Dandelion in the sky - Hendrick's Lunar Gin

If there is one gin-brand that you could label as ‘iconic’, it must be Hendrick’s. This is the brand that ignited the gin hype with a cucumber and rose petal flavored gin. 

A few weeks ago they officially launched Hendrick’s Lunar Gin in our country. A new bottling with a slightly altered profile. This Limited Edition created by Master Distiller Lesley Gracie is full bodied and floral with a refined and herbal tail. The citrus works as a carrier to bring you the right experience. This gin is created to be enjoyed with Indian tonic or even ginger-ale. The typical cucumber garnish still works, but also black peppercorns could be nice. 

The official online launch event with Olga Leyers wasn’t really my stylish cup of Hendrick’s tea… but the gin and the cocktail suggestions inspired me to try an out-of-the-box recipe. What if I started from a recipe which is initially meant for Bourbon… and play with that until it’s just right for this gin. 

There are two ways to make an Old Fashioned. The right way (spirit, sugar and bitters) and the wrong or messy way (first muddling a slice of orange and a cherry in the glass). Yes, that second way is also a real option that was used throughout history. Never seen an episode of ‘Mad Men’? 

Normally I wouldn’t dream of doing that messy stuff, but by dissolving a spoon of marmalade in your drink, you’ll get that same extra fruity note. 

The dandelion marmalade was homemade by my foodblogging wife. The flowers were handpicked by my daughter ‘in the wild’… at a place where people don’t walk their dogs 😉. Of course I also made sure to have an ‘easy alternative’. 

Location, location, location… Just for once I didn’t mix this drink in my homebar. This shoot was done COVID-proof at ‘Paal 26’, a brasserie close to the highway where the bartenders really love Hendrick’s Gin. Manager Kristoff is a real cocktail-enthusiast, so this shoot could lead to more tasty projects together. Thanks for inviting me behind your bar !

“Dandelion in the sky”
Old Fashioned

Ingredients
50 ml Hendrick’s Lunar gin
7,5 ml Simple Syrup
1 dash of Angostura Aromatical Bitters
1 dash of Angostura Orange bitters
1 barspoon of Dandelion marmalade

Method
You might be tempted to shake this drink instead of stirring, because of the marmalade. But actually that really doesn’t seem to work. You can stir this one directly in your tumbler, or in a mixing glass. 

Add the marmalade, sugar and bitters. Add a tiny splash of water if needed. Muddle the marmalade to get it liquid again, so it will mix better with the gin. Add gin and ice cubes. Stir for 15 seconds. Garnish with orange peel or a dehydrated orange wheel. Don’t use a cocktail cherry, it works well with bourbon but it’s no winner with gin.  

Dandelion Marmalade Recipe

Ingredients
200 Dandelion flowers
1 pack of jam sugar (2 Kg fruit for 1 Kg sugar)
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lemon
900 ml water

Method
We only need the small yellow petals from the flowers. Pick them by hand and add to a pan with the orange and lemon juice. Add water until everything is under the surface (For us it was +- 900 ml.). Bring to the boil for 5 minutes. Cover and let it rest for 24 hours. 

Strain through a cheese cloth and mix the liquid with the jam sugar. Bring to the boil again and stir for the time mentioned on the pack of sugar. Pour the jam in sterilized marmalade jars. Close and let them cool down. 

Easy alternative : “Orange Moon” Old Fashioned

If you can’t make or find dandelion marmalade I would suggest to use a good quality orange marmalade instead. You can buy a jar of orange marmalade in any supermarket. But to keep the cocktail clean, I would stir it in a mixing glass and fine strain into your tumbler to remove the pieces of zest. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations. 

The Old Fashioned Mexican - El Ron Prohibida Reserva 22y

Question of the day: Cocktails with exclusive or expensive spirits – Yes or No?

A cocktail can only be as good as the ingredients. If you use poor quality ingredients, it will be much harder to get to a delicious result. For home use I would recommend to pick the ‘normal’ range of products, which is widely available in liqueur stores. Creating cocktails with high end spirits is a whole other ballgame. I have seen it done successful, for example with the ‘Green Club Card’ menu at Bar Burbure in Antwerp. They brought very clever variations on classic cocktails, but lifted up to the absolute maximum in flavour. Often they also paired it with a bite to create a complete taste experience.  

