Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts

Friday, January 5, 2024

Celebrate National Whipped Cream Day with these Delicious, Frothy Drink Recipes!

                                                 Candy Cane Martini | 3 Yummy Tummies *

What could be more glamorous and fun than to celebrate today ~ it’s National Whipped Cream Day! Call it Chantilly cream or creme Chantilly, milk snow, or snow cream. 

Add a little extra something special to desserts to celebrate on January 5 for National Whipped Cream Day. Not only does it add creaminess and a bit of pizzaz, but it also makes the difference between the ho-hum or a celebration kind of beverage or dessert. 

Here are a few delicious drink recipes to toast this glamorous day. 


Tuesday, May 5, 2020

How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo: Mix the Most Delicious & Healthy - Margaritas!

Rosa Picante Margarita - Patrón - from Art of the Garnish
Before taking that first sip or bite, sink your teeth into the history of Cinco de Mayo.

You’ll be the champion and star of the annual homage to Mexico and it’s celebrated food and drink.

Know this: Cinco de Mayo originated in the Mexican state of Puebla. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexican army over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862. The win in Puebla represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement eventually leading to France withdrawing from Mexico.

Cinco de Mayo has evolved from a salute to brave warriors, to an ever-elevated salute to the extraordinary Mexican cuisine and its distilled beverages -- especially the country’s incomparable signature tequilas, mezcal, and chile liqueurs.

Tequila 



Say margarita and the brand Patrón Tequila is the name that most readily comes to mind for discerning drinkers. For good reason. Patrón is the global leader in the 100 percent Weber Blue agave ultra-premium tequila category, crafting a crisp, flavorful spirit, marked by hints of floral notes yet is still made in small batches in the Highlands in Jalisco, Mexico.

Patrón graciously provided the recipe for the delicious Rosa Picante Margarita for my book, Art of the Garnish. I adore the rose petal garnish and a slice of jalapeno pepper! This is what I will be shaking up later to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Here’s another recipe from Art of the Garnish. Can’t get to Las Cabos? Here’s the next best thing. (well, kinda’) The Hilton services this welcome drink at their Azul Bar.



Here’ a few other drinks that you’ll love sipping for Cinco de Mayo.


Photo courtesy of Patrón Tequila

Coralina Margarita
Created by Riesler Morales of Mexico City, Mexico

Ingredients: 
  • 1.75 oz Patrón Reposado
  • .75 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange 
  • .75 oz Simple syrup 
  • 1 oz Fresh lime juice 
  • .5 oz Red Wine (Mexican, or other) 
  • + Sugar-salt rim* 
Garnish: *Sugar-salt rim:

Pulverize .25 cup dried hibiscus in a spice grinder. Add .25 cup sugar and .25 cup kosher salt and pulse until combined.

Method:
1. Combine Patrón Reposado, Patrón Citrónge Orange, simple syrup and lime juice in a shaker tin; add ice and shake vigorously.

2. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe rimmed with sugar-salt rim.*

3. Carefully float red wine on the surface of the cocktail and garnish with a lime wheel.

Mezcal
Mezcal has become increasingly popular in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing spirits over the past several years.

Choosing the right mezcal for you may be tricky, but if you’re looking for an authentic Mexican spirit with an approachable and complex taste, look no further than Montelobos Mezcal. Made in Mexico, Montelobos Mezcal is a mezcal created in collaboration by world-renowned agave spirits expert Iván Saldaña and five generations of Lopez family mezcaleros using the finest, 100% organic agave espadin. The result is a mezcal with a balanced smoke that shifts between chili and dark chocolate. While Montelobos can be enjoyed neat, its complexity makes it an excellent cocktail companion.

A Montelobos Mezcal Ambassador, Camille Austin’s knowledge and enthusiasm for innovative cocktails play a complementary role to brand creator Iván Saldaña. Together, they set out to share the unique taste and versatility of Montelobos Mezcal and the artistry behind agave.

The below flavorful and festive cocktail recipes include Montelobos Mezcal and another authentic Mexican spirit, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, and are the perfect way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Ancho Reyes was born from the sacred earth of Puebla and with a recipe dating back to 1927, Ancho Reyes is the original chile liqueur. Ancho Reyes Verde, launched just in 2016 to much acclaim, also derives from the poblano chile like Original, but some slight tweaks in the production process results in a wildly different flavor profile.

