Richard A L'Orange A.K.A. Dick A L'Orange

Recently I had the good fortune of creating a drink for a longtime friend of mine, Richard, whom I hadn't seen in about 8 years. Recently he turned 21 and settled on Bombay Saphire and orange juice as one of his preferred cocktails. Remember, he's young, only recently 21. After introducing him to the idea behind the various notes of a cocktail (simply put, what you smell, initially taste, what that taste is accompanied by, and finally its aftertaste), I created this drink for him to illustrate how the taste of gin and orange can be enhanced to include more depth. Here is the result:

The Richard A L'Orange
A.K.A Dick A L'Orange

2oz of Bombay Saphire Gin
1oz Combier or other orange liquor

1/2 oz of fresh squeezed Orange juice
dash of Reagan's Orange Bitters No6
rinse of Orange Blossom Water
Orange rind for granish

Rinse the cocktail glass with a splash of orange blossom water and then throw the water out. Put the remaining ingredients (except orange rind) in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake about 15 times then strain into the waiting, rinsed cocktail glass. Hold the orange rind over the glass and bend it to release its oils (can be done in front of a flame for added effect and a carmelized taste) then drop into the drink (running it around the rim first is also not a bad idea).

The drink was definitely orange, but with many more notes than simply Gin and Juice. It smelled sweet, almost perfumey (thank you orange blossom water), but the first sip tapped into the roundedness of the Combier, and the bitters sealed the deal replacing the sweetness with a burnt orange bitterness that lingered on the tongue. I can still taste it.

Bombay Saphire in a one liter bottle: $30, Combier Liquor: $32, fresh squeezed O.J: $5, Reagan's Orange Bitters No6: $9, Orange Blossom water: $5, orange rind: $1... spending time with Richard: Priceless.

C is for Cynar, That's Good Enough For Me

As I feared, I am having some trouble balancing everything in my life, and as a result haven't made the time to regularly update this blog. But, that doesn't mean I haven't been mixing. In fact, it is precisely all the mixing and accompanying merriment that have eaten (or more accurately, drank away) all of my time. No, I'm not drunk all the time, just inspired... and our friends are all too happy to reap the benefits of an inspired mixologist.

What has been so inspiring you wonder? For one, this whole blog was launched because of the cocktail I was asked to create for the Brooklyn Public Library's 13th Annual Gala: The Magic of Childhood. In exchange for creating an original, seasonal cocktail, they gave me space for an advertisement in the evening's program (above). Additionally my name and role was featured in several online write-ups of the event. Exciting! I had been wanting to take this hobby to the next level for quite some time and this really helped it along. My spouse even had business cards made as a surprise for my birthday. Look...

So... with the launch of this blog, their free advertising, and the purchase of business cards the event was successful even before it began. Furthermore, I made an effort to speak with every guest whom I saw drinking the cocktail and without fail, each one said that they were enjoying it.

Wanting to make future events as (or more) successful I can think a few initiatives. First, it is important to understand how the drink will be assembled and served on the day of the event, and to even meet with the bartenders prior to the event's start. This would allow them to see the proportions I use, and to see and smell the finished drink. Never underestimate the importance of smell in a cocktail. Much of the time it tells you all you need to know about how the drink will taste.

Finally, better aware of the importance of marketing, I will be more creative with how a drink is described. Since most people have not heard of Cynar I wish I had included a brief description to encourage each guest to try it. For this event I could have offered something like... "Experience the bright, sweet taste of the cider you drank as a kid, perfectly balanced with the gentle, herbal qualities of an Italian artichoke liquor", or, "The simplicity of childhood cider paired deliciously with the sophistication of a digestif".

Knowing there's room for improvement, I look forward to applying the lessons I have learned from this first big event. Meanwhile, stay tuned for entries on what I have been up to since then...

Cheers!
Doug.

The Johnny Appleseed a.k.a. One of These Flavors Is Not Like the Others

Base: 2oz Vodka (though bourbon, rye, gin, or rum works well too)

Front: 3oz of Apple Cider

Back: 1/2oz of Cynar

Thin slice of apple for a garnish

Pour all of the ingredients except the garnish into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake about 15 times, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Finally, add the apple slice for garnish. Feeling fancy? Use the apple slice to wet the rim of the cocktail glass before pouring the cocktail in, then turn it upside down onto a plate dusted with various fall spices (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, ground cloves, brown sugar, etc.). This will rim the glass with accompanying flavors prior to pouring in the cocktail.

This drink was commissioned for the Brooklyn Public Library's 13th Annual gala event celebrating the magic of childhood. The vodka base is hidden by the dominance of the apple smell and sweet cider taste which is immediately replaced with the rounded bitterness of the Crynar (an artichoke flavored Amoro). Since Sesame Street is celebrating its 40th anniversary, I was looking for a cocktail where one ingredient was not like the others.

At first I played with creating a sesame flavored simple syrup, but upon talking to the event planner it was clear that it would be difficult to make such a syrup for the event since I do not have a commercial kitchen and there is no kitchen at the Brooklyn Public Library. In using the Cynar I intended to craft a cocktail that was at once familiar, seasonal, and local (hence the apple cider), and that leaves the drinker wondering what that closing flavor is... perhaps initiating another round?

I was also trying to be mindful that many guests probably do not drink cocktails like I do, and might want something fairly subtle and approachable. When playing with the ratios I added lemon juice at one point, as well as sweet vermouth (Formula Antiqua). Each added to the flavor but took away from the apple that I was going for in the beginning. It is called the Johnny Appleseed after all.

And a special thanks to all my tasters... you know who you are!