Category Archives: cocktails

My winter refuge

Posted on March 1, 2010 by | 1 comment

This long, cold, brutal winter has put Ms. S&C on something of a whiskey kick.

It started with the Clementina Old Fashioned during the first snowstorm. Then I was introduced to the Cocktail à la Louisiane at The Passenger. Aftermath of the second blizzard had the mister and I seeking refuge at The Gibson, where we tried a Derby and a Vieux Carre.

All of these cocktails are made with bourbon or rye whiskey, and three out of four are made with my new favorite mysterious herbal liqueur, Bénédictine. They all pack quite a punch. Of course, instead of calling them “strong,” I can now refer to them as “body-warming.”

I first tasted the Vieux Carre at a cocktail seminar on Great Hotel Bar Cocktails. I didn’t think it was a standout there, but I also hadn’t spent my days digging out of three feet of snow. Sure, it’s boozy, but it also makes for a great sipping and soothing cocktail after long days of shoveling.

How has Ms. S&C survived the winter? With help from
whiskey cocktails like the Vieux Carre.

The drink was invented by the head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, and is named after the French term for what we all know as The French Quarter. Le Vieux Carré translates to “Old Square.” I found this recipe and history over at The Gumbo Pages, which covers all things Louisiana.

Vieux Carre

Ingredients (for one):

  • 1 ounce rye whiskey
  • 1 ounce Cognac
  • 1 ounce sweet vermouth
  • 1 teaspoon Bénédictine D.O.M.
  • 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Fill a double Old Fashioned glass with ice. Combine all ingredients in glass and stir well. Garnish with lemon peel.

posted by Ms. S&C

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S&C for baby

Posted on February 17, 2010 by | 2 comments

Ms. S&C has a dear co-worker/friend who recently delivered what-looks-to-be (because I haven’t met him yet!) a precious baby boy. I recall when shopping for a baby gift, I struggled a bit. I wanted something that matched his mom’s impeccable style. From the day we met, I knew we would be fast friends — we were wearing the same Nine West paisley peep-toe pumps! She’s been a constant fashion inspiration since.

I finally settled on Converse All Star’s — because even little ones could use a pair of Chuck Taylor’s. I found them over at Nordstrom at a reasonable price (not sure why baby shoes tend to be so pricey).

Shoes for baby, because even little ones need their own Chucks.

Before the little guy arrived, our office hosted a baby shower and Ms. S&C happily served on the punch-making committee. I found this work-and-pregnant-lady-friendly recipe at Allrecipes.com. It’s called chilled Christmas punch, but it can be enjoyed year-round. New S&C name is:

Spiced Mocktail Punch
(serves a dozen or more)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 (46 ounce) can pineapple juice, chilled

• 4 cups cranberry-apple juice, chilled

• 1 liter ginger ale, chilled

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill (preferably overnight). Just before serving, combine the syrup mixture, juices and ginger ale in a punch bowl or large pitcher. Serve over ice, or use an ice block to chill.

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Snowden

Posted on February 10, 2010 by | 2 comments

At the bar where Mr. and Mrs. S&C worked while in college, we came across the word “snowden” etched in one of the wood tables. We had fun discussing (and still do) whether the table defacer was referencing a literal “snow den,” giving a literary nod to the character Snowden from Catch-22,  or my personal fave — phonetically spelling “snowed in.”

As DC’s snowmageddon approached (and the second one now in full force), Ms. S&C reached out to her Facebook friends for ideas on a snowstorm cocktail. She was amazed at the response and creativity. Read on.

Ms. S&C it has been suggested that I come up with a snowstorm cocktail. Ideas?
February 5 at 3:50pm

MB likes this.

RSB You have to include snow in the glass instead of ice.
February 5 at 4:06pm

JW It should contain milk and toilet paper.
February 5 at 4:07pm

ETD Oooh…intriguing. I like this already.
February 5 at 4:18pm

KKS Use snow around the rim of the glass!
February 5 at 4:58pm

BG Strong whiskey and ice!
February 5 4:59pm

WHW How about a snow cream martini?
February 5 at 5:17pm

NB Hot Chocolate! (with Booze) Sounds gross but maybe there’s a way to make it tasty.
February 5 at 5:31pm

SLC I like WHW’s idea for the name!
February 5 at 5:33pm

NDB A little powdered sugar might give you a fluffy “snowlike” effect.
February 5 at 5:37pm

CT bloody marys!
February 5 at 5:59pm

Ms. S&C The best I could come up with is sloestorm — already had sloe gin in the house. Terrible pun, I know.
February 5 at 10:18pm

JO’L something with milk!
February 5 at 10:39pm

GS coconut martini with a liberal sprinkling of sugared coconut on top… mmmmm….
February 5 at 11:20pm

JTM I would go in two directions… something with a frosted glass… vodka… with bits of rock candy or something… Or i would do something with this Godiva chocolat liquer i have or cream… let me know what you create!
February 6 at 12:42am

JP Think fresh snow, sweetened fruit syrup of your choice, more sugar, rum, and copious quantities. You can survive the storm.
February 6 at 8:19am

SS I agree with JW – definitely needs to include milk and TP. Maybe a white Russian in a martini glass with an empty roll of TP on the stem of the martini glass?
February 6 at 10:59am

JW Having spent all day shoveling, I’m changing my suggestion to the Drivewaytini: two belts of scotch and a prescription painkiller chaser.
February 6 at 9:39pm

An article in today’s Washington Post says that making snow cream couldn’t be simpler: mix together fresh snow, milk, (or cream, or condensed milk), sugar and vanilla. Add a creamy liqueur (your choice of Godiva White Chocolate, Bailey’s Irish Cream, or maybe something coffee flavored), top with a garnish of toasted coconut, and I think you’ve got a winning snow-inspired cocktail! One could also try the classic snowball cocktail, but I’m no fan of creme de menthe, nor the number of ingredients.

Ms. S&C wants to know: What do you drink when you’re “snowden?”

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S&C Dinner Party: Nouveau Southwestern

Posted on January 17, 2010 by | 1 comment

The S&C family enjoy a good dinner party. We also enjoy cocktail parties,  holiday parties, a supper club, a book club, happy hours — pretty much any occasion when friends gather for a drink.

Sharing our so-called Nouveau Southwestern-style dinner party is actually long overdo. But, having fixed a batch of agave nectar margaritas over the weekend, Ms. S&C resurrected the blog post.

The Occasion: At last year’s Super Bowl party, friends LC (also known as Sister Mojito) & CA were the recipients of a door prize — Dinner with the S&C’s. Funny enough, this lucky couple also won the prize the year before.

The Menu: Typically, there is one ingredient or item that Ms. S&C likes to build a menu around. For this meal, pork belly was the inspiration. We called it nouveau because we used pork belly, agave, and because it sounds fancy. Southwestern because of accompanying ingredients of roasted corn, black beans and poblanos.

  • First course: Bacon wrapped shrimp with crispy basil
    Wrap bacon around shrimp, drop in a deep-fryer. Fry whole pieces of basil for a few seconds. Serve all on a plate garnished lightly with Sriracha hot chili sauce.
  • Second course: Southwestern-inspired chopped salad
    Prepare a salad of mixed greens, roasted corn, black beans, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno. Serve with a simple vinaigrette.
  • Main course: Pork belly, stuffed poblanos, refried black beans
    Pork belly cooked for hours, poblanos stuffed with all kinds of good southwestern ingredients, served atop refried beans.
  • Dessert course: Fried ice cream
    Cinnamon ice cream served alongside cinnamon and sugar-dusted deep-fried tortillas.

The Drink: Eager to get a handle on a much-talked about ingredient, agave nectar, Ms. S&C decided margaritas would be the featured cocktail.

margarita

Similar to honey, agave nectar is becoming the preferred sweetener of the health conscious and natural food cooks. Extracted from the blue agave plant, the nectar has a lower glycemic index than sugar but still the same sweetness. Glycemic index relates to that “sugar rush” you hear about, and foods with a high glycemic index raises blood sugar quickly. And why do you need to know this? Well, you may not, but Ms. S&C has loved ones with diabetes, so she tries to pay attention to these things. More on the health benefits of agave nectar.