Puebla and poblano are inextricably linked - the peppers are named after the citizens who refer to themselves as poblanos. “Ancho chiles are widely considered a culinary delicacy and Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur is created using Puebla’s signature crop,” reports Camille Austin, the celebrated Mexican mixologist. He continues, “Pleasantly sweet, followed by the moderate heat from the chile, Ancho Reyes is delicious in all types of cocktails.

Pair your rajas -- a savory Mexican dish -- with robust cocktails that can stand up to the food.

Juan to Juan



Ingredients:
Method:
Shake, serve in a coupe glass

Garnish:
Lemon wheel

Ancho Verde Margarita

Ingredients:
  • 1 part Milagro Silver Tequila
  • 1 part Ancho Reyes Verde
  • 1 part Fresh Lime Juice
  • 1/3 part Agave Nectar
Method:
Add all ingredients to a shaker, add ice, shake hard and strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass

Garnish:
Salt half the glass rim. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Montelobos Picador


Ingredients:
  • 2 parts Montelobos Mezcal
  • 1 part fresh lime juice
  • ½ part simple syrup
Method:
Combine ingredients over ice and shake well. Serve over fresh ice in a rocks glass.

Garnish:

Rim the glass with a salt & black pepper; Add an orange slice.


Mexican cuisine is as diverse and rich as the country’s landscape, thanks to its wealth of regional ingredients and deep roots in ancient civilizations and traditions. In the southern state of Oaxaca, the cuisine is defined by two staple ingredients: mezcal and insects. Here, mezcal is not only a drink, but a source of pride and a foundation of cultural identity.


Cricket Cuisine - Photo courtesy of Meutia Chaerani / Indradi Soemardjan


Traditional Mexican flavors have been fused into healthy options that include new ingredients, no frying or oil, a gluten free menu, antibiotics and hormone free steak, an innovative juice bar and more.
 



Not too long ago - BC - (before coronavirus) Bill and I attended a hands-on New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) lecture class on Mezcal - detailing the plant, the region where it grows, the distillation, and a tasting.




Oh - and the news about that worm?

The worm - is ground into a powder and sprinkled on the hand - no worms in the bottle, please! The worm powder has a umami taste. Terrific!


FYI, NYBG offers online education classes - now you have the time to take all those courses you meant to attend but couldn’t find the time in your schedule. Boost your botany IQ!

With longing, I look back to enjoying just about the best Mexican food anywhere -- at Empellón. The James Beard Award winning chef, Alex Stupak had opened his fourth dining emporium in Midtown, NYC. I met friends there to dine right after it opened having reviewed and enjoyed his menu at the other locations downtown. Chef Alex came to our table and we were brimming with praise. The homemade chips dipped into fabulous, spiced sauces.
And Yellow Beets with Coconut Crema and Green Chile Ice -- that’s an ice infused chile that is the most curious and incredible taste!

How to celebrate a healthy Cinco de Mayo on a budget at home
Skip the sour cream. Skip the sugary mixers. Take a look at some health snacks and party ideas, and don’t worry, it still involves alcohol.

Enjoy a festive nacho bar with half the calories for you and your friends by having low-calorie toppings such as beans, tomatoes, quinoa, spinach and ground turkey.

Create your own calorie-friendly True Lime Frozen Margarita or True Lime Mojito.

Each True Citrus True Lime packet equals the taste of 1 lime wedge and is made with only 3 ingredients. It has 0 calories, 0g of sugar and no artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors.

Art of the Garnish ~ Finishing Touches using Herbs and Spices
Lime Frost Sea Salt - was pretty much 'born to rim' classic Margaritas. A tangy hint of lime in a crunchy coarse salt stylishly smooths tequila's bite.

Chipotle Smoked Sea Salt - This is perfect if Ancho, Chipotles, Poblanos, or any other smoky chili pepper is on your menu. The smoky-aromatic hint in the salt will turn that tart tequila concoction into a mellow, fruitier experience.

Coconut Sugar with Chardonnay Oak Smoked Sea Salt - Tropical or fruit flavored margaritas, like peach and mango, beg for this rim! 2 parts sweet to 1 part (or less) salt gives you a sweet tropical hit of coconut with a gentle note of smoke and salt.

Ghost Pepper Sea Salt and Brazilian Petite Sea Salt- This rim brings fire to the fiesta! Grind 3 parts Brazilian Petite Sea Salt with 1 part Ghost Pepper Sea Salt for the ultimate hot & salty rim!