Experimenting with high end spirits is of course expensive. That’s why you need to limit the fails. Always start from a classic recipe and slightly adapt the recipe. I’ll give you a practical case. Let’s say we start with the father of all recipes, the Old Fashioned. This cocktail only contains a good quality spirit, sugar, bitters and ice. The sugar is the easiest part to adapt. In liqueur stores you will find a whole range of sugar syrups that you can try in your Old Fashioned. Swapping the simple syrup for honey or vanilla syrup will absolutely add something extra. These are both very safe tries with brown spirits, but if you use gin as your spirit, you could even try cucumber syrup. The sky is the limit. 

The same goes for bitters. Traditionally the Old Fashioned is made with a few dashes of Angostura Aromatic bitters, but you could easily swap this for other bitters that complement the flavors of the spirit. I have made some great Old Fashioned cocktails with walnut bitters or orange bitters. Adding 10 or 20 ml of Amaro is a similar variation. It adds a herbal touch to your drink. 

Another nice option is to cut back on the sugar and add some sweet sherry to the mix instead. This will add sweetness but also a nice silky layer. An Old Fashioned with some Pedro Ximenez sherry added is called a Velvet Old Fashioned.  

The new bottle on my home-bar today is a very nice Mexican rum, El Ron Prohibido Reserva 22y. If you like whisky, you know that 22 years is already pretty long. For Rum it’s even more impressive, because this spirit ages in a much warmer climate. A 22y old rum can be compared in aging with a 40y old whisky, at least!

I don’t want to spill too much of this rum, so I opted for a (safe!) nice and tasty Old Fashioned. 

The Old Fashioned Mexican

Ingredients
60 ml El Ron Prohibido Reserva 22y
10 ml Vanilla syrup
2 dashes Angostura Cocoa Bitters

Method
You can easily stir this one up directly in the glass. Or you can mix it in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Strain your drink into a tumbler with fresh ice. Garnish with a sweet amarena cherry.

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Magical cocktails with Illugin Gin

In the glass, most gins look pretty much the same. But they all have a very different bouquet of tastes and aromas. This Gin is different in every possible way. It’s not a London Dry Gin and it has a very sexy color, which changes while you mix your drink. 

Illugin is a new gin by a small company located at The Belgian coast. In a market that’s swamped with small batch gins, they wanted to launch a new Belgian gin. But it had to be a special one. A real eye catcher with a wonderful taste.  

The most important difference with the average gin in your supermarket : This is an Old Tom Distilled Gin. Slightly sweeter than a London Dry Gin, dryer than a Dutch Genever, but certainly not so sweet as some sticky Spanish gins. 

Illugin contains a selection of botanicals such as coriander, caraway, angelica root and blueberries. And here comes the magical part - Among the botanicals used to produce this gin, there’s also a flower that adds “color changing magic” to your drinks. Illugin markets this flower as a secret, but this isn’t the first color changing gin I’ve seen. The flower that’s responsible for this party trick is the Clitoria Ternatea, also known as the Blue Pea or Butterfly Pea, originally grown in Asia and used mainly in tea.

It’s really fun to play with and it will amaze your guests. The color changing happens easily by adding some citrus or tonic to your drink. This colorful gin doesn’t contain any artificial colorants, only natural botanicals. 

So this might not be the first Butterfly Pea Gin I’ve seen, it’s definitely one of the tastiest. I really love the taste and aroma of this Old Tom Gin and had lots of fun playing around with it. I used it in three serves this week, which were all pretty and delicious: I mixed up the obligatory Gin & Tonic (watch the cool video on Facebook and Instagram, it’s made with my smartphone by my 9y old daughter !!!). 

After that I also mixed up a Gin Sour and a Martinez. The Martinez is a classic recipe that really needs an Old Tom gin to get it 100% right. For the Gin & Tonic I used a 1/3 ratio with a neutral Indian Tonic. For both cocktails I’ll add the recipes below. 

Magical Gin Sour

Ingredients
50 ml Illugin Old Tom gin
30 ml Fresh lemon juice
10 ml Simple syrup
1 egg white

Method
Add all ingredients to a shaker with just ONE single icecube. Shake hard for 10 seconds.
Add more ice and shake again for 10 seconds to cool it down. Strain in a pre-chilled coupe. 

Magical Martinez

Ingredients
50 ml Illugin Old Tom Gin
25 ml Starlino sweet vermouth
7 ml Leonce Extra Dry vermouth
7 ml Maraschino liqueur
1 dash Angostura bitters

Method
Stir all ingredients together in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Strain into a pre-chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry. 

