There Will Be Bourbon

Happy National Bourbon Day!

patruby — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:35:49 -0400

Happy National Bourbon Day!

You might have noticed the frequency of our posts has slowed...

patruby — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:47:14 -0400

You might have noticed the frequency of our posts has slowed down a bit lately. We’d been conserving our bourbon, saving it exclusively for our blog posts and trying to provide recipes for you as long as we could. But now we’re out of bourbon.

Don’t worry, though; it’s only temporary. We’re taking a brief hiatus from There Will Be Bourbon while we make our way back to the Pacific Northwest. We may post a sporadic Weekending post, but for the most part our attention will be directed at getting ourselves settled in Portland, OR. Until then, we hope you’ll find something delicious to enjoy in our archive. We’ll see you on the Best Coast, where there will be bourbon.

Happy weekending!

Improved Boulevardier Cocktail

patruby — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:33:00 -0400

We are big fans of the Boulevardier. It’s one of those classic bourbon cocktails that always hits the right spot. Obviously, we were intrigued by the “improved” Boulevardier from Manhattan Cocktail Classic, especially with the presence of absinthe.

Improved Boulevardier
1½ oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Sweet vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash absinthe
2 dashes Maraschino liqueuer

In a mixing glass with ice, combine all ingredients and stir until mixed. Strain into a lowball glass with ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

We’re not entirely sure this improved the Boulevardier, mainly because the bar was already set so high, but this is a very good cocktail. While it still has the bright color, this version tastes a bit more complex. Cutting the amount of bourbon from two ounces to one and a half—along with the addition of the absinthe—makes the Campari and vermouth more noticeable.

Elderflower Esprit

rpartin — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:58:06 -0400

We are taken with the entire line of Thomas Henry products, which are packed with flavor and about as fresh and natural as packaged products can get. One of our favorites is their new elderflower tonic, which was the inspiration for this cocktail.

Elderflower Esprit
2 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Lemon juice
½ oz. Amaro
Elderflower tonic

Combine first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to mix and strain into a lowball glass with ice. Top with elderflower tonic and garnish with a mint sprig.

This cocktail is light and refreshing. The amaro (we used a homemade version) adds bitterness and balances the bourbon spice and citrus. Be sure to slap the mint against your palm to release its aroma before garnishing.

Even though this nightcap was on partly Thomas Henry’s tab, we will always review products honestly. Contrary to popular belief, free drinks don’t automatically taste better.

Summertime Smash

patruby — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:05:00 -0400

June announced its presence boldly this week, blasting us with 90+ degree weather. Obviously, this was the perfect time for us to make the Summertime Smash from the Five O’Clock Cocktail.

Summertime Smash
1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Frangelico
1 tsp. Sugar or simple syrup
Bitter lemon soda (or any lemon-flavored seltzer)
Mint leaves

Put the mint leaves in a lowball or highball glass, whichever you prefer. Add the sugar or simple syrup. (If you’re using sugar, you’ll want to add water or some of the lemon seltzer to help dissolve the sugar.) Muddle the sugar and mint, then fill the glass with ice. Add bourbon and Frangelico. Top with lemon seltzer. Garnish with a mint sprig or lemon twist.

As its name suggests, this is a refreshing summertime cocktail. Adding the bitter lemon provides just the right hint of lemon without overpowering the drink, and the Frangelico makes the cocktail slightly more complex than a normal whiskey smash. We’re still loving our Thomas Henry products, so we put their bitter lemon to use, but if you don’t have bitter lemon on hand, you can do as the original recipe called for and spike seltzer with lemon.

Now that we’re all enjoying summertime cocktails, we might as well mix up a few drinks, relax, and blast this DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince classic:

Even though this nightcap was on partly Thomas Henry’s tab, we will always review products honestly. Contrary to popular belief, free drinks don’t automatically taste better.

More cocktail art by Patrick. This is the game set match...

patruby — Fri, 31 May 2013 13:00:48 -0400

More cocktail art by Patrick. This is the game set match cocktail. Prints can be purchased here.

Happy weekending!

The Lion's Den

rpartin — Thu, 30 May 2013 12:13:40 -0400

Everyone knows that rum is a great warm-weather spirit, so we were excited to try this cocktail that combines the great flavors of rum with bourbon.

The Lion’s Den
½ oz. Bourbon
1¾ oz. Rum
½ oz. Simple Syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash Rose water

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir to combine. Strain into a lowball glass with ice and garnish with a lemon twist.

We liked this cocktail, but we’re not sure that we would drink more than one (this can be a good thing). The rose water texture adds a nice smoothness, and of course the taste is distinctive and springy, but be sure to have a very light hand when adding it; rose water can easily become overwhelming. The combination of rum and bourbon was surprisingly successful, if you’re OK with bourbon taking a back seat.

