Back at AM Northwest for Valentine's Day Cocktails

KATU AM Northwest had me back on the show again to mix up some 'love potions". You can watch the full video here. We made a cocktail from Sam Ross of Little Branch in New York, a refreshing sparkling grapefruit-ginger cocktail and a timeless classic cocktail, the Sazerac. What are you drinking this Valentine's Day?

Paper Planes

3/4 oz. Eagle Rare Bourbon

3/4 oz. Aperol

3/4 oz. Amaro Nonino

3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Share for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Mi Amor

1/2 oz. Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

1 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice

Top with Prosecco or Sparkling Wine

Add all ingredients to champagne flute. Garnish with grapefruit zest.

Sazerac

1.5 oz. Koval Lion's Pride Organic Whiskey

2 dashes Amargo Chuncho Bitters (or substitute Angostura Bitters)

2 Dashes Peychaud's Bitters

St. George Absinthe Verte

Lemon Zest

Add ice to old fashioned glass to chill glass while building cocktail. In a cocktail mixing glass, add whiskey and bitters and stir with ice for 30-45 seconds. Discard ice from first glass, and pour a small dash of absinthe into the glass. Tilt the glass and slowly swirl to coat the inside of the glass with absinthe. Add sugar cube and a few drops of water to dampen the cube. Crush the sugar cube. Strain and add whiskey and bitters from the second glass into the absinthe rinsed glass. 

Bolster- 1.5 oz Bols Genever, 1 oz Cocchi Americano, .75 oz grapefruit juice, dash Peychaud's bitters @BolsGenever @BolsPDX

Bolster:

1.5 oz. Bols Genever
1 oz. Cocchi Americano
.75 oz. grapefruit juice
dash Peychaud's bitters

Shake all ingredients over ice. Double-strain into chilled cocktail glass.

The cocktail starts with a malted grapefruit nose, rich like marmalade. The drink could benefit with addition of lemon zest, but on subsequent versions, it seemed to overpower the already interesting aromas. The sip is light with a smooth mouthfeel and dry finish. There is a pleasant bitterness from the Cocchi Americano and Peychauds that lingers on the palate after the swallow when secondary flavors of juniper, bitter orange, anise, coriander,cinchona, and other botanicals emerge. There is enough sweetness from the ruby grapefruit and the Cocchi that aid in overall balance. Bolster, means to buoy up or hearten, and we hope this cocktail will help you accomplish such in good form.

Plum Blossom- 1.5 oz @housespirits Shochu, .75 oz Grapefruit Juice, .5 oz Creme de Violette @pdxcocktailweek @SakeOne

Plum Blossom:

1.5 oz. Shochu (House Spirits Uchi No Kami 48 proof)
.75 oz. Grapefruit juice (ruby)
.5 oz. Creme de Violette (Rothman and Winter)

Shake with ice. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass.

In the spirit (no pun intended) of Portland Cocktail Week which includes the Great American Distillers Festival, I wanted to create an original cocktail highlighting one of the many high quality local spirits Portland is distilling. This main ingredient in this cocktail is the result of a partnership of two of Oregon's best, House Spirits and SakeOne. The result of this partnership culminated in a limited release of Shochus at slightly different balances and alcohol levels. The one I am currently working with is the Uchi No Kami Shochu, comprised of Moromi of Koji and Milled Rice at 48.04 proof. Moromi is the fermenting rice mash, and koji spores (aspergillus oryzae in English) are propagated on the fermenting rice grains to eventually yield sake. The different stages of the koji growth will affect the overall result of the product, and the master distiller will select the optimal time to proceed to the next step in distilling. Multi-staged Moromis were brought from Forest Grove to Portland where they spent some time being double stilled in House Spirits copper Alambic pot-still "collecting just the finest of the heart cut."

The nose of the cocktail is a wonderful blend of floral and citrus aromas with vanilla, mallow, and pleasant fermented rice accompaniments. The sip is a delicate balance of flavors, and though the Creme de violette champions the finish, it allows the shochu to breath, while providing the necessary bump to the sweetness from the grapefruit juice. The grapefruit lends the neccesary bite to prevent a muddying of the flavors. A very clean, refreshing finish. Very drinkable.

Mezcal Mayhem and the Seis Dedos Del Gato - @giltclub @pdxcocktailweek @dshenaut @jasonlittrell

Seis Dedos Del Gato (Six Toed Cat):

1.5 oz. Hornitos Tequila
.5 oz. Kirschwasser
1 oz. grapefruit
1 oz. lime
3 spritz Chichicapa single village mezcal rinse
House-smoked sea salt.

Our recent venture to Gilt Club yielded one exceptional cocktail highlighting the "mezcal craze" that has surged in popularity among connoisseur bartenders (and customers) seeking something beyond tequila to experiment with. On a side note, there are two excellent opportunities to get your mezcal fix in the upcoming Portland Cocktail Week. The first  event is hosted by Ricky Gomez of Teardrop Lounge, and will feature Ron Cooper of Del Maguey for a tasting and discussion of the history of mezcal at Irving Street Kitchen. This is followed by a March for Mezcal, where Dave Shenaut and Jason Littrell will lead the tour around downtown Portland "where all roads lead to Mezcal". Tickets for both events can be purchased here.  A good article from the New York Times that focused on the resurgence of mezcal, and the bittersweet phenomena of its limitations can be found here, "Hoping Mezcal Can Turn the Worm".

The cocktail had a smoky agave nose almost woody and oily. The sip was also smoky, with pronounced citrus though very smooth. The house smoked salt was a nice accompaniment to the cocktail, working to bring out the smokiness of the mezcal without overwhelming the nuances of the flavors.