila does when you serve or drink this misunderstood spirit. Seriously what’s the worst that can happen? You might even enjoy it.

Green Tea Tequila Old Fashioned:

50ml Don Julio Anejo
10ml Yellow Chartreuse
12.5ml Green Tea Syrup

Stir and serve over ice with a Lime twist

Velvet Falernum & The Swizzle

Velvet Falernum is a liqueur from Barbados used in the Swizzle-style of drinks (so-called because of the swizzle stick used to swizzle them).

Due to a lack of availability from Ninety-Nine's suppliers, we've decided to make our own. The liqueur has notes of ginger, lime, almond and cloves - all readily available ingredients - backed up by some Wray & Nephew Overproof rum (if you're making the alcoholic version which we are...obviously).

Keep an eye out on the backbar at the Corpse & Cocktail for the Falernum's arrival. We also have another homemade liqueur in the pipeline...

In the meantime, check out this recipe for one of the most well-known swizzle drinks, the Queen's Park Swizzle from the Queen's Park Hotel in Trinidad.

Queen's Park Swizzle

40ml Mount Gay Extra Old rum

15ml Velvet Falernum

25ml fresh lime juice

10ml demerara sugar syrup

10 mint leaves
Dash of Angostura Bitters

Add ingredients to a sling glass and top up with crushed ice to the 3/4 mark.  Swizzle the ingredients and finish off with more crushed ice and a mint sprig.  Leave the swizzle in and serve with a straw.

Guest Bartender: Andy Stewart.

Name: Andy Stewart

Year’s bartending: Coming on for 8 years now.

Favourite tool (behind a bar): A decent bar spoon where the spiral is just right and the spoon bowl fits beautifully. Having said that, I do love my PUG muddler.

Most useless tool (behind a bar): Those pointless little citrus presses, especially if they're shaped like a fish! I have opposable thumbs you know, even if I am from the NE of Scotland

Your secret ingredient: Bitters. I fricking love them. They can add so much more to a drink or they can blend disparate ingredients together seamlessly.

Mojito or NO-jito? That's a toughy. It's a much maligned drink, but at the end of the day it's pretty basic and no more time consuming than say a Bramble, yet we, as bar tenders, hate them. Guess it's because it's a fashion drink: "Aye min, gies 10 Modge-Eetos, like". I'm going say No-jito for this.

Preferred spirit/drink: Rum. That is all. :) Something like a Matusalem Gran Reserva is ideal - if you're offering? Cocktail-wise: I'll gladly live on Sazeracs.

Most disgusting find at the end of a shift: Christ, where to begin. Any night of the week regards the toilets in Cafe Drummonds? The humping couple down the backstairs where she had more facial hair than him? Funniest would be coming in one morning to (unnamed venue) to find one of the staff had left her bra and pants behind after an intimate tête-à-tête the night before after locking up.

Thanks Andy!  I've had the pleasure of working with Andy twice now (Snafu and Rumour), and aside from his weird greetings ("alright *sweetheart/sugarcup/sweet-cheeks" - *delete as appropriate), there isn't anyone more passionate about good drinks.  You guys are in for a treat!

Andy will be guest bartending and presenting his cocktail list this Sunday 9th Jan at the Corpse & Cocktail.  Expect the expected (Sazerac) and the unexpected (any cocktail other than a Sazerac).

Hogmanay 2010 @ 99.