The Barrel and Branch Cocktail from The Bent Brick

Looking for something herbaceous to quench your summer thirst? Look no further than The Bent Brick's latest cocktail addition- The Barrel and Branch Cocktail. This unique blend of flavors yields a cocktail that is both savory and thirst-quenching. The well-balanced blend gin, fir tip ice cube, house lavender cordial, and Sweedish herb bitters let's each ingredient shine without any one flavor overpowering the others. Hello summertime. 
 

The Barrel and Branch

4 fir tips muddled

Add 1 oz heather cordial

1 1/2 oz gin

1/2 oz whiskey

I dropper full white pepper cordial

2 drops Swedish Herb Bitters (Adam Seger's Barcode)

Shake vigorously. Double strain into single old fashioned glass over fir tea cube. 

Cocktails for Father's Day

I've been invited back on AM Northwest to mix up some "drinks for a real man". Many fathers from earlier generations aren't looking for drinks whose ingredients include squash blossom cordials or seaweed tinctures. For many father's a well made Old-Fashioned is a reminder of a simpler time, so today we'll stick to the classics. 

Old Fashioned

2 oz. bourbon (or rye) whiskey

2 dashes bitters (Angostura) 

.25 oz rich simple syrup

Orange peel

Add bitters, simple syrup and orange peel to the glass. Gentlly muddle to release the orange oils. Add whiskey and stir, before adding the ice cubes and stirring for 15-30 seconds.  

Worldly Possessions

1.5 oz. Whiskey

.75 oz. Cocchi Torino Vermouth

.75 oz Cardamaro

2 Dash Bitters (Amargo Chuncho)

Add all ingredients to cocktail mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 45-60 seconds. Strain into old-fashioned glass over large ice-cube. 

For something a bit simpler after Dad's fathers day meal, nothing beats sipping on a nice amaro. While popular in much of Europe, it hasn't been until recently that many of their best amari have made it stateside. Get a few bottles and give dad a hand and drink them together. A few of my favorites include:

Amaro Nonino, Amaro Ciociaro, Cardamaro, Nardini Amaro, Ramazzotti

Miss today's show? You can watch the video here. 

Cocktails at Little Bird Bistro in PDX

"Creme de Cassis doesn't make its way into a lot of cocktails, and I wanted to work it into a new drink," says Lindstedt. "Lustau Los Arcos Dry Amontillado sherry leaves a really great finish, and our housemade Picon works in harmony with the Barbancourt 8 year rum. We took a gamble with these flavors, but the risk was well worth it," says Lindstedt.

This article was first published on my column for Serious Eats: Drinks. 

““Little Bird has a classic French bistro theme with a Pacific Northwest flair, and I tend to approach cocktails that support that theme,” says Tom Lindstedt, lead bartender at Little Bird Bistro on Portland’s SW 6th Avenue. “I like to take something recognizable and give it a French twist, such as using Bordeaux or Benedictine in place of Italian vermouth or tart verjus in place of lemon juice.””

The French influence can be witnessed in their spirits selection including rhum from the French island, Martinique, and their choice of Scotch, Abelour, which Lindstedt says is the best-selling Scotch brand in France.

The Cepage is Lindstedt's take on the equal-parts Sidecar cocktail, traditionally comprised of one part lemon juice, one part orange liqueur, and one part cognac. Lindstedt uses a Peychaud's cordial made from the bitters and simple syrup, plus Combier Orange liqueur, and verjus instead of lemon. "The lack of citrus means this cocktail doesn't require constant re-balancing for acidity like the traditional Sidecar, making the cocktail both consistent and time efficient", says Lindstedt.

Lindstedt's cocktails are served in elegant Marie Antoinette coupe glasses and generally lean towards the boozy side. "Drinkers are becoming more adventurous and you need something assertive to stand up to the bold flavors of bone marrow and steak tartare," says Lindstedt. "We want to serve cocktails that are innovative yet comforting, so I often work from a classic cocktail recipe and add minor variations to fit our theme."

"The Havane is a house-favorite cocktail," says Lindstedt. "It's both bright and bitter and perfectly balanced." What's in it? Aveze (a bitter gentian liqueur), lemon juice, Gordon's gin, Bärenjäger honey liqueur, and Rothman & Winter apricot liqueur.

"La Vie En Rose is our 'vodka drink', without having any vodka," says Lindstedt. "It's an approachable cocktail that introduces many people to pisco, a spirit they may have never experienced." The cocktail is made with Cocchi Americano Rosa, Alto Del Carmen pisco, Combier pamplemousse liqueur, and lemon.

The Pégoud is Lindstedt's riff on the Aviation cocktail. For this drink, he mixes together Citadelle Gin, Crème Yvette, Peychaud's bitters, simple syrup, and lemon.

"I really like savory components in cocktails," says Lindstedt. "While mezcal isn't for everyone, the cocktail makes for a great introduction to the smoky spirit," he says. Fidencio mezcal lays the smoky foundation accompanied by the lighter, bittersweet aperitif Lillet and a tiny splash of chocolate Mud Puddle vodka.

We asked Lindstedt how he comes up with the recipes for the rotating cocktail menu. "I read a lot," he answered. "I love working with new ingredients and new flavors, some of which we create ourselves, such as the house-made Picon, and others which are new to the market such as the high quality piscos now available in the US. I also do a lot of personal tasting at home," adds Lindstedt with a smile.

Tom Lindstedt, lead bartender at Little Bird Bistro.

Little Bird Bistro

219 SW 6th Avenue Portland, OR (map)

503-688-5952; littlebirdbistro.com

Tools for the Mobile Mixologist- Bartender's Tool Roll by McSology

Mike McSorley-- a Seattle bartender and owner of McSology Equipment and Consulting recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for their Bartenders Tool Roll. The goal was to create a easy way to store and transport all of the tools required to make most craft cocktails. The material is all natural and contains elasticized pockets for all of your tools. It's a great product for any proffessional bartender, and just might encourage the home-bartender in your life to up their cocktail game and easily bring all the tools needed to make drinks at your next party. Check out the their Kickstarter campaign here.