BAR PILOT

A Shot of Turkey

Baste your bird in booze!

Posted by: John Chandler on Nov 19, 2010 at 11:00AM 6 Comments

Since at least the dawn of time (or perhaps earlier), culinary minds have been pondering various methods for marrying booze and bird during the holiday season; a way to make the Tryptophan coma just a little trippier. Cheer up drinking buddies, your prayers have been answered. I am indeed thankful for the good folks over at the awesome food blog Endless Simmer for this little gem of a recipe.

Since I’m in a sharing mood, I’d love it if you’d send in your own genius ideas for improving the Thanksgiving meal. What’s the perfect alcohol accompaniment? When it comes to pie should it be pumpkin, pecan, or mince? What do you do with leftovers?

Jägermeister Roasted Turkey with Fresh Herbs

1 Fresh Turkey 13-15 lbs.

1 sweet onion cut in quarter

1 carrot peeled and chopped

1 branch of celery chopped

A bouquet of sage, parsley and marjoram

Salt and pepper

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp minced lemon zest

¼ cup Jägermeister

2 carrots peeled and chopped

½ sweet onion chopped

¼ cup cornstarch stir in ¼ cup water

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup Jägermeister

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh sage for garnish

• Preheat oven to 325?F.

• Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the onion, carrot, celery, herbs in the turkey and season inside and outside the poultry. Truss the turkey or tie the legs with kitchen string. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Spread 2 tablespoons of the butter over the breast. In a small pan over low heat, melt the remaining butter; stir in the lemon zest, ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup of Jägermeister.

• Roast the turkey, basting with Jägermeister butter mixture every 20 minutes, until pan drippings have accumulated, then baste with the drippings. After 1½ hours, add the chopped carrots, onion to the pan and continue to roast, basting every 30 minutes. If the breast begins to over brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Roast until the thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone registers 175?F, 2½ -3 hours total.

• Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

• Skim off the fat and juices of the pan, leaving the vegetables. Set the pan over medium heat and scrape up any brown bits. Pour 1 cup of chicken stock and stir for 3 minutes. Add the corn starch mixture and the remaining chicken stock; stir until thickened. Pour Jägermeister into the pan and simmer for 1 minute. Strain the Jägermeister Gravy.

• Snip the string, carve the turkey and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve with Jägermeister gravy.

• Serve 12, without leftovers.

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Tags: Recipes, Holiday Events, Jägermeister

The Beer Fashioned

Too much of a good thing?

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 24, 2010 at 09:00AM 6 Comments

Today’s topic is the Beer Fashioned. What say ye drinking buddies? Thumbs up? Thumbs down?

I myself am insanely curious, so I’m going to drop some science and whip up one of these bad boys and report back tomorrow. This could be the summer drink we’ve all been waiting for! And if I call in sick to work, we’ll know the experiment was a rousing success.

The Beer Fashioned from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.

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Tags: Beer, Recipes, Cocktails, Bourbon

Patriotic Potables

Try a festive cocktail this weekend.

Posted by: Emma Hall on Jul 02, 2010 at 01:00PM 1 Comments

Everyone’s favorite summer holiday—Fourth of July—is this weekend, and it’s right up there with St Paddy’s Day and New Year’s as an occasion to imbibe. If you’re burned out on popular domestic lagers, you can always go for a local brew (it is Oregon Craft Beer Month after all). But we recommend trying a patriotic cocktail instead. The good people over at Three Olives vodka have again made our day with some inventive star-spangled ideas.

Take the Roman Candle for example:

3 oz. Three-O Berry Vodka
½ Oz. Cranberry Juice
Dash of Grenadine
½ oz. Blue Curaçao

Shake vodka, cranberry juice and grenadine in a shaker with ice. Strain into martini glass. Pour Blue Curaçao gently down the side of the glass so it comes to settle on the bottom.

See? With just a few ingredients you can get an All-American cocktail. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with the usual cherry, maybe a couple of blueberries on a toothpick or even a tiny wedge of watermelon for that Martha Stewart touch.

