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SOMM&SOMM

Tag: Cocktails

  • Champagne Unveiled: A Journey through Bubbles, Elegance, and Celebration

    Champagne Unveiled: A Journey through Bubbles, Elegance, and Celebration

    Champagne, often synonymous with celebrations and luxury, stands as the epitome of sparkling wine craftsmanship. Originating from the picturesque Champagne region in France, this effervescent elixir has woven itself into the fabric of joyous occasions worldwide. As a professional sommelier and wine educator, I invite you on a journey to discover the nuances of Champagne, explore its historical roots, distinguish it from other sparkling wines, and indulge in the art of serving and toasting.

    Champagne Vineyards

    Historical Roots of Champagne

    The captivating tale of Champagne’s origin dates back to the 17th century. Legend has it that the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon discovered the method to capture the bubbles in wine, turning a potential winemaking disaster into a delightful revelation. While this story adds a touch of romance to the narrative, historical records attribute the development of the traditional method of sparkling wine production to multiple contributors in the Champagne region.

    In the early 19th century, Champagne houses such as Veuve Clicquot and Moët et Chandon played pivotal roles in refining the méthode champenoise, which involves a secondary fermentation in the bottle. This technique became the hallmark of Champagne production, distinguishing it from other sparkling wines.

    Distinguishing Champagne from Other Sparkling Wines

    While Champagne is the undisputed star, various other sparkling wines offer distinctive profiles and styles. Prosecco (created using the Charmat Method), hailing from Italy, is known for its fresh and fruity character. One of our favorite sparkling wines from Italy, also made using the traditional method (metodo classico), is the Lombardy region’s own Franciacorta. Spain’s Cava, crafted using the traditional method, exhibits citrusy and toasty notes. The German Sekt often showcases a delicate sweetness, while English sparkling wines gain recognition for their quality, influenced by the cool climate and chalky soils.

    What sets Champagne apart is the rigorous production standards outlined by the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) regulations. Grapes, primarily Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, must come from the Champagne region, and production follows strict guidelines to ensure consistency and excellence.

    Photo by JESHOOTS.com on Pexels.com

    Tips on Serving Sparkling Wine for the Holidays

    As the holiday season approaches, serving sparkling wine with finesse can elevate the festivities. Here are some tips to enhance your sparkling wine experience:

    1. Temperature Matters: Serve Champagne chilled, ideally between 45°F to 48°F (7°C to 9°C). An ice bucket filled with water and ice is an excellent way to keep it at the perfect temperature.

    2. Choosing the Right Glassware: Opt for a flute or tulip-shaped glass to preserve the effervescence and concentrate the aromas. The narrow design helps maintain the bubbles and showcases the wine’s complexity.

    3. Gentle Pouring: To preserve the bubbles, pour sparkling wine down the side of the glass. Hold the glass at an angle and let the liquid glide gently into the flute.

    Popular Champagne Cocktails and Recipes

    Champagne isn’t confined to celebratory toasts; it’s a versatile libation that can be crafted into delightful cocktails. Here are a few popular recipes to elevate your Champagne experience:

    1. Classic Champagne Cocktail:

    Ingredients:

    •    1 sugar cube
    •    Angostura bitters
    •    Champagne
    •    Lemon twist (for garnish)

    Instructions: Soak the sugar cube in a few dashes of Angostura bitters. Drop the cube into a Champagne flute. Pour chilled Champagne over the sugar cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.

    2. French 75:

    Ingredients:

    • 1 oz gin
    • 0.5 oz simple syrup
    • 0.5 oz lemon juice
    • Champagne
    • Lemon twist (for garnish)

    Instructions: Shake gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice with ice. Strain into a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

    3. Mimosa:

    Ingredients:

    • 2 oz orange juice
    • Champagne

     Instructions: Pour orange juice into a Champagne flute. Top with chilled Champagne.

    Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

    Proper Approach to a Classic Champagne Toast

    A Champagne toast is a timeless tradition that brings people together in celebration. To ensure a memorable and elegant toast, consider the following:

    1. Selecting the Right Champagne: Choose a quality Champagne that suits the occasion. A brut or extra brut is a safe choice for toasting, offering a balance of sweetness and acidity.

    2. Chilled to Perfection: Ensure the Champagne is appropriately chilled. A cold glass of bubbly is not only refreshing but enhances the effervescence.

    3. Hold the Glass Correctly: Grasp the Champagne flute by the stem to prevent the transfer of heat from your hand to the wine. This helps maintain the ideal serving temperature.