Habanero Sugar, Lemon Sugar & Raspberry Sugar - Who says rimmers have to be salty? Add tangy, spicy and/or fruity sweet to your rims with these flavorful sugars.

Method:

MIX desired salt(s) and sugar(s) on a saucer or plate for rimming. Ensure that the mixture covers an area larger in diameter than the rim of your glass.

MOISTEN rim of glass with a slice of lime.

RIM glass by turning moistened rim in salt/sugar mixture. - See more at: http://www.spiceandtea.com/drink-rimmers.html#sthash.iqx7Dov6.dpuf

See more at: http://www.spiceandtea.com/drink-rimmers.html#sthash.iqx7Dov6.dpuf

Cheers!

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Learn How to Garnish Your Drinks with Art of the Garnish Author & Two World-Class Mixologists at Kosaka Restaurant, Feb 10th Cocktail Party


It’s rather difficult to add anything nor change this invitation to the upcoming Art of the Garnish event at Kosaka restaurant (see their link under Art) next Monday, February 10th.

It’s truly an honor to be asked to host a fabulous cocktail party at Kosaka - the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Gotham!

Kosaka is an elegant restaurant, revered not only for its food, but for its art program, curated by EunYoung - the extraordinary horticulture talent, who I’ve had the honor of working with -- in New York, in New Jersey and in Ecuador - at Hacienda Cusin - where she introduced the gardeners there in the edible garden to microgreens. (just one of EunYoung's extraordinary talents).

See the overview and links below for Art of the Garnish details.

Please share and invite your garden-to-glass cohort in Gotham area to this tasty, pre-Valentine, fun event. Long live love!

We’ll be serving up four cocktails, food-pairings, barscapes, and readings. There will be the opportunity for book signings, too, naturally.

I sincerely hope you can join us.

Doug Young photo 


Here is the Kosaka invite:

We are happy to announce a special cocktail event Art of the Garnish by Leeann Lavin for Valentines' week. Tickets are available at Event brite.

Learn the "ins & outs" of garnishing your drinks with the specially prepared garnishes with star mixologists featured in her new book. You’ll be delighted to learn tips, tricks, and instructions on the right way to prepare a dizzying array of garnishes, from herbs and citrus to nuts, candy, meat, and jewelry. Sip and see how these garnishes enhance cocktails and will help make you the star of happy hour while enjoyed craft cocktails from the Art of the Garnish along with food pairings.

A special sponsorship provided by Hudson Whiskey. The recipe will showcase the classic New York Rye Manhattan, created by Hudson brand ambassador, David Powell. It is very exciting to have mixologists Jessie WohlersTom Sebazco in our special evening!

Leeann Lavin wrote a Food & Drink column for Examiner.com, curating the food spectrum that dazzles and elevates the radical New York food and drink world. She writes the popular Garden Glamour blog covering the nexus of garden art and culinary art, food events, artisanal food makers, and cookbook reviews. She is also the author of The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook and a contributing author to Savoring Gotham.

A 2015 IACP Cookbook judge, Leeann is also a BlogHer Influencer and a SheKnows Expert. A passionate food and garden thought leader and frequent guest speaker, Leeann has worked in restaurants, bars, and food catering; and creates food and drink recipes with passion, using ingredients from local greenmarkets, her herb garden and farm-ette at her country house in the Garden State, making sure to always add the best ingredient: love.

Here is the official invitation link to Kosaka art’s Art of Garnish event

Thank you all so very much. I am forever deeply grateful.

Cheers! 

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Coffee and Cocktails -- and a Storied Speakeasy Debut at Patent Pending



At first, the invitation to the pre-opening debut to a new cocktail club and coffee spot located in what I’d snarkily referred to as “No-Man’s” neighborhood - was a bit confusing.
Granted, I may still have my head in the clouds.  The Cloud Forest, that is.  See, I was getting back to Gotham after my annual, extended working garden design and menu development holiday at Ecuador’s Hacienda Cusin - high in the sierras.
However, the invite came from Rachel - one of my favorite communications professionals -- so I thought - “Sure, I can attend” and sent my RSVP from Ecuador, figuring I’d unpack the concept once I got to the address.

In hindsight - how did I not see it?

This concept couldn’t be more brilliant! It combines two of my most favorite food groups: coffee - and cocktails.

In fact, the new joint is located in the cellar of the historic Radiowave Building in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan (I stand corrected - it’s no longer a no-man’s land.)

Bordered by Chelsea and the Flat Iron, residentials are increasingly popping up.
Plus, just steps away, I learned is the owners’ other remarkable restaurant, Oscar Wilde).