Agave Nectar Margaritas

Margaritas are one of Ms. S&C’s favorite drinks. Both tart and sweet, they are super easy to make, require only a few ingredients, and the proportions are easy to remember. Because Ms. S&C has tried a few variations using agave nectar, she strongly recommends the following: 1. use tequila blanco (the white, silver, unaged tequila), 2. do not use salt in this version, 3. as always, use only fresh juice.

Ingredients (serves one):

  • 1 and 1/2 oz tequila blanco
  • 1 oz lime juice (approximately the juice of one lime)
  • 1/2 oz agave nectar
  • 1/2 oz water
  • crushed ice
  • lime wedge

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour into a glass filled with ice (crushed ice works best). Garnish with lime wedge.

posted by Ms. S&C

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Cocktails Savoy!

Posted on January 15, 2010 by | 2 comments

“Herein after learn all that is known about COCKTAILS.” And so starts Harry Craddock’s 1930 compilation of “cocktails, rickeys, daisies, slings, shrubs, smashes, fizzes, juleps, cobblers, fixes and other drinks.” As head barman at the famous Savoy Hotel in London in the 1920s and 1930s, Mr. Craddock translated his expertise into a true treasure trove for today’s cocktail connoisseur. And Miss Mojito couldn’t have been happier to be gifted with this beautifully illustrated book from a good pal with a similar penchant for all-things-cocktail.

The book contains upwards of 750 recipes presented in a simple style. In most recipes, the ingredients are listed in proportions (1/2 of this to 1/2 of that), although you will find scattered about a few vague references (add “a glass” of gin, for example). In addition to cocktail recipes, the reader also receives a brief education in wine and wine drinking.

Mr. Craddock’s collection is not all business, as witnessed by the quips and remarks found throughout the recipes. The Rattlesnake Cocktail (whiskey, egg shite, sweetened lemon juice and absinthe) is so named, he writes, “because it will either cure rattlesnake bite, or kill rattlesnakes, or make you see them.” And the Jabberwock Cocktail (orange bitters, gin, sherry, caperitif), he warns, is sure to make you “gyre and gimble in the wabe until brillig all right, all right.”  The man’s a hoot!

But humor certainly takes second place to usefulness in this guide. I certainly appreciate “A Few Hints for the Young Mixer,” namely:

  1. Ice is nearly always an absolute essential for any Cocktail.
  2. Never use the same ice twice. (I’m totally guilty of this cocktail sin.)
  3. Remember that ingredients mix better in a shaker rather larger than is necessary to contain them. (I learned this one the hard way.)
  4. Shake the shaker as hard as you can: don’t just rock it: you are trying to wake it up, not send it to sleep!
  5. If possible, ice your glasses before using them.
  6. Drink your Cocktail as soon as possible. Henry Craddock was once asked what was the best way to drink a Cocktail: “Quickly,” replied that great man, “while it’s laughing at you!”

Here are just a couple examples of Savoy cocktails that Miss Mojito is eager to try. I’ll be reporting back after I’ve done a bit more experimentation and exploration!

Mississippi Mule Cocktail

  • 2/3 dry gin
  • 1/6 lemon juice
  • 1/6 Creme de Cassis

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Mr. Manhattan Cocktail

  • One lump sugar
  • 1 dash lemon juice
  • 4 dashes orange juice
  • 1 glass gin
  • 4 mint leaves

Crush the lump of sugar in a little water. Then crush four leaves of green mint, and add remaining ingredients. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

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Best of S&C in 2009

Posted on December 31, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Happy New Year! As we say goodbye, au revoir, arrivederci to 2009, we’ll leave you with a little recap of Shoes & Cocktails during the past year. According to WordPress’ snazzy blog stats feature, here are our most popular blog posts. Thanks for reading (and Google searching random things)!

  • Cake and punch — By far the most viewed blog post of the year. I’d like to think it was because of my bright, cheerful, sparkling Pomegranate Champagne Punch, but I think it was because of the colorful and festive rainbow cake.
  • S&C spotted–Keds comeback — I can’t say for sure that Keds are replacing Chucks as the new hipster shoe of choice, but this blog post got a lot of hits.
  • The Brothers Voltaggio — I think my favorite Google search phrase is: “Is Michael Voltaggio married?” While S&C doesn’t have the answer to that question, you can read a lot about the Voltaggio Brothers in our Top Chef recaps and drink pairings.
  • One fine muddle — People like muddled cocktails, evidenced by the number of visits to our mojito and caipirinha blog posts.

P.S. We didn’t do a “Best of S&C” in 2008, but we did do a “Year in Review,” in case you’re curious.

Wishing you all the best in 2010!

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T’is the season–for clementines

Posted on December 30, 2009 by | 2 comments

Ms. S&C thinks there’s a lot to love about clementines. Those perfectly small, round citrus, with a deep orange color, pack a lot of flavor. (Not to mention they are so easy to peel and seedless.) And, how irresistible are those boxes at the grocery store this time of the year? But, when you’re a family of two, how do you make use of them all? Ms. S&C is here with a few cocktail suggestions so those beauties don’t go to waste. Think of today as a two-for-one special!

That delicious box of clementines can be used for a number
of delicious cocktails

Cocktail Number One: Ms. S&C came across an inviting recipe for an Old Fashioned over at Metrocurean. She tested a few batches, made a few minor modifications, and couldn’t have been happier with the end result. The infused simple syrup is pretty fantastic, and all the flavors mesh perfectly with bourbon. To conclude, this is an awesome cocktail.

Clementina Old Fashioned
adapted from Jaleo, makes 1 drink

For cinnamon apricot syrup:
(make one day in advance, preferably)

  • dried apricots (approx. 6)
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • Peel from one clementine
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water

Combine sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks, apricots (1 apricot for each drink you plan to make) and clementine peel. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Let cool and stand for several hours, or overnight (recommended). Use any leftover syrup to sweeten tea, or for other cocktails.

For the cocktail:

  • 1 clementine, segmented
  • 1 1/2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon of apricot cinnamon simple syrup
  • zest of 1 clementine
  • A few dashes orange bitters

In a cocktail shaker, muddle apricot (from syrup) and clementine. Add bourbon, cinnamon apricot syrup, orange bitters and enough ice to fill a rocks glass. Shake well. Pour into a rocks glass and finish with a generous amount of clementine zest.

—————————————————

Cocktail Number Two: Naturally, Ms. S&C has offered to make punch for New Year’s Eve festivities. Last year she whipped up a sparkling cherry sensation that was quite good. This year she plans to adapt a citrusy champagne punch from Epicurious. And, for Ms. S&C’s party purposes, this recipe will likely be tripled.

Sparkling Citrus Punch
makes eight servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white grape juice
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh grapefruit juice (preferably pink or ruby red)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup Cointreau, triple sec, or other orange-flavored liqueur
  • 1/4 cup Cognac or other brandy
  • 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
  • 2 clementines, segmented
  • 1 lime, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 lemon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 bottle Champagne or other sparkling white wine, chilled

Stir together juices, wine, triple sec, Cognac, mint, fruit, and cooled syrup in a large pitcher. Chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in Champagne. Garnish with clementine, lime and lemon pieces.

Happy New Year from S&C!

posted by Ms. S&C

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Quick Roundup of Christmas Picks

Posted on December 22, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Some seasonal cocktails practically scream “Christmas.” Eggnog, for example, is essentially synonymous with the holiday season, and for good reason. Other cocktails meet the “festively seasonal” criteria in a manner a bit more subtle. Today, we’re exploring a few cocktails that fall under the latter category.

The folks over at the Atlantic Food Channel (a fantastic, must-read blog) have a great recipe for a drink for a crowd: their champagne cocktail mixes bitters and pomegranate seeds with bubbly.

For those sweet-of-tooth, Jonathan Miles of the New York Times recommends the posset, a creamy concoction which Mr. Miles describes as a precursor to eggnog.

Many people detect prominent notes of pine in gin. At Christmas, the pine flavor takes on a whole new meaning. Put gin to holiday use in a brightly colored and super-flavorful cherry gin-gria from Foodnetwork.com.

Also from the Foodnetwork.com is Emeril’s ruby-red rocket cocktail, which uses plenty of seasonal citrus, brown sugar and cassis or raspberry liqueur.

What shoes will Miss Mojito wear during this seasonal sipping celebration? I’m a big fan of traditional, romantic velvet used in untraditional ways during the holidays. And while these AMAZING Christian Louboutin pumps with an audacious velvet bow (left) might be a smidge out of my price range, these feisty purple velvet platforms by Poetic License (right) inch much closer to my budget.

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Ms. S&C’s holiday wish list–part 3

Posted on December 18, 2009 by | 3 comments

Ms. S&C’s holiday wish list continues… Not all of Ms. S&C’s gift items have to be one-of-a-kind vintage-y cocktail ware, or shoes that would break any normal person’s budget. Sometimes, a simple mug of hot chocolate will do just fine.

When Ms. S&C visited Chicago a few months ago, she tried hot chocolate (at Rick Bayless’ XOCO) that changed her life. (You can read about it in one of her Top Chef blog posts).

Now, she is spotting specialty hot chocolate on menus everywhere, including in her own neighborhood. Artfully Chocolate, a funky little chocolate boutique in Del Ray, Alexandria, has quite the hot cocoa menu and mixes. And, they are a perfect accompaniment to their already incredible selection of gourmet truffles — in delectable flavors such as chipotle cinnamon and toasted coconut. The gift box of 4, 6, or 12 pieces is a perfect, perfect gift for your chocolate-lover!

Happy Holidays from S&C!

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Keeping it Simple with Staples

Posted on December 1, 2009 by | 2 comments

Every gal with a penchant for entertaining should have a few stand-by cocktails up her sleeve that can turn a simple get together into something a bit more special with the help of a few basic ingredients. Over the past few months, I’ve been working on growing my collection of what I refer to as Staple Cocktails. These drinks offer something more than, say, your basic vodka tonic or scotch and soda.

My Staple Cocktails have a few requirements.

  1. Ingredients must be readily available. So, if you never have OJ as a fridge-staple, then a screwdriver is clearly not a Staple Cocktail for you. Staple Cocktails are as unique as the liquors and mixers in your kitchen.
  2. Assembly must be minimal – these are cocktails that can be prepared at a moment’s notice. Anything requiring a blender or food processor is automatically out of the running.
  3. The flavors must be popular people-pleasers. Any “controversial” flavors – say, coffee or anise liqueur – are a no-no.
  4. A Staple Cocktail must have a great name.

This week, I discovered a new cocktail to add to my simple, satisfying and growing library of Staple Cocktails. This particular drink came to fruition when I was faced with some stock ingredients which I hoped to transform into a special cocktail for friends, without an extra trip to the liquor store or grocery. Some quick googling resulted in what I found to be a delectable bourbon drink: the Brown Derby.

The sources of – and ingredients for – this particular cocktail are a bit sketchy. Some say it comes from the famous Hollywood institutional restaurant of the same name. Some say it calls for rum, others say bourbon. I had some Jim Beam on hand so opted for the latter, and replaced the recommended honey with my perennial fave, agave nectar.

Brown Derby
Serves one.

  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 1 ounce grapefruit juice (I only use Simply Grapefruit or fresh juice)
  • 1 squirt agave nectar

Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker (if you can, do mix up a large batch using a fabulous, oversized, graphic vintage shaker like the one pictured here, a fantastic birthday gift for Miss Mojito). Pour over ice cubes in a tall glass.

Miss Mojito wants to know: What are your favorite Staple Cocktails?

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