If you can handle a slightly more difficult bar-skill, also express a piece of orange peel above the glass to spread some of those fantastic oils. Throw away the peel, don’t put it in your drink. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Xmas Gifts Parade 2020 : Ron La Progresiva 13

A while ago we mixed some drinks with Black Tears, a Cuban spiced rum. Today I’m sipping a relative of this rum, Ron La Progresiva 13. This rum is hand-crafted by Bodega Vigia’s women rum maestros. 

It’s an elegant dry rum, which can easily compare to a fine cognac or rare whisky.
We’re going for a Cuban-Spanish twist on the Old Fashioned.

Vigia Old Fashioned

Ingredients
50 ml Ron La Progresiva 13
15 ml Gonzalez Byass Nectar (Pedro Ximenez sherry)
15 ml Gonzalez Byass Viña AB (Amontillado Sherry)
1 dash Bleeding Heart Calamansi bitters (alternative could be grapefruit bitters)

Method
You can either stir this drink straight in the tumbler, or stir first in a mixing glass and strain into the tumbler. Make sure you got a nice block of ice in your tumbler. Garnish with an amarena cherry. 

Tip: Serve with a piece of dark chocolate !

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Xmas Gifts Parade 2020 : Lambay Whiskey

It seems that the bottles which appear in liqueur stores this Christmas period are not average at all. What to think of this one: Lambay Whiskey, a triple distilled Irish whiskey, soft and smooth… but also finished in cognac casks. A full-bodied spirit with notes of malt, flora, almonds and pepper. 

Cocktail? For me this really screams for an Old Fashioned or Sazerac style of drink. Let’s go for the first option in a recipe that let’s the cask speak for itself. This cocktail is smooth as a silk sheet with soft herbal notes. 

The Old Barrel

Ingredients
60 ml Lambay Whiskey (cognac finish)
15 ml Benedictine
15 ml Gonzalez Byass AB (Amontillado sherry)
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir for 15 seconds and strain in a tumbler with a big rock of ice. Garnish with a cocktail cherry. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Don Papa Old Fashioned

Last Tuesday I was invited to a webinar for the launch of the brand new Bleeding Heart Bitters, made by the distillers of Don Papa Rum. These bitters are based on calamansi citrus, the result is a very nice combination of bitter and fresh influences. 

Of course I had to try them in a variation on the oldest classic cocktail. Needless to say these bitters works excellent in combination with rum. 

Don Papa Old Fashioned

Ingredients
60 ml Don Papa Rum
15 ml Simple syrup
1 drop Maraschino
3 drops Bleeding Heart Calamansi Bitters

Method
Combine everything in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir until chilled and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Pinch the oils from an orange zest and add one to the glass. 

Disclaimer: All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

  

Old Fashioned Week 2020 : Rhum J.M. Fumée Volcanique

Let me start by stating “You love it or you hate it”. While your average rum is made from melasses (a by-product of the sugar industry), rhum agricole is made from the juice of sugar cane. It’s a bit less sweet and you get more raw flavours in the nose. Still, it won’t scare you, it’s just slightly different. This Rhum J.M. Fumée Volcanique bottling enhances those raw flavours by adding tons of smoke. I would recommend this bottle only for the real rum-lovers. Definitely not for anyone who is just starting to taste rum. Personally I can really appreciate the taste, but the smoky aroma is almost as heavy as an Islay whisky… I still have to get used to this for a rum. 

This rum has aged between 12 and 14 months in ex-Bourbon casks, which were heavily charred by Rhum J.M. The result is a very smoky aroma, salted butter and caramel. In the mouth notes of lime, sugar cane, honey and anise. A very special rum, which delivers a Rum Old Fashioned with a very smoky kick. 

I’ll try to lift up the typical casks influences by adding vanilla syrup. Also lifting up the typical cacao flavours of the rum by using the brand new cacao forastero bitters. You can find these bitters in the better liqueur store, alone or in a set of three together with “piment bondamanjak bitters” and “fleur d’atoumo bitters”. The cacao bitters are a maceration of roasted cocoa beans, peanuts, coffee, sarsaparilla branch, lime zest, vanilla pods and cinnamon sticks. The alcohol used for these bitters is white rum Agricole. 