Nothing says Independence Day (or the Runaways) like the Cherry Bomb.

1 ½ oz. Three-O Cherry Vodka
4 oz. Ginger Ale
Splash of grenadine

Mix in a glass filled with ice and garnish with a cherry.

You could take this general recipe and run with it: alcohol+plain-colored mixer+grenadine = festive red drink.

If you’re having a fancy soiree (or if you decide to spend more money on booze than on meat at your barbecue—hey, it happens) you could always serve three options of cocktails: a big pitcher each of red, white, and blue drinks.  Perhaps a Strawberry Daiquiri (red), Piña Colada (white), and Blue Bayou (a fruity blue drink made of vodka, blue curaçao, pineapple, and grapefruit juice all blended together).

So, drink up and cheers to America this weekend!

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails, Holiday Events

I Need a Drink!

What to have when you need a nip

Posted by: John Chandler on May 26, 2010 at 02:00PM 10 Comments

Welcome to a brand-new Bar Pilot feature called I Need a Drink. On a semi-regular basis (or whenever deadline pressures cause my toupee to melt into my scalp) I will take a well-earned break from my Herculean labors and venture out into the wide world of Portland in search of a lovely cocktail.

Today’s edition features the Grand Old Fashioned ($10) as prepared by bartender Arthur Smith from the Palm Court bar at the Benson Hotel.

The Grand Old Fashioned

2 oz. Maker’s Mark bourbon
1 oz. Grand Marnier
Muddled orange and cherries
Dash of Angostura bitters
Sprinkle of sugar
Top off with Prosecco

This stately creation has all the brawn of a simple old fashioned, but the Grand Marnier gives it an elegant and luxurious boost that brings out the royal best in the fruit mashup. Add the fizzy kick of the sparkling wine and you have a drink fit for a king—or a jack or a 10 of diamonds.

After jawing with Arthur for a bit (martinis, cosmos, and lemon drops are his most-requested drinks) I search the menu for future possibilities. My eager peepers settle on the Benson Bubbler, an imperial blend of Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac, Veuve Clicquot champagne, and a splash of lemon. It retails for $95. “I’ve only sold one,” Arthur tells me.

I almost order a double to cheer him up, but I’d probably have a devil of a time getting reimbursed.

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails

Sex 2 Sells

Going to see the movie? Have a cocktail!

Posted by: John Chandler on May 25, 2010 at 10:00AM 6 Comments

Now you can get tipsy like the stars!

Ever mindful of that all-important product tie-in designed to spur us to even greater heights of consumption, the folks at Mexico’s Dobel Diamond Tequila sent this little gem my way. (By the way, Sex and the City 2 opens Thursday. Make sure to bring plenty of tequila!)

With the highly anticipated Sex and the City 2 movie in theaters at the end of May, we thought it would be fun to salute the men in the movie for a change. Below, please find cocktails inspired by the MEN in Sex and the City that we have grown to hate and love. And lets face it—without them, there wouldn’t be much sex in the city.

Get it? Ha ha ha! True that, oh witty press release! But I’m a bit surprised we’re not seeing Sex in the City 2 Happy Meal toys at McDonald’s. Another golden opportunity missed. Anyway, if this sort of branding raises your hackles, feel free to substitute the tequila of your choice.

By the way drinking buddies, if you have your own movie tie-in cocktail recipes, I’d love to hear them. Perhaps something from Animal House or Leaving Las Vegas?

Mr. Big and the Dobel Neat: This cocktail blends elegance with a touch of arrogance… just like Mr. Big’s distinct style.

2 parts Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila
Glass: Sniffer (Not sure what a sniffer glass is—I suppose they meant “snifter.”)

Harry Goldenblatt & The Perfect Paloma: Like world’s number one husband, Dobel’s Perfect Paloma is flawless.

2 parts Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila
4 parts Grapefruit Soda
Splash of Lime Juice
Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Lime Wedge

Smith & the Spicy Pina: Smooth and sweet with the heat of Jalapeño—the Spicy Pina is a sexy and irresistible combination like Smith.

2 parts Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila
2 parts Pineapple Juice
.5 part of Simple Syrup
Splash of Orange Juice
Slice of Muddled Jalapeño
Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Jalapeño

Steve Brady & The Gran Dobel: The Gran Dobel is solid and without fuss, much like Steve.

2 parts Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila
Splash of Gran Mariner
Glass: Shot
Garnish: Blood Orange Wedge Sprinkled with Cinnamon
Served Chilled

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails, Sex and the City, Tequila

Vancouver = Vodka

Catch Olympic fever—and a buzz

Posted by: John Chandler on Feb 19, 2010 at 11:00AM 8 Comments

Liquor company executives aren’t stupid. Why shouldn’t you have Olympic-themed cocktails the next time your pals come over to watch the bobsled finals? No reason at all.

The marketing wizards at Three Olives, an English company that boasts more than a dozen flavors of vodka, sent me the following recipes to not only inspire sports fans to greater heights of fanaticism but also to toast all nations in the spirit(s) of international competition.

See, the five rings represent the five original participating continents in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. Cripes, you’d think Antarctica could field a kick-ass Winter Olympic squad, but it appears the nation is comprised entirely of couch potatoes. If you don’t appreciate my shilling for Three Olives, feel free to use the flavored vodka of your choice. But remember, they did go to the trouble of inventing these drinks. Sure beats watching the Biathlon sober.

Blue Skis
3 oz. Three-O Grape Vodka
½ oz. blue caracao
1 oz. lemonade
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice

Mountain Mist
3 oz. Three-O Citrus Vodka
½ oz grapefruit juice
½ oz pineapple juice
Splash of triple sec
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice

Black Ice
1 ¼ oz. Three-O Triple Espresso Vodka
¾ oz. premium dark chocolate liqueur
½ oz. orange liqueur
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice

Curling on the Rocks
2 oz. Three-O Raspberry Vodka
½ oz. melon liqueur
½ oz. triple sec
Splash of cranberry juice
Splash of orange juice
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice

Olympic Flame
3 oz. Three-O Cherry Vodka
½ oz. triple sec
1 oz. cranberry juice
Splash of fresh lime juice
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails, Holiday Events, Sports

Cranberry Sauced

Family time calls for a stiff drink

Posted by: John Chandler on Nov 23, 2009 at 11:00AM 7 Comments

As promised, I’ve turned my attention to Thanksgiving cocktails. Any time my family is shoved together under one roof, it calls for drastic measures, alcohol-wise. Since slamming a forty of malt liquor in polite company is frowned upon, you might try this tasty (and potent) little number.

Cranberry Crusher

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Amaretto
1/2 oz Gin
2 oz Cranberry Juice
2 oz Orange Juice
Grenadine optional (just a splash)

Directions
Fill a pint glass half full with ice and add the vodka, followed by cranberry and orange juice. Gin and amaretto next. Add grenadine to make more aesthetically pleasing (or not). Stir and garnish with a lemon wedge.

It’s got to be at least a pint glass for me. I need the liquid fortitude to steel myself against Aunt Frieda’s annual discussion of her post-operative complications, and Uncle Gary’s latest anti-government tirade. (“It’s not a militia for Pete’s sake. It’s just a club—with plenty of ammunition.”)

OK, drinking buddies, it’s your turn. What do you recommend for getting through the torments of Turkey Day?

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails, Holiday Events

Halloween Spirits

Anyone have scary cocktail ideas?

Posted by: John Chandler on Oct 30, 2009 at 10:00AM 9 Comments

Waiter! What’s this spider doing in my drink?

The backstroke! Har!

I’m going to a Halloween cocktail party this Saturday and I’ve been racking my cranium for the perfect drink to bring. Needless to say, it’s got to be scary. I seem to remember one year we did a “Witch’s Brew” sort of a thing, that consisted of two bottles of cheap champagne covered with a layer of sherbet, to give it a scummy, swampy look, but I think if we put our heads together, we can do better.

What I’m trying to say is, SEND ME YOUR HALLOWEEN COCKTAIL RECIPES! Right now.

I’ll start.

The Black Widow

Cream de Cassis
Vodka
triple sec
fresh lemon juice
Pomegranate juice
licorice strings

Two parts cassis, three parts vodka, one part triple sec, one part lemon juice, one part pomegranate. “Hey, what’s a part?” I can hear you exclaim. In an average cocktail shaker, figure you’ve got about eight parts. Come on, it’s not an exact science. Nothing’s going to explode. So pour your parts into a shaker with ice, shake for ten seconds, and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with licorice strings to simulate spider legs. Ooooh! Scary! When it comes to Halloween drinks, the fright element usually lies in a properly gruesome garnish. Roughly peeled radishes stuffed with olives make good bloodshot eyeballs, for example.

OK, drinking buddies, let’s hear your ideas.

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails, Holiday Events

Flower Power

A toast to St Germain

Posted by: John Chandler on Apr 28, 2009 at 10:00AM 4 Comments

The Caneflower

Photos by Me

There’s nothing a rank amateur mixologist such as myself enjoys more than getting schooled by a master. Seriously, it’s like finding out how the rabbit gets in the hat or how the quarter gets in my ear. And since our current issue is a big sloppy kiss to all things cocktail, I thought I may as well follow suit.

Blogger and bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler has been shaking up drinks for nearly fifteen years, and as the recently installed bar manager at Clyde Common, he’s got some creative leeway when it comes to new drinks. His most recent inspirations are the Caneflower and the East of Eden, both of which make judicious use of St Germain elderflower liqueur, a sweet and electric floral fluid made from elderflowers lovingly harvested from the slopes of the French Alps by monks living under a vow of silence in order to preserve its mystique. OK, I made up the last part, but it sure sounds enchanting. In reality, this sunny spirit has been making appearances on bar menus all over town, usually paired with a sparkling wine, such as Wilf’s St Germain Sparkler.

The intrepid Morgenthaler explains that St Germain has sort of a cult following, partly due to some good marketing, and partly because of its versatility. “Put it with soda, on the rocks, with a twist, with champagne, it works,” he says. “It’s got a unique taste, with a lot of depth and character.” For that matter, it’s excellent straight, or with a little tap water. And Jeffrey believes it’s got staying power on the local front. St Germain is simply too good a product to be relegated to fad status.

The first drink he sets in front of me is the Caneflower (not currently available at Clyde Common unless you ask Jeffrey to make you one) and it’s a delicate little thing, with the warm sweetness of the elderflower working beautifully in concert alongside a pour of cachaça, a lively distillation of Brazilian sugarcane. It’s bracing but substantial; teasingly bitter but not overly so, and with a spicy undercurrent thanks to the Aperol. “I only use a tablespoon of St Germain, because I want to pull out the citrus notes of the cachaça,” Morgenthaler says.

“So you use it as a spirit guide,” I answer, using a term I picked up from an old Native American acquaintance.

“Exactly!” he says.

The Caneflower

1 1/2 oz. Boca Loca cachaça
3/4 oz. Aperol
1/2 oz. St Germain elderflower liqueur

Stir with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Then came the East of Eden, and baby, I’m in love. Light, fruity, frothy, and downright delightful (and anyone who knows me will vouch for the fact that “delightful” is not an adjective I throw around lightly), it’s a warm-weather winner, although I can see myself ordering it pretty much any time during the calendar year.

Thumbs up for the East of Eden!

East of Eden

1 1/2 oz. Bombay gin
1/2 oz. egg whites
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Gewürtztraminer reduction
1/4 oz. St Germain elderflower

Again, shake with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

After exchanging some more superlatives as to the brilliance of St Germain, the Alps, and elderflowers, I teeter my way back to the office, thanking Jeffrey for his expert instruction.

So what do you think, drinking buddies? Will you take St Germain for a test taste? You’d better! And if you have any drink recipe ideas for this magical elixir, by all means send ’em this way.

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails