a pomander cocktail

So, I've been taking a bit of a break from work, and the constant pressure of trying to sell you things.  Can I afford to take this break?  Probably not.  But I'm really enjoying it.  And it's apparently kick started my creativity, because:  I.  Invented.  A.  Cocktail!  Yay!  Just for you.  Well, really--for me.  Remember the big pomander kick I was on back in November?  I had a pomander-ish cocktail when I was in NYC, and since then I've tried a couple other cocktail recipes at home that were lovely, but not quite perfect (i.e., not clove-y enough for me). 

So I spent some time in the kitchen on Christmas day tinkering and I present you with:  the Pomander Cocktail!

(serves 2)

*make some clove simple syrup (I used this recipe from Food & Wine; it is quick and easy to make)

*chill two cocktail glasses

*fill a cocktail shaker with ice

*pour the juice of four clementines over ice

*add 3 oz gin

*add 2 oz clove simple syrup

*add 4 dashes orange bitters

*shake until chilled and serve in chilled glasses.  Add slice of clementine for garnish, if desired.

It's delish--and so nice and clove-y!  This is also very good with bourbon, although I think the clove taste diminishes a bit with the bourbon.

Andy got me this amazing vintage dogs in a cocktail bar painting for Christmas.

Isn't it the best?

xo

K

nyc

My last visit to NYC (where I lived for 11 years, and where many of my dearest friends still reside) was in January 2011.  When I found out we would have some items in the Etsy Holiday Shop, it seemed like a good time to take a long overdue trip to the city.  Here are some snaps I took during our quick weekend visit.

Holiday lights in Astoria.

Love the edifice of this apartment building!

Breakfast on vacation means macarons and coffee at Mille-feuille.

Andy between the Dior and Etsy shops.

I thought the Etsy shop was really nicely done.  It looked pretty much exactly how I would imagine an Etsy brick and mortar store would look.

They were holding a holiday ornament workshop when we were there.

Some pretty jewels from jeanjeanvintage and a cute handmade ring holder!

The rack of vintage.  There wasn't a ton of it; we were there on one of the last few days the shop was open and were told much of it had sold.

Small Earth Vintage shoes on the right.

The tags they used on the vintage.  I love that: "Vintage by Karen of Grand Rapids, MI."

We escaped the cold drizzle with lunch at Randolph Beer--pickles, brussels sprouts and smoky corn!  And beer.  (I knew there would be lots of cocktails later, so I thought I should let Andy get some good beers.)  It was funny for us to see beer from Grand Rapids' own Founders Brewing in NYC, and it was hard not to laugh while the bartender tried to sell us on it.  

But forget about the beer.  Cocktails!  That kind of dark and blurry photo above is from Andy's Blackberry (I pretty much concentrated on drinking and talking once we started with the cocktails), and was taken at Amor y Amargo in the East Village, which has a fantastic bitters-based cocktail menu and informative drink makers.  I also loved the Darling Clementine cocktail (like drinking a pomander: gin, clementine juice, and cloves) and fried pickles at Sweet Afton in Astoria.  But my favorite was Long Island City's Dutch Kills--amazing drinks and perfect speakeasy ambiance.

If this vintage shop window is any indication, NYC hipsters are hugely into the Ugly Christmas Sweater thing.  It's a bit weird to see the not-very-vintage ugly sweaters bookended by a couple really nice cowichans, but hey, what are you gonna do?

Anyway, it was a short and densely-packed trip, and was completely fantastic.  I love NYC, and visiting always feels like coming home.

xo

k

cocktail: applejack old fashioned

I'm not a big fruit person, but I do love apples--their scent, texture (nice crisp ones only please), and flavor (the Pink Lady is my favorite, but I like most varieties that have a good tart/sweet balance).  Unfortunately, this was an awful year for apples and apple farmers in western Michigan.  Unseasonable 90 degree temperatures in March, followed by a very late April frost, killed off most of the local apple production.  Maybe it was the dearth of local apples and cider that drove me to finally add a bottle of applejack to my home bar.

Laird's Applejack is the oldest commercially distilled American spirit.  In the American colonies, the usual sources of whiskey--corn, rye, and barley--were not available.  But apples were.  These were made into cider, that was then distilled into applejack.  Laird & Company started making applejack in New Jersey in 1698, and you can still buy a bottle of Laird's today.  It's not very expensive, and it's the ingredient in a number of classic cocktails.  It has a slight sweetness and, yes, a delicious apple flavor.  (You can read much more about Laird & Company and the history of applejack in this New York Times article from 2005.)