Volcano Old Fashioned

Ingredients
60 ml Rhum J.M. Fumée Volcanique
10 ml Vanilla syrup
2 dashes Bitters J.M. Cacao Forastero

Method
Stir together in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Strain into a tumbler with a block of fresh ice. Garnish with a dehydrated slice of orange. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Old Fashioned Week 2020 : El Ron Prohibido 12

As said earlier this week, we received two bottles of El Ron Prohibido on our homebar. The second bottle is the Solera 12 blended Mexican Rum. In the nose crushed walnuts, sugar and vanilla. Second comes raisin and prune. In the mouth lots of honey, chocolate and raisin. Just like the 15 Gran Reserva, this one also has lots of influence by the sweet raisin casks. You also get a bit a coffee and nutmeg. The coffee notes stay in the finish. I’m happy that I didn’t use this one for my ‘Rum & Coffee’ Old Fashioned, because it would be too much. 

The lighter and fresher notes inspired to add even more fruity notes in this cocktail. 

Mexican Old Fashioned

Ingredients
50 ml El Ron Prohibido Solera 12 Mexican Rum
20 ml World’s End Falernum (Rum based)
10 ml Simple syrup
2 dashes of Angostura Orange bitters

Method
Stir together in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Strain into a tumbler with fresh ice.
Garnish with a dehydrated slice of orange. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Old Fashioned Week 2020 : Ardbeg Wee Beastie

Probably the bottle that sparked my curiosity the most during this year’s #oldfashionedweek: Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 years. Yes, that’s pretty young and I really wanted to experience how much of an Islay-beastie this dram could be. To my surprise this whisky sure kicks a punch. It’s the rawest and smokiest Ardbeg I have tasted. It didn’t disappoint at all. This brand new expression is the most recent addition to the Ardbeg Ultimate Range. 

Ardbeg Wee Beastie is matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. This dram absolutely activates your senses. Cracked black pepper is very dominant. Pine and smoke. In the mouth lots of chocolate, then tar and creosote. The Beast awakens. A hint of grilled meat and a tail of the salty Islay air. A whisky of 5 years is pretty young. You don’t have the mellowing effect of aging, hence the strong kick. This is an excellent base for a powerful smoky cocktail. 

Wee Beastie Old Fashioned

Ingredients
60 ml Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5
15 ml Honey syrup
10 ml Amaro Montenegro
2 dashes Walnut bitters

Method
Stir together in a mixing glass (all except the amaro) with lots of ice. Strain into your tumbler with a big block of ice. Add a float of Amaro on top. Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Old Fashioned Week 2020 : El Ron Prohibido 15

If you drink rum in the morning, you’re not an alcoholic but a pirate 😉 

If you take a glance at the fantastic bottles of El Ron Prohibido, you really start to feel like Jack Sparrow. These bottles could easily be props for a new ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie. 

El Ron Prohibido is Mexican rum produced by Cervecera Mexicana distillery using the well-known Solera system which is used for several brands of rum and sherry. In the Solera system new rum is mixed with older rums. Instead of ex-bourbon barrels, they use ex-wine barrels for aging. 

Two of their dark rums landed on our homebar and they really do not disappoint. For the first cocktail based on this rum, I opened the 15 solera edition. This rum has tones of sweet caramel, nuts, wood, raisins and plums. It has a spicy finish. The raisin wine casks have left a deep influence in this rum, which really makes it different from most Caribbean rums. This is a perfect dessert rum, which might be the rum I was looking for to blend with coffee liqueur. 

Rum & Coffee Old Fashioned

Ingredients
50 ml El Ron Prohibido Solera 15 Gran Reserva
20 ml Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
7 ml Simple syrup
1 or 2 dashes of Angostura Orange bitters

Method
Stir together in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Strain into a tumbler with fresh ice. Garnish with a dehydrated slice of orange. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations

Old Fashioned Week 2020 : Sakurao Gin

We already had a Japanese whisky in this years edition of the Old Fashioned Week, but because today is also #internationalgintonicday I’m mixing one up with a base of Japanese Gin. And I bet gin would be the last thing on your mind when I tell you I’m experimenting with something from Hiroshima. 

Sakurao Dry Gin is made with 9 fresh local botanicals from Hiroshima (green lemon, sweet navel oranges, sweet summer oranges, yuzu, bitter dai dai oranges, Japanese cypress, green tea, aka shiso and ginger) and 5 imported botanicals such as juniper berries and coriander seeds.  

This gin has lots of citrus notes (lemon and yuzu), but also aromas from Japanese cypress and oyster shells. The typical Japanese flavours comes from cherry blossoms, which we also remember from the excellent Roku Gin. In this case the cherry blossoms also gave the name to the gin. Sakura is also the symbol of Sakurao, where the distillery is located. 

Maybe it’s not that very common to use gin for an Old Fashioned, but it’s absolutely possible. The botanicals used in the gin add an extra herbal dimension to the cocktail. For this drink I noticed the strong citrus flavours and added more fruity notes. The result is a very fruity Old Fashioned that doesn’t look like an Old Fashioned at all 😉.  

Sakurao Old Fashioned

Ingredients
60 ml Sakurao Dry Gin
15 ml Rhurbarb Liqueur
2 dashes cranberry bitters

Method
Stir everything together in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Strain into a nice wineglass. This drink has strong flavours, it really doesn’t need a garnish. A nice flower might be a good option, but I didn’t have any available…  

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Old Fashioned Week 2020 : Togouchi whisky

I’ve always had a weird relationship with Japanese whisky. The early bottles just didn’t do it for me and it was only after a masterclass of Suntory’s Toki and Hibiki whisky bottlings that I became interested. 

Recently I received a bottle of Togouchi Premium Blended Japanese Whisky. Of course I have nothing against blended whisky. In the UK the blended malt bottlings of Douglas Laing and Monkey Shoulder are extremely tasty. Togouchi uses a blend of Scottish malt and Canadian grain. At the Chugoku Jozo distillery they don’t age this whisky in warehouses, but in tunnels in Togouchi were it’s always 15°. This reminds us of course of the many caves we visited in the Champagne region. 

A first sip from this bottle wasn’t really extravert or exciting. But it did have that typical Japanese peachy flavour which is always more floral and fruity than Scottish whisky. In the mouth it has a lot of butter and caramel. Also fruit and nuts. I decided to try a very fruity Asian style of Old Fashioned for this one. 

Togouchi Old Fashioned

Ingredients
60 ml Togouchi Blended Whisky
15 ml Marie Brizard Litchi Liqueur 
2 dashes Grapefruit bitters

Method
Stir everything together in a mixglass with lots of ice. Strain into a tumbler with a big block of ice. Add a dehydrated lemon slice. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Chairman's Reserve Spice Lab Competition - Spicy Rum Old Fashioned

 

Most bartender competitions are more or less the same. The goal is to create a fantastic cocktail, using the product(s) of the organising producer. I was excited to see a completely different competition, launched by Chairman’s Reserve, a rum-brand from Saint Lucia Distillers, based on a small island with the same name south of Martinique in the Caribbean.

Next to their original Chairman’s Reserve Rum, they are also known for their tasty Spiced Rum. The exact recipe of this mix is of course a secret, but they based their ‘Spice Lab’ bartender competition on the skill of spicing up your rum.

Bartenders from nine countries (UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, China and Santa Lucia) could enter the competition and create their own spiced blend, starting from Chairman’s Reserve original Rum. This flagship product is a marriage of aged rums from coffey and pot stills. Each batch is matured separately in ex-bourbon casks. Later they are blended and rested in oak vats for an additional six months. The average age of the blend is five years. This rum has the typical richness of pot still rums, with aroma’s of cooked banana, caramelized fruits and spicy oak derived vanilla. Flavours of chocolate, golden raisin, tobacco and clove with a long and creamy finish.
The known spices used for their Spiced Rum are cinnamon, bois bandé (bark of Richeria Grandis), vanilla pods, nutmeg, cloves, mint, bay leaves, ginger, turmeric, garlic and several fruit syrups and essences.

On Santa Lucia each family has its own secret recipe to create spiced rums. From all the contestants in this competition, three winners will be selected who can produce their own limited edition of spiced rum, which will be marketed internationally.
In the first round the competing bartenders had to describe their vision of a spiced rum. From idea to serve. The selected bartenders from the first round then received a kit containing six spices, and room for a maximum of three extra spices to be added by themselves.

In the kit : cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla pods, almonds and orange peel. This second round will end in September, giving the bartenders enough time to perfect their spiced rum creation and promote it in their community.

Only the best creations will be selected for the third and final round : Three bartenders will be chosen and invited to Santa Lucia from the 17th to the 21st of November 2020 to create their own limited edition of Chairman’s Spiced Rum in collaboration with the R&D team. Part of the profits from this Limited Edition will be donated to local associations to help the hospitality community of Santa Lucia, deeply affected by the COVID19 crisis.
  
I was very lucky to receive the same kit to do my own experiments. I decided to add star anise and liquorice and mix it up to a nice Spicy Rum Old Fashioned. I added the rum and spices to a small jar and let it macerate for a few days. I removed the spices and had it rest for a few more days, before using it in my cocktail. The result was (for my personal taste)… absolutely delicious !