    4. Raise, Clink, and Sip: Raise your glass, make eye contact, and gently clink glasses with others. Take a moment to express your sentiments before taking a sip.

    Let us raise our glasses high in celebration of this joyous moment. Here’s to love that knows no bounds, to friendships that stand the test of time, and to the adventures that await us in the coming years. May our hearts be filled with gratitude, our days with laughter, and our glasses with the effervescent elixir of life. Cheers to the past, the present, and the future – may it be as sparkling and delightful as the bubbles dancing in this champagne. Cheers!

    Gregory Dean, SOMM&SOMM

    In conclusion, Champagne is a beverage of celebration, history, and craftsmanship. From its humble beginnings in the Champagne region to its global acclaim, this effervescent wine continues to captivate enthusiasts. Whether sipped on its own, blended into cocktails, or used for toasts, Champagne remains a symbol of elegance and festivity, enriching moments both grand and intimate. 🥂

  • Trendy Cocktails: Jade Rambutan

    Trendy Cocktails: Jade Rambutan

    Welcome back, SOMM&SOMM cocktail enthusiasts, to another delightful edition of the Trendy Cocktails series, where we explore the world of innovative drinks and the intriguing ingredients that make them so special. Today, we’re diving into the lush world of rambutan, the star of our uniquely refreshing concoction, the Jade Rambutan martini-style cocktail!

    Rambutan (Nephelium Lappaceum)

    A Tropical Treasure

    First things first, let’s uncover the origins of this exotic fruit that adds a burst of tropical flair to our cocktail. Rambutan, scientifically known as Nephelium lappaceum, is a small, tropical fruit that hails from the Southeast Asian rainforests, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Its name even comes from the Malay word “rambut,” which means “hair,” aptly describing the fruit’s spiky, hairy exterior.

    Getting to Know Rambutan

    Wasn’t sure what I was looking at when Tammy walked in the door with the latest make-something-from-this-strange-and-unusual-fruit surprise ingredient. It looked like something between a sea urchin and the outer shell on a horse chestnut. Regardless, I was up to the challenge.

    – Exterior: Picture a vibrant, red or yellow spiky ball. That’s the rambutan! The spines may look intimidating, but they’re soft and pliable, making them easy to peel.

    – Interior: Beneath that exotic shell lies a juicy, translucent flesh. The taste? A harmonious blend of sweet and slightly acidic, often compared to lychee, another tropical delight.

    – Seed: At the core of this fruit lies a large, inedible seed. But fear not, once you navigate that, the succulent flesh is yours to enjoy!

    Now that we’ve acquainted ourselves with this tropical treasure, let’s dive into how to make our signature Rambutan Syrup – a crucial element of the Jade Rambutan cocktail.

    Crafting Rambutan Syrup: Easy and Exotic

    Ingredients:

    – 1 cup sugar

    – 1 cup water

    – 12 peeled and pitted rambutan

    Instructions:

    1. Peel and Pit: Gently remove the spiky skin of the rambutan, revealing the juicy fruit inside. Carefully remove the seed, as we’re only interested in the luscious flesh.

    2. Muddle: Place your rambutan into a bowl. Using a muddler or the back of a spoon, gently crush the fruit to release its sweet essence.

    3. Create the Syrup: In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and muddled rambutan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves.

    4. Simmer and Strain: Allow the syrup to simmer for about 5 minutes, infusing the rich rambutan flavor into the syrup. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Finally, strain the syrup to remove any remaining fruit bits.

    And there you have it – your homemade Rambutan Syrup, ready to infuse the Jade Rambutan cocktail with its tropical charm.

    The Jade Rambutan Cocktail: A Sip of the Exotic

    Now that we’ve unlocked the secret of Rambutan Syrup, let’s put it to good use in our exotic and enticing cocktail.

    Ingredients:

    – 1 oz. Coconut Rum

    – 1 oz. Rambutan Syrup (recipe above)

    – ¾ oz. Fresh Lime Juice

    – ¼ oz. Midori Melon Liqueur

    Instructions:

    1. Shake It Up: In a cocktail shaker, combine the coconut rum, freshly squeezed lime juice, and our homemade Rambutan Syrup. Add ice, seal the shaker, and give it a vigorous shake. 

    2. Strain and Serve: Strain the delightful concoction into a chilled cocktail glass. Float a touch of Midori Melon Liqueur on top to create the mesmerizing jade hue.

    3. Garnish: For an extra touch of exotic charm, garnish with a slice of fresh rambutan or a twist of lime peel.

    With the Jade Rambutan cocktail in hand, you’re ready to embark on a tropical taste adventure. The exotic allure of rambutan, blended with the creamy coconut rum and zesty lime, and crowned with the vibrant Midori Melon Liqueur, promises a sip of paradise in every glass.