Baltimore Bang

rpartin — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:28:47 -0400

We love any variation of a whiskey sour, and when we saw this one with its literary reference (to Edgar Allan Poe), we were sold.

Baltimore Bang
1½ oz. Bourbon
½ oz. Cognac (or brandy)
¾ oz. Lemon juice
¼ oz. Simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to mix and strain into a lowball glass with ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

This cocktail is quite good, and you can really taste the brandy. We used a VSOP brandy because we didn’t have cognac on hand, but we do recommend using cognac if you already have it in your bar. Cognac is both higher quality and a truer hat-tip to Edgar Allan Poe.

creatureofthenightdesigns: Bourbon: The Official spirit of the...

patruby — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:39 -0400

creatureofthenightdesigns:

Bourbon: The Official spirit of the U.S.A.

Happy weekending!

Cocktails Step-By-Step: The Perfect Guide to Cocktail Making Cookbook

patruby — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:45:18 -0400

Sometimes we see recipes with directions that have just enough ambiguity to lead to minor disasters. While this isn’t usually a problem with cocktail recipes, we still got excited when we learned about the Cocktails Step-By-Step cookbook by Parragon Books. We love the photography and simple, clean, and organized photos.

The book includes recipes for a wide variety of cocktails using different types of liquor, including a cosmopolitan, Manhattan, caipirinha, and highland fling.

More info on the Cocktails Step-By-Step book can be found here.

Thomas Henry Horse's Neck Gelée

patruby — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:53:19 -0400

We recently received a package from Thomas Henry, a culinary company based in Germany that makes sodas, tonics, and assorted gelées. One of the most intriguing items in this package was a jar of Horse’s Neck gelée. Since we don’t speak or read German, we couldn’t find very much information about this product (though their website provides an English version for their other products). What we do know is that Horse’s Neck is cocktail of bourbon and ginger ale, and that the Thomas Henry gelée is made with Maker’s Mark. That’s pretty much the only words we could read in the product information. Unsure of what to do with this product, we opened it up to sample it. Sure enough, it tastes remarkably like a perfectly mixed bourbon and ginger ale cocktail.

Pleased with the flavor, we did what any self-respecting bourbon lover would do: we put it on waffles. In case you weren’t aware, waffles that taste like bourbon are even more delicious than normal waffles. We highly recommend trying this gelée if you can get your hands on some. (It seems that all their products can be ordered via the worldwide interwebs.) Thomas Henry also makes gin & tonic and earl grey & vodka gelées, in case you want a whole spectrum of breakfast cocktail concoctions.

OK, now for a silly question: is gelée any different from jelly? We noticed at least one of the gelées is slightly more liquid than we’re used to seeing with jellies. Other than that, we didn’t see a difference. Is a gelée used differently from a jelly? Please advise!

Also, feel free to throw out any more ideas for how we might use this Horse’s Neck gelée.

Even though this weekend’s breakfast was on Thomas Henry’s dime, we will always review products honestly. Contrary to popular belief, free stuff doesn’t automatically taste better.

Strawberry Rhubarb Fizz

rpartin — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:44:38 -0400

We always try to incorporate rhubarb into our diet when it’s in season. An easy way to get rhubarb flavor in cocktails is to use Rhuby, a liqueur from Sweden, which is featured to great effect in the strawberry rhubarb fizz cocktail.

Strawberry Rhubarb Fizz
1 oz. Rhuby
1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Strawberry juice
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
Ginger beer

Combine first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to mix, then strain into a lowball glass with ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lemon twist.

This cocktail is so delicious that we couldn’t stop exclaiming about it for several minutes after first tasting it. The Rhuby gives it an earthy tartness, which is brightened by the lemon juice, and balanced by the sweet strawberry juice. We used a higher proof bourbon, which we thought worked well because with only one ounce, you have to make it count. Don’t use a wallflower bourbon.

This drink reminded us a bit of an amped up strawberry rhubarb smash. Our strawberry juice was particularly seedy, and if you don’t do look forward to straining a million seeds, this drink could be modified to use strawberry-infused bourbon.

Even though yesterday’s nightcap was partially on Rhuby’s tab, we will always review products honestly. Contrary to popular belief, free drinks don’t automatically taste better.

The Cocktail Chart of Film & Literature (larger) Happy...

patruby — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:42:51 -0400

The Cocktail Chart of Film & Literature (larger)

Happy weekending!

Patrick has been making cocktails in a different way lately.

patruby — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:46:01 -0400

Patrick has been making cocktails in a different way lately.

Bourbon Cynar Sour

rpartin — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:02 -0400

Continuing our Cynar kick, we decided to try a variation of a classic whiskey sour.

Cynar Bourbon Sour
1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Cynar
1 oz. Lemon juice
½ Egg white
¼ oz. Maraschino liqueur
¼ oz. Agave nectar

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

This cocktail is interesting because the Cynar adds more bitterness than a sour typically has, but the egg white froth helps to smooth everything out. This may be the most Cynar we’ve ever put in a cocktail (the usual amount is half an ounce or so), and we have to say we like it. The taste lingers for a while after each sip.

Bourbon Street Cupcakes

rpartin — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:27:03 -0400

We burned out on cupcakes for a while, but when we received an email from a reader with this recipe, we were instantly back on the cupcake wagon. This recipe is originally from Modern Domestic, but we haven’t been able to find the source directly. If anyone has the source, please share it in the comments.

Bourbon Street Cupcakes
½ cup Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 large egg + 2 Large egg yolks
1½ tsp. Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. Bourbon
1½ cups Cake flour, sifted
1 cup Sugar
1½ tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Nutmeg
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
1 stick Unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and bourbon until blended. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon until blended. Add the butter and half of the sour cream mixture and beat on low until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise speed to medium and beat for one and a half minutes. Add the rest of the sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Scoop batter into the cups with an ice cream scoop, filling two-thirds of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until cupcakes are light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing cupcakes from pan and placing on a rack to cool completely. Frost with salted bourbon caramel buttercream. Sprinkle espresso sugar on top if desired.

These cupcakes are glorious. They are light and fluffy with little pockets of air throughout the cake so they’re springy. We used plain nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream; it adds moisture and a very slight tang. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla enhance the bourbon flavor without adding any booziness, while the salted bourbon caramel buttercream adds decadence. We recommend having a light hand with the frosting, as it can get overwhelming if there is too much.

We cut the recipe shown above in half (so it made six instead of 12), so that’s why the ingredients in the top photo don’t match the recipe quantities.

Happy weekending!

patruby — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:04:12 -0400

Happy weekending!

He'Brew The Chosen Beer: Barrel-Aged Funky Jewbilation

patruby — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:20:30 -0400

We previously tasted the Coney Island Human Blockhead Imperial American Bock from Schmaltz Brewing Company. Because that was one of the more interesting barrel-aged beers we’ve tried, we were excited to come across this Funky Jewbilation, which is a mixture of six different Schmaltz beers aged in both bourbon and rye whiskey barrels. Each beer is aged for different amounts of time as well. (The full breakdown of each brew and how long they are aged before making up the Funky Jewbilation is available here.)

Like the Human Blockhead, the Funky Jewbilation had a very interesting flavor profile. Its appearance and scent barely hints at the beer’s taste. It pours thick and brown with a dark tan foam. Its nose is very bold and smells a lot like root beer. The Jewbilation’s flavor is more difficult to describe. It has some dark chocolate notes, but then transitions into a more fruity sweetness. Its texture is thick and a little creamy, but not very carbonated. We thought it was like a mixture of an apple cider and a stout. The Funky Jewbilation is truly unlike any other barrel-aged beer we’ve tried. It’s definitely worth picking up just for a unique experience.

California Bubble Bath

rpartin — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:54:13 -0400

Inexcusably silly name aside, this cocktail from Matt Biancaniello in Imbibe is enjoyable on a sunny day and combines one of our favorite liqueurs, Cynar, with bourbon.

California Bubble Bath
2 oz. Bourbon
¾ oz. Lemon juice
¾ oz. Lavender simple syrup
½ oz. Cynar

Mix bourbon, lemon juice, and lavender syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and float the Cynar on top.

Lavender Simple Syrup
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. Sugar
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. Water
1 Tbsp. Dried lavender

Boil water in a small saucepan. Add lavender and remove from heat. Let it steep for 15 minutes, then add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved, about three minutes. Strain into a glass bottle and store in the refrigerator.

This is a nice, aromatic drink. Our Cynar didn’t float very well because the ice got in the way, but imagine how enticing the artichoke, lemon, and lavender aromas are together. And let’s not forget the bourbon. We used a higher proof bourbon so that it wouldn’t get lost in the other strong flavors, and it worked out well. It tastes like a more complex whiskey smash. This is a very well-balanced drink that we will return to several times throughout the warmer months.

The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved, designed by Rachel...

patruby — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:15:43 -0400

The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved, designed by Rachel Sinclair and for sale at Kentucky for Kentucky. The poster is inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s essay of the same title.

Happy derby weekending!