Spicy Rum Old Fashioned

Ingredients
50 ml Home-spiced Chairman’s Reserve Rum
10 ml Simple syrup
1 dash of nutty bitters
1 dash of orange bitters

Method
All ingredients can go directly into a bold tumbler. Stir with lots of ice. Add a cocktail cherry. Enjoy.

P.S. This drink also pairs fantastic with a good cigar !!!
 
Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Rye Sazerac - An all-time classic

 

No special story or bottle test, just a nice drink because I was craving for this one. The Sazerac is the official cocktail of New Orleans and without any doubt one of my favourite Old Fashioned cocktails. You can make it with brandy or Rye whiskey. The best cocktail I ever tasted was a Sazerac created with super-premium cognac.

It’s very easy to prepare, just like an Old Fashioned recipe should be: You only need your spirit, sugar, bitters and ice.

This time I really wanted to make one with Rye. I also used Absinthe bitters instead of Peychaud’s bitters.

Rye Sazerac

Ingredients
6 cl Sunken Still Rye whisky
1 cl simple syrup
2 dashes Absinthe bitters
Absinthe (for the rinse)

Method
Start by giving your glass a nice Absinthe rinse. Put all other ingredients in a mixglass with lots of ice. Stir for 20 seconds and strain in your glass. Garnish with a peel or a dehydrated slice of lemon.

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Old Fashioned Week : Timorous Beastie

 

Het leven van een blogger zit vol aangename verrassingen. Enkele dagen geleden zag ik een leuke Instagram-post van een bevriende blogger, die een lekker recept publiceerde op basis van Timorous Beastie, een whisky uit de Remarkable Malts reeks van Douglas Laing. Ik reageerde op die posting en vermelde dat dit waarschijnlijk de enige whisky was uit die reeks die ik nog niet had geproefd. Waarschijnlijk heeft er toen iemand bij Douglas Laing gedacht “Geef die man eens snel een glas whisky”, want twee dagen later ontving ik een express-levering vanuit Schotland, met een staal van deze whisky. Dit lijkt me dan ook een zalige afsluiter voor deze editie van de Old Fashioned Week.

Timorous Beastie is een blend van highland malts van o.a. Blair Athol, Dalmore, Glen Garloch en Glengoyne. In de neus een heel zoet aroma, daarna floraal en een beetje kruidig. In de mond eveneens zoet/fruitig, zacht, rozijnen. Een subtiele zoete finish met eik en granen. De naam is een eerbetoon aan dichter Robert Burns en zijn gedicht “To a mouse” (zie verder).

Silky Mouse Old Fashioned

Ingrediënten
5 cl Douglas Laing Timorous Beastie Highland Malt
2 cl Gonzalez Byass Nectar (PX Sherry)
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Bereiding
Het klassieke Old Fashioned recept voor deze specifieke whisky is met een barlepel bruine suiker. In dat geval doe je de suiker in een mixglas met de bitters en de helft van de whisky. Roer tot de suiker opgelost is. Vul een Old Fashioned glas met ijs en strain de cocktail in het glas. Vul nu verder aan met de resterende whisky.

Ik kies echter voor zoete Pedro Ximénez sherry i.p.v. bruine suiker. De invloed van de sherry zorgt voor een zijdezacht gevoel in de mond. Wanneer je kiest voor sherry kan je de cocktail zelfs rechtstreeks in het glas maken, al roert het natuurlijk wel wat handiger in een mixglas. Als versiering kan een mooi stukje sinaasappel, een cocktailkers, … of zelfs allebei samen.

Tip : Deze highland whisky en deze cocktail zijn allebei onwaarschijnlijk lekker bij een stukje gerijpte kaas zoals Comté of Parmezaan !

To a Mouse (Robert Burns)

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a pannic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

I'm truly sorry man's dominion,
Has broken nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!

I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!

Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell-
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.

Thy wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!

But, Mousie, thou art no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me
The present only toucheth thee:
But, Och! I backward cast my e'e.
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear

Old Fashioned Week : Back to 1824

 

Angostura is één van de vaste partners van de Old Fashioned Week. Het kan natuurlijk moeilijk anders, want Angostura bitters zijn onmisbaar in een klassieke versie van deze oercocktail. Vandaag maak ik nog eens een modernere versie met maar liefst drie topproducten van dit merk.

