More Fun than a Barrel of Aged Cocktails

Barrel-aged cocktailSome of the world’s best wines develop their complex flavors in barrels. So it makes sense that barrel aging might add similar depth to cocktails. Once an experiment for die-hard connoisseurs, barrel-aged cocktails are becoming more popular at bars and restaurants across the country.

Many brown spirits benefit from a barrel aging long before bottling, so returning them to a cask along with fellow cocktail components means added spice notes like cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as occasional hints of butterscotch and caramel, depending on the type of barrel that’s been used.

With white-spirit-based cocktails, the proper amount of barrel aging lends a more prominent base note to the proceedings. And I find that, no matter what the ingredients, a stint in the barrel often allows the many disparate components to marry better than they do in the shaker or glass, resulting in a smoother, more texturally appealing drinking experience.

(As far as doing this at home, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it… unless you have plans to consume copious quantities of cocktails. If you are undeterred, however, start off with a whiskey-based drink; manhattans are a good place to start, as the barrel-aging will allow the vermouth and whiskey to come together, but the wood itself won’t change the flavors too overtly.)

Washington DC’s BLT Steak barrel ages both its Brooklyn — made with rye, amer picon and maraschino — and its increasingly popular Pegu Club, which is made with gin, Cointreau and lemon juice. A few blocks from there, Graffiato lets both its Martinez and its Negroni age in barrels. The latter, a classic blend of Plymouth gin, Campari and Carpano Antica, picks up smoky, nuanced notes to balance its classic bitter notes. In Miami, The Cypress Room ages The Old Pal, a beautifully composed blend of bourbon, Campari, Carpano Antica and vermouth. The result is layered, complex and seriously gulpable.

Death + Company in New York uses whiskey barrel-aged bitters in its Cobrafang cocktail — a trend that I expect we will see more of in coming years as more consumers become increasingly familiar with bitters and their many variations.

Of course, barrel aging doesn’t always benefit a cocktail, just as it’s not always best for every wine. Rather, it is an option, yet another tool in the utility belt of serious mixologists all over the country. And it undoubtedly adds a layer of excitement to our already riveting national cocktail scene. No matter where you live.

Meatless Monday: Polenta with Eggplant and Peppers

polenta

Polenta with Eggplant and Peppers

As we pay greater attention to where our food comes from, our health and the health of what we’re consuming, even the most carnivorous eaters are taking a break from meat – at least occasionally. Of course, it can be challenging to follow Meatless Monday, the international campaign to eat vegetarian on Mondays. So we’ve turned to chefs for a little inspiration. Today, try polenta with eggplant and peppers from Farmers Fishers Bakers in Washington, DC. Keep reading…

Food Meets Fashion: Ling Tan

Food Meets Fashion examines the median where New York’s taste makers from the fashion and food industries converge. After all, foodies in fashion can’t live on green juice and champagne alone! We’re unveiling where our favorite designers, editors, and influentials love to eat, whether they’re wooing a client or chowing down with friends.

Ling Tan

city-eats-ling-tan

Ling Tan is Southeast Asia’s first supermodel. Though ethnically Chinese, she was born and raised in Malaysia. She changed the face of fashion with her exotic beauty, walking runways worldwide for designers like Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen among many others. The masters of fashion photography have captured her in their work, including Steven Meisel, Irving Penn, Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, Mario Testino, and the legendary Richard Avedon, who photographed Ling for the prestigious Pirelli calendar. Ling has appeared in the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, as well as in the campaigns of brands like Issey Miyake, Yves Saint Laurent, and Estee Lauder. Add to this a career in television (she appeared on Sex and The City and Blue Bloods after appearing on CNN’s Style Network) and you’ve got a mere sampling of her incredible resume. Keep reading…

The Ten: Favorite Frozen Drinks

Mermaid at Réunion
Photo Credit: Will Vaultz

With over 3,000 restaurants in NYC and only three meals a day, how do you choose your food wisely? We’ve foraged through the five boroughs tasting everything we can get our mouths on, and these are The Ten favorites (for right now).

In the heat of NYC summers, there’s nothing more refreshing than a boozy frozen beverage. To whet your thirst for the heat that’s bound to come around in the next couple of weeks, we’ve compiled a collection of our favorite frozen cocktails in the city. Frozen margaritas are a dime a dozen, so we’ve omitted them from this list (though we do include a mezcal-avocado cocktail).

Réunion’s Mermaid
This spin on a frozen mojito is named Mermaid (pictured above) because the tiny pieces of mint leaves shimmer in the cocktail like a mermaid’s tail does in water. The staff blends traditional mojito ingredients — Santa Teresa Claro rum, lime juice and fresh mint — then serves the mix in a tall glass with a sugarcane swizzle stick.

Otto’s Shrunken Head’s German Chocolate Cake
Coconut rum, vanilla ice cream, hazelnut liqueur and chocolate syrup are blended with ice to create Otto’s signature frozen cocktail. At this tiki bar, it’s served in what else, but a tiki glass.

Keep reading…

Bottoms Up: Left Bank’s Canadian Trilogy

 

Sometimes life calls for a cocktail — especially on a Friday. While you can’t go wrong with a simple vodka and soda, there are times when you want to really shake things up. We turn to area restaurants and bars for inspiration. This week, try New York restaurant Left Bank pays homage to our northerly neighbors with the Canadian Trilogy.

Canadian Trilogy

Ingredients

  • 1½ oz Applejack brandy
  • 1½ oz Canadian club whiskey
  • 1 Dash citrus bitters
  • 1 tsp of Crown Maple Syrup