I've mixed up a couple different applejack-y cocktails (it makes a nice hot toddy), but my favorite by far has been this very simple Applejack Old Fashioned (recipe found here).  Here's what you do:

In a rocks glass, stir the following together:

*2 oz Laird's Applejack

*2 dashes bitters (Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged preferred; I used Fee Brothers Old Fashioned, and Angostura would work, also)

*1 tsp (or to taste--I like a bit less) maple syrup

After stirring, drop in a large ice cube or two, stir a bit more, and enjoy!  This is a strong drink, but it has a very drinkable sweetness to it.

cheers!

xo

K

a summer celebration

We spent the last three days celebrating the birthday boy's big 5-0!  Starting with delicious pizza and beer at Harmony Brewing.  (For anyone who cares, in my opinion, Harmony and Amore Trattoria make the best pizza in Grand Rapids.  Possibly the only pizza worth eating in GRR.)

We also did a little thrifting and had some great finds.

It's not a celebration without a cocktail or two at Viceroy.  Steven made me this beautiful lavender lychee-flavored concoction.

I was serious about wanting to wear an all-black wardrobe from now on!

Bunting from HeidiAdnum on Etsy was just the festive touch the living room needed for the small shindig we held for Andy on Saturday.

I asked Andy to get me "a bunch" of mint from our neighbor for drinks--he apparently dug up an entire plant!

We had lots of good food courtesy Andy and our friend Roberta...and cocktails, courtesy me.  I made mostly whiskey drinks:  Whiskey Smash, Scofflaw, Junior, Old Fashioned.

And we recuperated on the lake on Sunday.

Lucy engaging in her favorite pastime--fish watching!

xo

K

the old fashioned

The Old Fashioned cocktail is the perfect drink for a vintage lover--the name alone!--and it's about as classic as a classic cocktail gets.  It's among the oldest of cocktails, dating back to the day when a cocktail was defined as a mixture of spirits, bitters, sugar and water.  (Those, actually, are the ingredients of an Old Fashioned.)  


I'd tried making Old Fashioneds at home and wasn't happy with the results--too sweet or not sweet enough, not well mixed, and always with a grainy white sugar mess at the bottom.  I'd started to give in to the idea that I would need to have simple syrup on hand to get it right, but my favorite local bartender, Steven at the Viceroy convinced me that all I needed was a sprinkle of brown sugar.  With that advice, and the clear instructions on the Old Fashioned 101 website, I have managed to make an at-home Old Fashioned that makes me happy.

What you need:

*Good quality bourbon or rye (I used Bulleit Rye)

*water

*sugar--simple syrup, or just white or brown sugar

*bitters, ideally Angostura, but orange can be used, too

*lemon or orange twist

Cut off a small piece of lemon or orange peel--either a chunky bit like I did, or a fancy twist.

Put a wee bit of simple syrup in the glass.  Or--even better--put a tiny bit of sugar in the glass.  I used light brown sugar.  That's just a tip-of-a-teaspoon's worth.  Put that in your glass, pour a  little bit of water over it, and stir until the sugar dissolves.  It won't take long at all.

Add two dashes of Angostura or orange bitters.  Or a dash of each.  Then 2 ounces of bourbon or rye, and stir.  Taste this mixture.  You can add a little bit more water if you like, but it will likely be just fine as is, depending on the quality of liquor used.  Twist your bit of lemon and orange peel over the drink, peel side down, in order to spray the essential oils of the peel over the drink.  Add a single ice cube if desired.

Cheers!

xo

K

i'll take manhattans

The Manhattan is my favorite cocktail, especially in cold weather.  It is a bracing drink, spicy but smooth, and easy to drink if made properly.  It--along with its Scotch brother, the Rob Roy--is my go to wintertime cocktail.  I'm going to show you how to make one.  Now, before any cocktail purists get all upset with me, this is not the definitive Manhattan or anything.  It's just how I like a Manhattan.

What you need:

*Whiskey.  Rye is the preferred, traditional brown liquor, but if all you have is bourbon (like my Old Weller Antique), it will do.

*Sweet vermouth.  Now this is important.  I use Carpano Antica, which is a bit pricey, but completely worth it.  It is spicy, rich, and sweet, and quite drinkable on its own.  I tried using grocery store sweet vermouths like Martini & Rossi, but they lent my Manhattans a funky flavor.  I've heard good things about Punt e Mes and Vya sweet vermouths, but they--like Carpano Antica--are a bit harder to find.  I think the search is worth it, though.

*Bitters.  Angostura are traditional, but ever since having a deliciously orange-y Manhattan at New York's Von, I use Fee Brothers Orange Bitters.

*Dry vermouth.  Actually, this is an alternate ingredient.  Manhattans only have sweet vermouth in them, but I prefer a Perfect Manhattan, which uses half sweet and half dry vermouth.

*Ice

*A cocktail shaker or pitcher for mixing 

*A jigger or something to measures 2 ounces and 1 ounce of liquid  

Put a few cubes of ice in your shaker/pitcher.  (I have a metal shaker with a strainer I sometimes use, but I also like using my Blendo pitcher, especially if I'm making more than one drink.)  Pour in 2 ounces of whiskey.

If you're making a regular Manhattan, you'll now add 1 ounce of sweet vermouth.  If you're making my preference, the Perfect Manhattan, you'll add 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth and 1/2 ounce dry vermouth.  Shake in 2-3 drops of bitters.

Stir.  Vigorously.  For a full minute at least.  You could shake, but I prefer stirring.  It's purely cosmetic, in my opinion.  I don't think it makes any difference in taste, but stirring makes a clearer, less cloudy drink. 

You can serve it up (no ice) in a chilled glass (cocktail or martini glasses are often used), or on the rocks in a tumbler.  I prefer mine served up.  Manhattans are traditionally served with a Maraschino cherry as a garnish, but I prefer a twist of orange peel.  I didn't have an orange on hand though, so I made this one with no garnish.

Chin chin!  Cheers!  Sláinte!

xo

K

hedonism

Last weekend I celebrated my birthday in Detroit. I didn't take a ton of photos--I usually like to forget about the camera when I'm having fun--but I took some.

This is me in front of Zingerman's Road House (in Ann Arbor, en route to Detroit), pointing at a bone on the ground. I think it was a rib bone. What I thought was funny about this is I'm standing in the parking lot near the barbeque smokers, and I was just picturing a hungry employee snatching a rib off the smoker to eat, and then tossing the bone into the parking lot. Who could blame them?

I think this ironic photo has probably been posted a billion times since the oil spill, but I still had to take my own.

Here is Stephani in front of Ferndale's Ringwald Theatre. She recently saw that production of Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy, and gave it two thumbs up.

All dressed up for cocktails and dinner at Michael Symon's Roast. I covet those boots Stephani is wearing. She is lucky her foot is two sizes smaller than mine.

I love this photo Stephani snapped as I hurried out of the cold back into her house.

Food and drink highlights of the weekend: The Subtle Smoke (Plymouth gin, Laphroaig, Sauternes, Lemon Twist) and Golden Gate (Bulleit bourbon, Benedictine, rhubarb and Angostura bitters, lemon twist) cocktails at Roast. (The Golden Gate reminded me--in a good way--of old furniture. I need to get some Benedictine so I can create one at home.) The rosemary fries at Roast (which my oh-so-refined palate correctly detected were fried in pork fat). The macarons that Nikki bought us from cup.cake in Royal Oak. Stephani's chicken piccata! The Balvenie served to me at the very cool, slightly dive-y, Deco-era Bronx Bar.

And of course, as always, Slow's BBQ.

xo

K

haircut 100

(I couldn't think of a title for this post, which is kind of about hair, so I just used Andy's favorite band's name.)

This dress is an example of something I probably would not have kept when I had longer hair. Thought I love the blue and green plaid print and the little bow at the neck, that drop waist isn't the most flattering on me. (Nor is my purse strap which is doing a weird thing at the bust, but that's not the fault of the dress.) But when I tried this dress on after I had my hair chopped off, it worked for me.

These photos were taken last Wednesday evening, when we headed down to our second home, the Viceroy, to enjoy some delicious cocktails made by guest bartenders from Chicago's Sable. Highlights were a Peychaud's Bitters-based drink and getting to taste some bonded whiskey.

Lucy did not get to come inside, but she did dress up.

I cannot go downtown without snapping photos of any signs of the city's past. I love the way the light is falling across the building in these photos.

xo

K