Nadat we eerder al schreven over Old Fashioned cocktails met andere Angostura rums (de vanillebom 1919, de 1787 super Premium, de cask collection Nr.1, …) kiezen we deze keer voor Angostura 1824. Dit is een blend van streng geselecteerde rums die minimaal 12 jaar rijpen op eiken vaten. De geblende rum wordt daarna opnieuw op vaten gelegd tot de blend echt helemaal top is.

Het resultaat is een mooie bronskleurige rum met smaken van zoete melasse, vanille en honing. Door de lange rijping krijg je zelfs een zweem van cognac. Ik had vooraf aangekondigd dat ik dit jaar voor smaakvolle gerijpte spirits zou kiezen, deze voldoet absoluut aan die beschrijving.

Back to 1824

Ingrediënten
5 cl Angostura 1824 Rum
2 cl Amaro di Angostura
1,5 cl honingsiroop
2 dashes Angostura Orange bitters

Bereiding
Alles samenvoegen in een mixglas met veel ijs. Krachtig roeren gedurende 15 seconden. Strainen in een Old Fashioned glas met een groot ijsblok. Versier met cocktailkersen.

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Old Fashioned Week : Bumbu XO

 

Deze matzwarte glazen fles met gerijpte rum kan je vinden bij de betere drankenhandel, maar de "gewone" Bumbu rum staat ook in de winkelrekken van Delhaize.

Omdat in een Old Fashioned de spirit heel erg op de voorgrond treedt, kiezen we dit jaar voor smaakvolle gerijpte spirits. Voor deze cocktail kies ik dan ook niet voor de “gewone” Bumbu, maar voor Bumbu XO. Je kan het recept ook maken met de gewone Bumbu rum, maar dan zijn de smaken niet zo diep als met de XO.

Bumbu XO rum wordt gedistilleerd in Panama in stookketels uit 1912 en gerijpt tot 18 jaar op bourbonvaten, met een finish in sherryvaten uit Andalusië. Er worden geen kunstmatige kleurstoffen of smaken toegevoegd. Net als de “gewone” Bumbu is deze rum vernoemd naar de legendarische Bumbu-rum gemaakt door zeelui in de West-Indies in de 16e en 17e eeuw. Gebotteld op 40% ABV met een duidelijke invloed van de sherry finish is dit een perfecte rum om van te genieten met een mooie robusto sigaar, maar deze rum leent zich ook uitstekend als basis voor de gekende klassieke rum-cocktails.

Bumbu Old Fashioned

Ingrediënten
5 cl Bumbu XO Rum
2 cl Amaro Montenegro
1,5 cl suikersiroop
2 dashes Angostura Orange bitters

Bereiding
Alles samenvoegen in een shaker met veel ijs. Krachtig shaken gedurende 15 seconden. Strainen in een cognacglas. Versier met lekker zoete cocktailkersen.

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Old Fashioned Week : Pantone Old Fashioned

 

Producenten van gerijpte spirits proberen hun klanten voortdurend te verrassen met speciale bottelingen, rijpingen of exceptionele vaten die om één of andere reden boven de rest uitstijgen. Maar het kan ook anders. Af en toe ontdek je wel eens een limited edition waarbij het niet zozeer gaat om de inhoud, maar om de fles zelf.

Felipe Pantone is een Spaans-Argentijnse artiest die bekend staat om zijn verwijzingen naar de jaren 80 en 90. Denk aan Fame en Flashdance. Na zijn studies werd hij bekend als graffiti-artiest Pantone. De invloeden van de graffiti cultuur kan je vandaag nog steeds duidelijk zien in zijn werk. Zijn werken kan je vandaag bewonderen in het Mesa Contemporary Arts Center, het Long Beach Museum of Art (VS) en het Palais de Tokyo (Parijs). In ons land exposeerde hij o.a. in het MIMA in Brussel en op het Motif Festival in Hasselt.

Momenteel heeft Hennessy een ‘Very Special Limited Edition’ in de betere drankenhandel liggen met een fles ontworpen door Felipe Pantone. Het ontwerp is gebaseerd op het originele kustwerk W-3 Dimensional Three Stars.

Uiteraard werd voor deze fles een bijzondere cognac geselecteerd uit de kelders. Deze botteling heeft een intens en fruitig karakter, samen met aangename smaaknoten van het eiken vat. In de mond geroosterde amandelen en frisse tonen van druiven.

Pantone Old Fashioned

Ingrediënten
5 cl Hennessy Cognac Limited Edition
2 cl Clément Creole Shrubb
4 druppels Absinthe bitters

Bereiding
Alles samenvoegen in een mengglas met veel ijs. Goed roeren gedurende een 15tal seconden. Strainen in een elegant glas op voet.
 
Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Old Fashioned Week : Eat Your Heart Out

 

Ik heb er nooit een geheim van gemaakt dat de Old Fashioned mijn favoriete cocktail is, dus het hoeft niet te verbazen dat ik al een tijdje uitkeek naar de Old Fashioned Week. Cocktails gebaseerd op de Old Fashioned staan weer 10 dagen lang in de schijnwerpers in duizenden cocktailbars wereldwijd. Voor elke verkochte Old Fashioned in de deelnemende bars gaat er een kleine bijdrage naar een goed doel. Net als de voorgaande jaren dragen wij een steentje bij door eveneens deze cocktail in de schijnwerpers te zetten.

Dit jaar kies ik bewust voor gerijpte smaakvolle spirits, die deze ‘spirit forward’ cocktail tot een hoger niveau kunnen brengen. Alle spirits zijn verkrijgbaar in de betere drankenhandel, sommige ook gewoon in de supermarkt. Geen rare onvindbare ingrediënten of moeilijke toestanden waar je een uur voor in de keuken moet staan. Geheel volgens de visie van deze blog kiezen we voor eenvoudige recepten met vindbare ingrediënten die een maximaal resultaat bereiken in smaak.
  
Gisteren gaven we al een eerste aanzet in het artikel over Sorgin Yellow Gin, maar vandaag gaan we echt van start met de eerste van een aantal leuke variaties die allemaal binnen het idee van het oorspronkelijke Old Fashioned recept vallen : spirit + suiker + bitters + water (=ijs).

Maar omdat het morgen Dia de los Muertos is, geven we er toch ook nog een feestelijk (of is het griezelig?) kantje aan.

Black Tears Rum is de enige spiced rum uit Cuba, de bakermat van de Mojito en Daiquiri. Black Tears of ‘Lágrimas Negras’ is een mytische song die door de Cubanen in het hart wordt gedragen. Het lied gaat over liefdesverdriet en het wenen van zwarte tranen, die in de rum vallen waardoor die een bitterzoete smaak krijgt. De Master Blender van Black Tears probeerde die mythe in werkelijkheid om te zetten met de creatie van deze spiced rum.

Deze rum leent zich schitterend voor highballs met gemberbier. Voor een zachte overgang van Halloween naar de Old Fashioned Week kozen we dan ook voor dit eenvoudig recept wat min of meer een highball versie is van een Rum Old Fashioned. En geloof me vrij, dit highball recept is echt griezelig lekker !

EAT YOUR HEART OUT

Ingrediënten
4,5 cl Black Tears Rum
0,75 cl Grenadine
Le Tribute Ginger Beer

Bereiding
De rum en grenadine gaan we eerst goed roeren in een mengbeker met veel ijs. Daarna strainen in een mooi Old Fashioned glas met een groot blok ijs. Aanvullen met gemberbier. Geen versiering nodig, vertel er liever een griezelig verhaaltje bij 😉

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Happy Birthday Jack - This Old Fashioned is Nuts !

 

Ik heb even getwijfeld om dit recept te bewaren voor de Old Fashioned Week, maar er waren toch voldoende argumenten om het nu reeds op de blog te gooien. Eerst en vooral omdat het een heerlijke herfstcocktail is, anderzijds ook als eerbetoon aan Jasper Newton ‘Jack’ Daniel.

September is immers de geboortemaand van Jack en dat vieren we een hele maand lang, omdat niemand nog weet op welke dag Jack precies jarig was. Op zijn graf staat September 1850, maar zelfs van het jaartal is niemand nog echt zeker. Alle documenten uit die tijd gingen immers verloren in een grote brand.

Dus bij deze : “Happy Birthmonth Jack”, we vieren dit met een Jack Daniel’s Old Fashioned die we helemaal in herfstsfeer brengen met notenlikeur en chocoladebitters.

This Old Fashioned is Nuts !

Ingrediënten
6 cl Jack Daniel’s Old Nr. 7
2 cl Aurian Liqueur de Noix 24°
1 cl suikersiroop
2 dashes Chocolate bitters

Bereiding
Alles samenvoegen in een mengbeker met veel ijs. Goed roeren tot alles perfect gemengd en gekoeld is. Serveren in een Old Fashioned tumblerglas met een groot helder ijsblok. Versier met een lekker plakkerige amarena-kers.

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.