And the hits just kept coming.

The new location is the very place where the visionary Nikola Tesla once called home and lab.

What karma! I had just completed the first deadline to the 111 Places in Long Island That You Cannot Miss book (publish date ETA is Autumn 2018) and had researched Tesla and his work and labs extensively. I fell in love with this homegrown engineer and his iconoclastic style.

I learned: “The famous ‘Tesla Tower’ and Tesla Laboratory was built by Nikola Tesla from 1901 to 1905, in Shoreham, Long Island. It was intended to become the first broadcasting system in the world. The tower's purpose was also to transmit electrical energy without wires from the huge electricity reserve in Niagara Falls, and transmitted through the ionosphere and the ground to the whole planet.”

Wow indeed. No less gobsmacked, it seems, is the irrepressible co-owner and founder, Ryan McKenzie, a leader in hospitality design, marketing, and advertising and a founding partner of the hospitality-focused creative agency​ S​immer​, who dreamed up the concept.

Ryan is all enthusiasm - and a vibe - or a dare-say “current” that is an electric, pinch-me/isn’t this just the “bees knees” sophisticated joie de vivre spirit that makes you feel like you’ve known him all your life and can’t wait to talk to and catch up.

McKenzie is the epitome of the gracious, fun restaurateur. Move over Danny Meyer -- Gotham has its new hospitality guru.
In addition, the general manager, Khoi Le, is a most gracious host, welcoming you and making you feel comfortable in the cocktail club.

Ryan told me that the clandestine subterranean space practically wrote the restaurant club’s narrative -- and there are too many good chapters that reveal itself here.

“The concept fell in our lap,” Ryan said grinning, with no small amount of tickled disbelief. “I was walking the neighborhood -- my office is nearby,” he explained. It appeared he was still reeling from his good luck at discovering such a locale.

Perhaps the gods of luck shined on Ryan and partners, but - it still took a visionary to make this slice of history spring to life. Especially when I learned the place had hosted garmentos and was filled with wholesaler racks, playing cards, pagers, and other tokens of the garment centers everyday rituals.

“I come from California - and we don’t have such historic speakeasy places as New York,” he added.
Speaking of speakeasies - when I told Ryan that I had designed a secret door in our country house leading to our downstairs speakeasy - he picked up the thread without missing a beat, asking, “When can I see it?!” I love that. He’s so much fun!

He then wasted no time in demonstrating the coffee spot’s secret door back to the cocktail bar.
The mystery of what this dual identity enterprise offered soon became clear.

So - you walk into the restaurant from 27th Street - and during the day - you can get an excellent cup of coffee at Patent Coffee which serves single-origin coffee, pastries and snacks.

By night, cocktail enthusiasts will pass through a hidden door to access Patent Pending, a discreet underground bar and casual restaurant, or what I call, a Speakeasy.




The entire space, designed by C​arpenter + Mason ​ in collaboration with Simmer and built by ​Cocozza Group,​ utilizes original basement arches, along with custom metalwork, dreamy lighting, expansive marble, as well as fresh greenery brought in daily from the nearby flower district. The entryway is also outfitted with a striking custom-made sign made up of channel letters (a nod to Patent’s innovative former resident), the content of which changes from day-to-night.

More about PATENT COFFEE
Patent Coffee offers specialty grab-and-go coffee, delicious pastries, cookies and chia parfaits in a petite, chic space outfitted with light wood and hand-cut marble. Baristas serve up drip, espresso drinks, two types of nitro cold brew and more - with bulletproof coffee coming soon. Patent Coffee boasts impressive culinary offerings, as well pastries, courtesy of​ ​Pain D’Avignon​. Additionally, Bon Appetit’s senior food editor, Claire Saffitz, has crafted two original cookie recipes for the venture.

Oh wow. Cookies too? Stop it.

More about PATENT PENDING
After 5pm, the front, street doors lock and things get a bit more surreptitious, according to Patent Pending. And it’s true!

To access the 34-seat cocktail cave, patrons buzz in at street level.
You have to know the code...



traverse through the what is now a closed-for-business, candle-lit coffee shop and slip through a concealed door.



The bifold doors look like a mirrored wall at the back of Patent Coffee.
It’s all very sexy.

Upon entering the dimly lit netherworld, you find yourself in a diminutive, doll-sized “waiting” area that is more like a tiny wine cave.

Just beyond, there is a brick-lined room.



