Judy's Big Orange Cooler Hurricanes

When most people think of Mardi Gras they think of New Orleans, but St. Louis' Mardi Gras celebration is the second largest celebration in the US. In the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, immediately followed by Ash Wednesday, there is the Soulard Barkus Parade, with the Soulard Mardi Gras parade usually being held on the weekend prior. After spending a number of years traveling down to the Soulard neighborhood by cab with friends to stand out in the cold with tens of thousands of people, drinking $10 Southern Comfort hurricanes (utter blasphemy!), and waiting in endless lines for my turn in the 3' X 2' stench cell, also known as a porta-potty, I finally decided to stop the madness and celebrate at home.

When you're inviting over a significant number of friends it's important to have a solid go-to recipe for making a large batch of genuine Hurricanes. I've taken the basic, true Hurricane cocktail recipe and tweaked it out for large-scale use and to allow usage of standard-sized containers of liquor and juice. I prepare my Hurricanes in the standard round, orange cooler with a spout, and freeze large blocks of ice ahead of time to keep the drink cold inside the cooler throughout the party.

Judy's Big Orange Cooler Hurricanes

Add 2-3 large blocks of ice (you could use a cake pan or bread pan to make these) to your cooler.

1 gallon of no pulp orange juice

1 bottle of Myer's Dark Rum (or other dark rum)

1 bottle of Mount Gay Eclipse Gold Rum (or other gold rum)

1 bottle Bacardi White Rum (or other white rum) 

12 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

10 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

14 oz Monin Passion Fruit syrup

12 oz Monon Grenadine syrup

28 oz cold water

8 oz simple syrup

Stir all of the ingredients inside the cooler to mix, and serve the hurricanes to your guests over ice. 

Be forewarned that the mixture of juices and syrups mask the high alcohol content of these drinks, so be sure that guests know that these hurricanes pack a punch.

Cheers, ~Dr. Cocktation

My NOLA Saint's Superbowl Cocktail Contest Entry--One Saint

As a regular Tales of the Cocktail attendee I was thrilled when I became aware of the chance to enter the Drink Like A Saint cocktail competition. The grand prize is a bunch of free passes to a variety of TOTC events (which has comprised a large portion of my previous years' TOTC budget)! The basis of the contest is for amateur mixologists (that's me!) to create a NOLA Saints-themed cocktail to celebrate their trip to Superbowl XLIV (that's 44 for all of you non-Romans). The contest deadline was noon today, so I emailed my entry to the Times Picayune this morning. Included below is an excerpt, along with the recipe, from my emailed contest entry.

So, without further ado, my creation...

The name of my cocktail entry is One Saint. The name reflects the two main ingredients in the cocktail--Square One Botanical and St. Germain elderflower liqueur.

The recipe is as follows:

1.5 oz Square One Botanical
1 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 oz strongly-brewed jasmine green tea (I used Trader Joe's Jasmine Green tea and brewed it with two tea bags to one cup of hot water.)
1/4 oz Monin Violet syrup

Shake all of the ingredients listed above over ice in a shaker until well-chilled.
Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass, top with 2 oz sparkling water, and garnish with a lemon slice. Add two cocktail straws, sip, and enjoy while watching The NOLA Saints trounce the Colts! GO SAINTS!!!

The rationale for my choice of ingredients is probably readily apparent. I chose to use the St. Germain as it is delicious, has the word "saint" in the name, is a beautiful golden color, and although it is not made in NOLA, I associate it with the city (It's where I first encountered St. Germain at TOTC in 2008). From that basis I found that the floral components of the Square One Botanical, the jasmine green tea, and the Monin violet syrup worked well together to give the drink a summery feel that reminds me of NOLA. I decided to make this more of a long drink and add the sparkling water as I believe that is easier to enjoy while watching the game than a mostly alcohol based cocktail would be. The drink has a nice golden color and the lemon garnish echos this, making it one of the Saint's primary team colors. While some friends say they note a strong guava juice aspect to the drink, others say it reminds them of liquid gummy bears. Either way, most of
the feedback I have received on this creation has been positive.

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation

The Bakon-CocoaTini

I just picked up a bottle of Bakon Vodka at The Wine and Cheese Place and started off with a Bakon Bloody Mary that was head-and-shoulders above any plain old Bloody Mary I've ever had. That said, I was struck with the notion to find a way to combine the delicious, smoky, baconlicious flavor of this vodka with chocolate in some way. I think I have done it. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Bakon CocoTini ...

1 oz Bakon vodka
1 oz clear Creme de Cacao
1 oz half-and-half
2 dashes Fee Bros Aztec Chocolate bitters
Shake over ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 2 more dashes of bitters on top and use a toothpick to swirl a design into the top of the drink.

The sweetness of the creme de cacao, coupled with the smoky, meatiness of the bacon vodka, is complimented by the additional layer of chocolate and spice in the bitters, and held together by the richness of the half-and-half. I dare you to resist the temptation of the Bakon-CocoaTini!

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation

Odds and Ends to Close out 2009 and Ring in 2010

Gentle Reader,


Please accept my apologies for having neglected you so thoughtlessly since my last post on 12/24/09. I was on vacay from both jobs, and while I should have found ample time for sharing more of my beverage-related concoctions and imbibing adventures, alas I did not follow through. Today's post will be devoted to catching up with you on what I've been drinking and doing over the holiday season.


But first, I'd like to offer a few quote from one of my gustatory heroes, the inimitable (unless you are Meryl Streep) Julia Child:

Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.


You must have discipline to have fun.

Now, let's get down to business. On 12/17/09 I had the pleasure and honor of meeting one of my greatest wine heroes, Gary Vaynerchuk, at his STL World Market book signing for Crush It. Afterwards, my fellow Vayniacs and I retired with Gary to Robust for the special Vayniac wine flight that was being offered that evening, some delicious food, and some private time with Gary. For pics and more details on our time with Gary, visit the Robust Wine Vine blog. 

On 12/21/09 my local wine tasting group and I went to Brazie's Ristorante on the Hill and took over their back room with all of our holiday wines. Our theme for dinner was sharing a wine that really got each of excited about wine drinking. That night I was lucky enough to try Dom Perignon   (1995 vintage) for the first time, 2001 Clos Mogador, Silver Oak, an '88 Riesling, a '93 Tokaji, 2006 Tignanello, and a '64 Colhieta tawny port, to name a few. If you ever find yourself hungry for good Italian food at the corner of Watson and Arsenal, try Brazie's and don't leave without a taste of their amazing cassata cake. 

Christmas eve Santa brought a wonderful little treat to my house--one of the Del Maguey single village mezcals. The Minero to be exact. Ron Cooper runs an amazing operation and enables those of us stuck in boring old USA to sample the best sipping mezcals that the tiny, remote villages of Mexico have to offer. To me, the Minero tastes of a vanilla Tootsie Roll wrapped with a sliver of teriyaki beef jerky and hidden inside a fire-roasted chipotle pepper, dashed with a hint of vinegar, and coated with the lingering scent of a burnt tire. Although my description may sound anything but delicious, this delightful mezcal is meant to be enjoyed in moderation and will warm you from the inside with its seductive smokey-sweet scent and smooth character. Bottom line, you must try this beverage, and if you are in the STL area you can find it at Lukas Liquors and The Wine Merchant. 

Christmas morning found me opening what has become over the past week my cocktail New Testament--Gary Regan's "Joy of Mixology." In this book, Regan offers a cohesive theory of mixology that should enable any cocktailian to not only prepare the classics, but also move into new cocktail territory. His classification of cocktails into families, based on shared similarities, enables readers to gain a fundamental understanding of how the various ingredients function in any one drink, and thereby imagine new combinations based on this foundational comprehension. To quote from the book jacket, "Once you understand that the Margarita is a member of the New Orleans Sour Family, you’ll instantly see that a Kamikaze is just a vodka-based Margarita." Brilliant stuff, Gary!

New Year's Eve day found me playing around with a new bottle of Black Bottle blended Scotch whisky, and Drambuie to make a delicious Rusty Nail (2 parts Scotch to 1 part Drambuie stirred over ice and strained). New Year's Eve (and well into New Year's Day 2010) I enjoyed the heck out of a bottle of non-vintage Jacques Copinet Brut Rose. For my dollar, I generally prefer to select a Grower's Champagne to a Grande Marques Champagne. 


Finally, on Palidrome Day [01.02.2010], which was also my mother's 70th birthday, the family dined at our favorite little spot in St. Charles, Vivian's Vineyards and broke into a bottle of 2002 Domaine de Jamet Cote-Rotie. Even with aeration via the Vinturi (another gift from Santa) and time in a Riedel decanter, the wine never reached the heights of the 2003 Jamet Cote-Rotie. Serves me right for being cheap and not wanting to spend the extra 30 bones to get the 2003. Oh well, 2010, like all other years that preceded it will be full of opportunities to live and learn and endeavor to do better next time.  


Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation

Homemade Eggnog Cocktail

After spending Christmas Eve day at the office (ala Bob Cratchit), I came home to a mistake--a carton of "fat free" eggnog that I had picked up at the grocery store. What was I thinking?

Thick, gloppy, and schmaltz-yellow, it plopped forth like cold, gelatinous gravy from the container into my glass--not exactly inviting. The taste was worse than the visual presentation. Metallic and fantastically craptacular, I pondered if there actually might be schmaltz in my glass. The flavor was vile and horrific; not at all what eggnog should be.

I ran to my computer scanned Google for homemade eggnog recipes and saw Alton Brown had one posted on Food Network. Thankfully, I had bought some farm-fresh eggs, whole milk, and half-and-half at the grocery store (along with that evil fakenog). Not an hour after my fortuitous stumbling upon Alton's recipe (with some tweaking of my own) I sit before you drinking the most sumptuous homemade eggnog cocktail I have ever had.

Let's start with the eggnog recipe, which as previously mentioned, is based on Alton Brown's recipe.

Separate 4 fresh (the freshest you can find) egg yolks from 4 egg whites, placing each in their own bowls*. Starting with the yolks, whip with a beater until buttery yellow. The add 1/3 cup of raw sugar and blend until dissolved. To this add 2 cups of whole milk and 1 cup of half-and-half. Finally, add in the proportions you prefer some nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and clove (not totaling more than 1.5 tsp of spices in all). Now for the egg whites. Whip with a beater until medium stiff peaks form and add 1 T of raw sugar, whipping to incorporate. Fold the egg whites into the egg and milk mixture and refrigerate to chill.

Now for the cocktail. The following recipe is for 2 drinks.

2 oz good dark rum (e.g. Barbancourt 8 year)
4 dashes of Angostura orange bitters
6 oz homemade eggnog
1 barspoon of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

Shake the rum, bitters, and allspice dram over ice. Strain into 6 oz eggnog and stir. Split between two cocktail glasses that have been garnished with a twist of lemon zest.

Cheers and Merry Christmas! ~Dr. Cocktation

*NB: The American Egg Board states: There have been warnings against consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs on the grounds that the egg may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria responsible for a type of food-borne illness.

The Wormwood Society's Musique d'Absinthe Volume 1

Ladies and Gents, I present to you a musical offering to delight your senses and broaden your musical horizons--the Wormwood Society's first compilation of original pieces gathered together for your aural pleasure on one CD: Musique d'Absinthe Volume 1

How much would you expect to pay for these 10 dynamite songs, specifically composed and rendered to enhance your absinthe-imbibing experience? $20? $10? $5? Tish tosh, gentle reader. You can be the proud owner of this unique collection of music for the low, low price of $2 (plus shipping and handling). Run, don't walk, your fingers over to kunaki.com and order yours today!

Hot Buttered Rum

Today in St. Louis, MO we had a few snow flurries. It's almost Christmas and shoppers were hustling and bustling about in the chill to get the last few gifts on their lists, myself included. After spending a cold Winter day braving the holiday crowds and elements, nothing sounds more comforting than a warm, inviting mug of hot buttered rum.

Hot Buttered Rum (for two)

5 (or so) allspice berries, 4 (or so) cloves, 1/3 (or so) of a cinnamon stick

Pulverize the spices into small chunks with a mortar and pestle and add to 2 cups of boiling water.

Stir and set aside.

In two pre-warmed mugs use a channel knife to cut a swath of orange zest and lemon zest into each cup.

(Be sure to get the oils that spray forth into the mugs as well.)

Grate a bit of nutmeg into each mug.

Add 1 tsp of butter to the bottom of each mug.

Add 1 to 1.5 tsp of brown sugar to each mug.

Add 1 to 1.5 tsp of demerara sugar to each mug.

Add 2 oz good dark rum (I used Barbancourt 8-year-old) to each mug.

Stir the spice and hot water mixture and measure out 6 oz for each mug.

Pour the hot water into each mug, stirring to melt the butter.

The result should be a hot, spicy-sweet, rumlicious beverage with a hint of citrus and creamy foam on top--perfect for warming up while the wind and snow blows outside.

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation