Brian Samuels

August 14, 2013

Pimm's and Tonic

Brian Samuels

August 14, 2013

As Eric and I packed for our weeklong trip to the Cape, we both felt it was necessary to box up some of our liquor cabinet. What a shame it would be if we wanted to make a drink with vermouth in it, only to find we had none! Our traveling bar was chock-full of bottles of Aperol, St. Germain, Pimm's, and assorted infused syrups and bitters. Over the next seven days, more than a few of those were emptied. We were very productive.

Unlike the traditional Pimm's Cup, which is a simple concoction of Pimm's topped with lemon-lime soda, I decided to use tonic and add a splash of Aperol to kick things up a notch. A squeeze of lemon and a cucumber garnish turns this into the perfect late summer beverage. It almost makes you forget how quickly this summer is flying by.

Pimm's and Tonic

Servings 4 drinks

Ingredients 8 oz Pimm's 2 oz Aperol 1 oz lemon juice 1 English cucumber, peeled lengthwise into thin strips. Tonic

Instructions

1. Pour 2 ounces of Pimm's, 1/2 ounce of Aperol, and 1/4 oz lemon juice into each Collins glass.

2. Fill three-quarters of the way with ice.

3. Garnish the glass with cucumber.

4. Add tonic.

5. Give a quick stir with a spoon and serve.

Brian Samuels

May 24, 2013

Beverage

Classic Negroni

Brian Samuels

May 24, 2013

Beverage

As I open the door I’m greeted by Maki’s wagging tail. In no mood to play, I do my best to brush her away, but our sweet dog’s persistance wins me over. Fine… just a few minutes. She guides me into the living room so we can roll around on the floor. Soon, she has me pinned down and I get attacked with a few licks of her tongue, leaving long streaks of slobber across my glasses.

Exhausted, I call it quits and get my body off the ground. Maki, disappointed, retires to her bed. She wonders if maybe, just maybe, I’ll come back to play with her. Sorry pup, I’m finished for the night. It’s time to make dinner… and mix a drink.

After a long day, the kitchen becomes my sanctuary. Before any onions are chopped, I throw a few rocks into my glass. An aperitif is in order to ease into a relaxing night of nothingness. I whip up my old standard: a Negroni. An equal pour of the three ingredients, a quick stir, and we’re in business.

Before the drink hits my lips, I shave a piece of orange peel and rim the glass with it. The result is subtle, but effective. The aroma of the citrus breathes life into the Negroni, but a bitter herbaceousness is present in the first sip, mellowed only by the sweet vermouth. Another taste and my mind is no longer thinking of work and the stresses of my day. I’m in the here and now.

The onion and garlic sizzle as they hit the pan of butter. I rub my hand across my perspiring forehead, only to look down to see the glass sweating as well. You and me both, my friend. I pick up my drink. Cheers. Sip. Smile.

Classic Negroni

Yield: 1 cocktail Glassware: Rocks Glass

Tools Bar spoon Jigger or shot glass

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz

(45 ml)

gin 1 1/2 oz

(45 ml)

Campari 1 1/2 oz

(45 ml)

sweet vermouthIce

Orange peel, garnish

Ice

Instructions

1. Fill the glass with ice, followed by the gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Stir gently.

2. Rim the glass with the orange peel and then add the peel into the drink.

3. Serve.

Brian Samuels

May 8, 2013

Beverage

Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub

Brian Samuels

May 8, 2013

Beverage

Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub from A Thought For Food

We drank a lot that Monday night. More than we normally do. More than we should have on any weekday, but, hell, we were doing it as a part of our mixology education. The class was with Domingo-martin Barreres, the head bartender at Market by Jean-Georges and he had provided a number of recipes to try that night. Besides the six cocktails we were also given free reign to play with the ingredients purchased for the class. That led to another four or five beverages. Oh, and we hadn't eaten dinner yet.

Two things I took away from that evening were 1) that cocktails incorporating egg whites are da bomb and 2) that shrubs are going to be used in every one of our cocktails this summer. Shrubs, for those of you who aren't familiar with them, are vinegar based syrups. These shrubs are made by mashing fresh fruit with sugar and then soaking the fruit in vinegar for a week. The result is a slightly acidic, sweet, and fruity liquid that can be added to a cocktail to give it a little zip. There are basic shrubs (mango, strawberry, apple), but you can also play around with them to create some fun pairings (mango sriracha, strawberry basil, apple ginger). Here, though, I wanted to go seasonal, so I went straight for the classic strawberry-rhubarb combo.

Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub

(adapted from the recipe from Domingo-martin Barreres, the head bartender at Market by Jean-Georges)

Ingredients

.75 cups cut up fresh strawberries

.75 cups cut up rhubarb

1.5 cups white sugar

.75 cups balsamic vinegar

.75 cups cider vinegar

Directions

In a bowl, combine the cut up strawberries and rhubarb. Sprinkle the sugar on top and then mix together until all the fruit is coated with sugar. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
Mash the fruit with a wooden spoon or whatever tool you have around to break up the fruit. Once you have done so, let sit for another hour. At this point, a lot of the juices should have been released.
After it has sat, mash the fruit again until it is completely mushy. Let sit, covered, at room temperature, for 24 hours.
Add in the vinegar, stir, and let sit, covered, for one week, making sure to give it a good stir every day.
After a week, strain the fruit from the mixture and save the liquid in a mason jar for up to 3 weeks. Use in a cocktail (I've provided a recipe for a Strawberry Rhubarb Collins below)