The bar runs the length of Patent Pending - and across from that is a wall of cozy, upholstered, glamorous Corvette-blue diner booths and tables.



Food is served, however it is more of the fast, casual or comfort food variety - as in grilled cheese and chili, fried chicken sandwich and tomato soup. The owners are respectful of the minimal space, especially in the kitchen. If you want dinner - or have a big party of friends or family - head to their sister restaurant: Oscar Wilde.
Mixologist Harrison Ginsburg serves up unique cocktail confections at Patent Pending 

The drinks at Patent Pending are the work of craft cocktail heroes, Harrison Ginsberg and Nick Rolin, veterans of Dead Rabbit and BlackTail.
Already, the two pros have embraced the speakeasy’s legendary residents and have divided the cocktail menu into four, Tesla-inspired categories:
  • Energy 
  • Frequency
  • Vibration 
  • Descent 
There are plenty of quality, creative, craft cocktails to choose from - inspired by Tesla and the radio energy.
Harrison explained how he was wooed by Ryan to join the Patent Pending team from such a pedigree as Dead Rabbit and Black Tail.
Since Ryan had me at “Hello” - I could readily understand how Harrison was charmed by his bar customer - and story-telling imbiber.

Seems Ryan peaked his interest with the space’s narrative. “I was captured by the stories,” stated Harrison. And once he saw the space, he was bonded to the intriguing history.
It was pure fodder for a cocktail artist like Harrison - and Nick. “I love stories,” said Harrison. “Me too,” I added. After all, I’m a writer…

The cocktail menu will change with the seasons, according to Harrison.

Standouts cocktails from the new menu include:
  • Made from Memory (gin, apple brandy, orange liqueur, fig leaf, Earl Grey tea, cream), 
  • Radio Waves (tequila, mezcal, rhum agricole, basil, Thai chile, lime, cucumber). This was smoky delicious and refreshing at the same time. 
  • Light Me Up (bourbon, Jamaican rum, mango black tea, amaro, yellow chartreuse, Szechuan peppercorn, lime, pineapple).
  • Odd Love - I asked Ryan what was his favorite cocktail and this was a contender. It’s a kind of Old Fashion with Patent’s cold-brewed coffee, cherry, walnut, Spanish brandy, rye whisky, and absinthe. The drink was named for Tesla’s reported late-in-life romantic love for a pigeon… Hey, now. (There’s also a pigeon that lights up in the ceiling…)
We were also thrilled to test out a coconut milkshake concoction - Currents & Coils - made with a few rums and malted milk, served in a tall pilsner glass adorned with a banana leaf garnish and a sprinkling of fresh nutmeg. The spice offered a warm, aromatic and woodsy aroma and a whisper of flavor.
Currents & Coils



Beer, wine, and sparkling wine, if you want to play it safe.

I highly recommend Patent Pending for a fun, delicious cocktail composition and an evening of great stories. After all, you can get a good drink at a number of award-winning establishments - but here is mystery, history, and seductive craft cocktails.

Patent Pending is the “hat trick” of cocktail speakeasies. Plus architecture and design that reeks of mystery and history and canoodling...

You must immerse yourself in this experience.

And another Tesla nugget for the takeaway: Patent Pending’s menu is a graphic delight filled with entertaining facts and factoids - along with the requisite drinks and eats. It’s a high-end kind of magazine salute to the space and the offerings.



So it seems that Tesla was a law-abiding “man of principles” who abstained from drink as long as it was forbidden.”

Thank goodness for the end of Prohibition.

Cheers!

The Details: 

Address: Located at 49 West 27th Street, New York 10001, the owners said they hope to attract after work patrons - as well as a burgeoning resident population.
Phone: 212-689-4000

Debuts: tonight - January 31st, 2018

Owner and Operator: Ryan McKenzie,

Designed by: Carpenter + Mason in collaboration with Simmer and built by Cocozza Group

Capacity: Patent Coffee: standing room only; Patent Pending: 34 seats + standing room ​

Hours of Operation
Patent Coffee: 7am - 4pm (Mon - Fri), 9am - 5pm (Sat - Sun);
Patent Pending: 5pm - 12am (Sun - Wed), 5pm - 2am (Thur - Sat) ​

Web Address/Location:
https://www.drinkpatent.com​
h​ttps://www.patentpendingnyc.com

Menu: Linked here

Social Media: @drinkpatent + @patentpendingnyc

Credit Card: All major credit cards accepted - (and Cash!)