Monthly Archives: March 2014

The Vesper

Drink like Bond. Continue

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At first glance it seems like a brutish cocktail, perfectly appropriate for the “blunt instrument” of a character Ian Fleming had originally intended the character of James Bond to be. But just as Bond became a sophisticate as time went on, the Vesper reveals itself as a far more nuanced and balanced drink than it appears. The vodka mellows and stretches the potentially overwhelming portion of strong gin and the sweetness and quinine bite of the Lillet brings it all together. Because the Gordon’s and Lillet called for in the original recipe have both been reformulated since the Vesper’s appearance in 1953, a bit of alteration is in order. For the gin, a good London dry north of 80° works best. Lillet Blanc, a milder, sweeter version of the original Kina Lillet will still make a fine drink— but many argue that Cocchi Americano is a bit closer to the original mark, so that’s what we’re going with. Whatever you use, don’t forget the lemon twist— it makes a difference!

The Vesper
3 oz. gin
1 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Cocchi Americano Bianco (or Lillet Blanc)
Twist of lemon

Although James Bond wants it shaken, try stirring this one with ice and straining into a glass. As for glassware, Bond intended to have a dry martini in a “deep champagne goblet” before changing his mind and coming up with this drink- we’ll assume that’s what the bartender ended up using for this one. Once poured, twist a generous swath of lemon peel over the drink, making sure to express the aromatic oils into the drink.

A Note on Citrus Twists

Do the twist! Continue

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That magic twist of orange or lemon peel is one of the biggest differences between a drink at some fancy cocktail bar and most drinks made at home. It’s just a little thing, but it’s one of the most vital techniques in a bartender’s bag of tricks.

What you want from a citrus peel is the oil. Using a peeler or channel knife, get yourself a nice piece of peel from a well-rinsed lemon or orange, making an effort to get as little of the bitter white pith as you can. Notice the little bit of spray and puff of aroma when you make the garnish— that spray is the oil you want to get onto your drink. Some people will peel the citrus directly over the drink, but others find it difficult to aim. When you’ve got the peel, twist it or pinch it over the drink. If you look carefully, you should see a light film of oil over the surface of the cocktail. That’s the stuff! Mission accomplished!

Depending on the recipe, you might also want to rub the peel around the rim of the glass. Either way, you’ve added a potent little ingredient to your cocktail that can really contribute something to the overall experience.

When to stir & when to shake

When should I stir a drink, and when should I shake it? Continue

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When should I stir a drink, and when should I shake it? This question has confused and intimidated far too many people— most people who are just getting into the world of cocktails know that sometimes you “should” do one, and sometimes you “should” do the other, but how do you know which?

Here’s a good general guideline: If a drink has citrus or cream, or egg, or some other thick or opaque ingredient, shake it. Shaking will generally chill the drink faster, and it doesn’t matter if the drink gets cloudy or frothy because— well, it was going to be cloudy or frothy anyway! If the drink has mostly boozy ingredients— like a Martini or a Manhattan— stir. Stirring takes a little longer, but it will get your drink just as cold and add the right amount of water, while retaining the clarity and preventing a surfeit of froth or little shards of ice floating in your drink.

All that being said, some people want an ice-cold Martini that has little flecks of ice in it. At the end of the day, the best drink is the one you enjoy the most. But if you’ve been shaking your Manhattans or Martinis— give stirring a try. You might like it.

We’re in Racked’s “Boston’s 38 Essential Home Stores”

Thanks to Racked for adding us to their Home Goods 38 shopping guide! Continue

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Racked 38

Boston has a thing for craft cocktails, but what’s a person to do when making them at home? Stop by The Boston Shaker. This temple of libations stocks the right tools, drinkware, and even obscure ingredients required to recreate those speakeasy elixirs.

Got an email from Susie at racked.com telling us we made the cut! Thanks to Racked for adding us to their Home Goods 38 shopping guide. Cheers!

via Redecorate Fabulously at Boston’s 38 Essential Home Stores - Home Goods 38 - Racked Boston.

The Voyager

The Voyager Cocktail:
Rum, Lime, Benedictine, Falernum, Ango Continue

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The Voyager is a sophisticated Tiki-style drink created by Robert Hess. It has all the classic ingredients the Tiki devotees demand to conjure up the feeling of the Trade Winds tickling their foreheads and white sands beneath their feet- tart lime, gingery falernum, the warm spice and complexity of Angostura, the rumminess of rum- while still offering something for those who aren’t into the tooth-achingly sweet: it’s a really well-balanced drink. We’ve seen it made with both falernum syrup and the low-proof West Indian liqueur, Velvet Falernum, both to great effect.

Voyager Cocktail

The Voyager

2 oz rum
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz falernum
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake well with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass.

Robert Hess’ version calls for garnishing with a lime wedge, but we were feeling fancy during our photoshoot and a good friend of The Shaker made the pineapple garnish by slicing a spear a few inches in and putting the leaves in the top.

Falernum: A Short Summary

A quick overview of a core Tiki ingredient. Continue

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B.G. Reynolds FalernumAlthough the word falernum can refer to a number of different things, in the context of Tiki drinks, it’s usually either a syrup featuring lime, ginger, and spices, or a low-alcohol cordial from the West Indies called Velvet Falernum that has a similar flavor profile.

If a recipe calls for falernum without specifying which kind, try it with the syrup first. Besides the essential lime and ginger, the other ingredients in a falernum syrup will vary slightly from maker to maker, but often include allspice or clove, and sometimes orange blossom water or almond.

We recommend B.G. Reynold’s excellent take on the syrup- it’s fresh and full-bodied, with just the right balance of sweetness, spice, and tartness. Give it a taste!