    So, next time you’re looking to add a touch of the tropics to your happy hour, reach for the rambutan and whip up a Jade Rambutan cocktail. It’s a true treasure from the Southeast Asian rainforests, served in style.

    Cheers to the exotic and the extraordinary! 😉

  • Trendy Cocktails: Pineapple Sage Gimlet

    Trendy Cocktails: Pineapple Sage Gimlet

    In the world of cocktails, there are classics that have withstood the test of time, mixing tradition with an enduring sense of style and taste. Among these, the Gimlet stands as a testament to the prevailing allure of simplicity and flavor. Its history, shrouded in mystery and filled with intrigue, paints a vivid picture of an era gone by while continuing to captivate the palates of modern cocktail enthusiasts.

    The Gimlet’s origin story is a matter of debate, with two popular narratives competing for recognition. The most widely accepted tale dates back to the early 20th century, a time when the British Royal Navy was combating the scourge of scurvy among its sailors. To combat the disease, they needed to find a way to make lime juice more palatable. It is said that they began mixing lime cordial with gin to create a refreshing and healthful libation. Thank you Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette 😉 This concoction became known as the “Gimlet” – a name that may have been derived from the tool used to tap barrels of spirits on ships, known as a “gimlet” or from the name of the resourceful Rear-Admiral–you decide.

    The alternative origin story places the Gimlet’s birth during the Prohibition era in the United States. Some credit it to a 1928 book by Harry McElhone, a bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. According to this narrative, the Gimlet was created as a simple and delicious way to mask the harsh taste of homemade bathtub gin. Whether it emerged in the Navy or as a clandestine elixir during the dry days of Prohibition, the Gimlet’s timeless appeal is undeniable.

    Aside from its humble beginnings, the Gimlet has become the epitome of classic cocktails. The simplicity of this cocktail is the perfect canvas for creativity. This is exactly the inspiration for our Pineapple Sage Gimlet. Fresh aromatic sage, and a bright crisp gin is key.

    Pineapple Sage Gimlet

    2 Sage Leaves (muddled)
    3/4 oz. Simple Syrup
    1 oz. Lime Juice
    1 1/4 oz. Pineapple Juice
    1 1/2 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin

    Muddle sage leaves with a splash of simple syrup, add the additional simple syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, and gin. Shake for 20-30 seconds. Serve in a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a sage leaf

    Enjoy 😉

  • Trendy Cocktails: Distiller’s Punch

    Trendy Cocktails: Distiller’s Punch

    Every now and again you find new inspiration from old classics. In the case of this cocktail–the Distiller’s Punch–my inspiration came from an evening of mixology with Tammy. She began with her riff on the classic Sidecar, but with bourbon instead of the traditional Cognac (I prefer Remi Martin VSOP in the original). The Cointreau and fresh squeezed lemon juice really completed this cocktail. Not to be outdone, and following the theme of fruit-forward bourbon cocktails, I decided to make the classic Man o’ War. This Kentucky Derby inspired drink (named after a racehorse) is similar to the bourbon sidecar, with the addition of another bourbon-friendly ingredient–sweet vermouth.

    With the previous two cocktail fresh in our minds, we began discussing the lack of bourbon and whiskey in tropical cocktails or tiki drinks (not the same thing ;)). It didn’t take long to find an interesting Mai-Tai inspired cocktail from the Halekulani Hotel in Hawaii. The Halekulani Cocktail is filled with tropical fruit juices and bourbon… yes… bourbon! After reviewing several variations of this cocktail–all of which used different proportions of orange, pineapple and lemon juices–I decided to riff. The Distiller’s Punch contains lime juice instead of orange juice because it seemed to work better with the Four Roses Small Batch Select Bourbon 😉

    While this cocktail could be given a Hawaiian name, such as ‘Aniani Lani’ (translation: glass of heaven), I decided to pay homage to the bourbon lovers and call it Distiller’s Punch.

    Distiller’s Punch

    2 oz. Bourbon (I used Four Roses Small Batch Select)

    1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

    1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

    1/2 oz. Pineapple Juice

    1/4 oz. Grenadine (made from scratch)

    1/4 oz. Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

    2 dashes Tiki Bitters (Bittermen’s ‘Elemakule’ Tiki Bitters)

    Add all ingredients to a shaker, add ice and shake for 30 seconds. Serve over an over-sized ice cube (or ice ball). Garnish and enjoy!

    Cheers 😉

  • Trendy Cocktails: Rockstar

    Trendy Cocktails: Rockstar

    Carambola is really the star of this cocktail. The star fruit (Carambola) is a slightly sweet-sour fruit from Southeast Asia. Fortunately, we didn’t have to pack luggage and book a flight to get our hands on these amazing and often misunderstood fruit. A quick word of caution. Star fruit contains a toxin called oxalate that can cause medical issues (Star fruit intoxication).

    Star fruit – Photo by Victor Cayke on Pexels.com

    The Rockstar cocktail is a whimsical riff on a classic Whiskey Sour. The pear-like flavors of star fruit work well with lemon, and the ginger syrup brings a little tiki-ness (is that a word?) to the drink. Star fruit is a mid-Autumn thru early-Winter fruit. So, it’s a little counterintuitive to relate it to tiki cocktails… but it looks so tropical… so exotic 😉

    The Rockstar

    1 Star Fruit

    2 oz. Bourbon (I used Four Roses)

    1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

    1/2 oz. Simple Syrup

    1/4 oz. Ginger Syrup

    Muddle 1/2 the star fruit in a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients. Add ice and shake until well chilled. Strain and pour over ice. Garnish with a slice of star fruit.

    Drink up!

  • Trendy Cocktails: Verbena

    Trendy Cocktails: Verbena

    Several years ago while visiting Las Vegas we had the opportunity to taste (ok… drink) a few ‘secret’ cocktails from The Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan. One of the cocktails, called the Verbena, was an experience like no other. The cocktail itself was a creative lemon-ginger riff on the classic Margarita, but the addition of the edible garnish brought the cocktail to a different level.

    The flowering herb Acmella oleracea (grown in the tropics) has many different names–such as toothache plant, buzz button and Szechuan button. The seemingly timid looking garnish causes a tingling sensation to the inside of your mouth and tastebuds when chewed. From there, the entire cocktail is elevated into an experience worthy of repeating again and again (and again).

    Of course we needed to recreate the experience for family and friends, so the first order of business was to find the ‘buzz buttons.’ A quick search on Google pointed us to Marx Foods where you can buy them in bulk. At the same time, I found a website to order Yuzu juice and placed an order for two bottles. Both bottles were damaged and the juice (most of it) leaked out. I was able to taste the Yuzu juice, and in my complete frustration with the supplier decided to use common juices to create the same flavor profile.

    This recipe uses the combination of lime, orange, grapefruit and lemon to get the Yuzu-like flavor of the original cocktail.

    The Verbena 

    1 ½ oz. Tequila (Herradura Blanco) 

    1 oz. Ginger Syrup 

    ½ oz. Lime Juice 

    ½ oz. Grapefruit Juice 

    1 oz. Orange Juice 

    1 oz. Lemon Juice 

    1 Szechuan Button (marxfoods.com)

    Place all of the liquid ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake vigorously. Pour into an ice-filled glass, add the Szechuan Button and enjoy.

    Cheers 😉 

  • Trendy Cocktails: Singapore Sling

    Trendy Cocktails: Singapore Sling

    There are many theories on the origin of this very trendy cocktail–the Singapore Sling. The most popular and least disputed involves an alchemist disguised as a bartender at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore 😉

    At the start of the 20th century, a bartender named Ngiam Tong Boon working at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel, decided to create a cocktail specifically for the ladies. At the time, it was not proper for ladies to consume alcohol in public. Boon’s idea was to disguise the cocktail as fruit juice… and the rest is history.

    Over the years I have seen (and tasted) many variations of this cocktail. Versions served in asian restaurants and high-traffic tourist areas are bright red in color and sickening sweet. My favorite version pays homage to the originator, and at the same time introduces a better balance between sweet, sour and bitter. Get your bar tools ready… here we go.

    Singapore Sling

    2 oz. Gin

    1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

    1 oz. Cherry Brandy

    1 oz . Pineapple Juice

    1/2 oz. Cointreau

    1/2 oz. Benedictine D.O.M.

    1/4 oz. Grenadine (I make my own)

    Dash of Angostura bitters

    The French-produced Benedictine liquor brings herb and spice notes that seem to amplify the already complex flavors of gin. Cointreau tastes very different than its French cousin–Grand Marnier, and shouldn’t be substituted.

    Place all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled (about 30 seconds). Pour into a chilled martini glass (yes, that’s what I said), garnish with a cherry or three and enjoy. This is a 6 oz. (ok… just over 6 oz.) cocktail, so I prefer serving in a chilled sour glass. I really like the “drink specific” line of glasses from Ridel. The Sour Cocktail Glass is perfect for this drink. 

    Enjoy!

  • Trendy Cocktails: Absinthe Sour

    Trendy Cocktails: Absinthe Sour

    The origins of this mysterious high-proof spirt may the subject of many discussions, but it’s the early misconceptions and legal challenges that make Absinthe so modish. Since its inception–sometime in the 1700s–distillers have been macerating Grande Wormwood, Green Anise and Florence Fennel (often called the ‘Holy Trinity’) as the base elixir for Absinthe. Other herbs and spices–such as coriander, Angelica root, nutmeg, Melissa and Dittany Leaves–are some of the ingredients included in closely-guarded recipes of the most famous producers.

    Purists prefer to release the ‘Green Fairy’ through the traditional method(s) of serving Absinthe. This process involves a special spoon, flaming sugar cube, and slow steady drips of cold water (love it!). You can get the entire ‘Heure Verte’ set from the World of Absinthe. As for Absinthe in cocktails, it has an important role as both a simple faint compliment, and the main ingredient. The Absinthe Sour cocktail highlights this controversial spirit by creating a wonderful contrast between sour citrus and intense herbal flavors. Yes, please!

    Absinthe Sour

    2 oz. Absinthe (I prefer this 110 proof version)

    1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

    1 oz. Simple Syrup

    Place all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled (about 30 seconds). Pour over ice, garnish with a cherry and enjoy 😉

  • Trendy Cocktails: The Perfect Margarita

    Trendy Cocktails: The Perfect Margarita

    Probably one of the most popular cocktails in existence, the margarita cocktail comes in many varieties. From classic to frozen, fruit-infused to layered, salted rim to sugar-crusted, this cocktail is extremely versatile. At the same time, however, it can be as unique as the individual drinking it. There isn’t much better than a pitcher of these tart-n-trendy cocktails with a plate of nachos 😉

    While we could debate the ‘perfect’ margarita, I truly believe that simple is better. Start with a simple three-ingredient cocktail–tequila, agave nectar, and fresh lime juice. From there, you can add other ingredients such as Cointreau, Gran Gala, and fruit juices (mango, pineapple, …). Makes me thirsty just thinking about the possibilities.

    We can all agree that the ‘perfect’ margarita is the one you are currently drinking 😉

    The Perfect (IMO) Margarita

    2 oz. Blanco Tequila (I prefer Casamigos)

    1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

    1/2 oz. Agave Nectar

    Put all of the ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake until well chilled. Pour over ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

    Drink up!

  • Trendy Cocktails: Prickly Pear Cosmo

    Trendy Cocktails: Prickly Pear Cosmo

    Here is an exciting twist to reintroduce this ‘Sex and the City’ revived classic cocktail… the Cosmopolitan. The prickly pear flavor is a perfect compliment to the citrusy flavors of fresh lime juice and sweet orangy-ness of triple sec. You can find prickly pear syrup online, but nothing compares to syrup created from fresh fruit. The cocktail is simple, with very complex and exotic flavors.

    Prickly Pear Cosmopolitan

    2 oz. Vodka (I prefer Titos for this cocktail)

    1 oz. Homemade Prickly Pear Syrup (recipe below)

    1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

    1/2 oz. Triple Sec

    Place all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds, and strain into a martini glass. Enjoy 😉

    Homemade Prickly Pear Syrup

    Prickly pears, as it turns out, aren’t pears at all. They are actually a member of the cactus species Opuntia genus. Fortunately, this cactus fruit can be found needle-free in the produce section of your favorite supermarket.

    You will need: Prickly Pears, Granulated Sugar, Water, Fresh Lemon Juice

    Opuntia, or prickly pear catus. (Photograph from Encyclopædia Britannica)

    The process to make prickly pear syrup is pretty simple.

    1. Peel the prickly pears and cut the peeled fruit into large chunks.

    2. Place the fruit in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover the fruit.

    3. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

    4. Strain the juice to remove all of the seeds, flesh and pulp. You may need to press the fruit through several layers of cheesecloth, screen or coffee filter. Get creative, no one is watching 😉

    5. Return the liquid to the saucepan and add the sugar. In a typical simple syrup recipe, you would add equal amounts of water and sugar. The prickly pear juice, however, is already pretty sweet, so add half the amount of sugar as there is liquid (2 parts liquid to 1 part sugar).

    6. Add the juice of half a lemon (3-4 prickly pears). The lemon juice cuts the sweetness slightly while acting as a preservative.

    7. Bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let boil for a few minutes, then remove from the heat to cool.

    This syrup, if refrigerated, can last for weeks. I recommend using a glass container.