A Kick in the Ass

No matter how you slice it, being told that you're no longer needed at the place you've worked for many years just plain sucks. I don't know this from personal experience, but I know because someone whom I'm very fond of working with had this happen to her just the other day. She's been a fixture at our company. She hired many of the best people on our staff. She knows everything. Even a week later I find myself asking, "How could they have let her go?!?" And yet, they did.

So I asked myself, "What can I do to help?" Of course, the answer is what it always is on this blog--make her a drink! And so, I present to you, my gentle readers...

A Kick in the Ass

2 oz Bacardi 8 year rum

2 oz pineapple juice

1/2 oz cooled espresso

1/2 oz orgeat syrup

dash of Underberg bitters

Shake over ice and strain into a glass of crushed ice. Garnish it with an umbrella, plastic giraffes, a orange and cherry "flag", or just your secret hopes and dreams of a new and better job.

As with any of my creations, each ingredient has meaning and purpose. I started with the rum because that's what she asked for as the base spirit. While I'm no fan of regular old Bacardi (I'm too much of a snob for that), the Bacardi 8 year actually has some honest to goodness decent flavor. It's got good rum funk and a touch of smokey spice--perfect for the "kick". The pineapple juice and orgeat balance the rum with fruity sweetness, which is needed even in bad times (unless you want a completely unpalatable drink, which anyone can make and no one wants). The espresso echos the "kick" and warms up the tropical fruit flavors, while the bitters serve to highlight the truth of the situation--bitter, while also being a nod to the honoree's German heritage. 

Cheers, Anita! ~Dr. Cocktation

 

Paradise Louched

Paradise Louched

It's been exactly one year since I entered an about.com cocktail contest, so after returning from Tales of the Cocktail and feeling full of renewed inspiration, I decided that it might be time to step up to the plate again.

It just so happens that the July/August contest for this year just happens to involve one of my favorite spirits--absinthe, so I was immediately excited about getting to work on my entry.

As a long-time member of The Wormwood Society, America's Premier Absinthe Association & Information Network, I have a great deal of knowledge about the myths and realities of absinthe, and have sampled in the realm of 60+ different absinthes, including one pre-ban absinthe. I used my familiarity with the different flavor profiles to select what I believe is the perfect absinthe to use in my creation. 

My new-found love and enthusiasm for all things tiki led me to pick up a signed copy of Beachbum Berry's new book, Remixed: A Gallery of Tiki Drinks while I was in NOLA. From my reading, I learned that one of Don The Beachcomber's tricks was to use Pernod (once a great absinthe, now a pale shadow of it's former self) in small quantities to add depth and dimension to certain tiki drinks. So if a few drops of Pernod could punch up a tropical drink, could a tiki drink be created that used absinthe as the base? I decided it was my task to find out!

I chose to use a Swiss/blanche absinthe as the base of my drink since I believe the more anise and fennel-forward flavors would work better with tropical tiki flavors than would a more herbal verte. While I believe La Valote works best in Paradise Louched (a play on Paradise Lost), I realize that in many areas the selections of absinthes are limited at best and so I will mention that Pere Francois or Kubler would also work well in this drink.

In Paradise Louched, the absinthe is clearly present, yet functions in harmony with the rhum agricole, fresh juices, floral water, and is supported by the cinnamon syrup’s subtle spice. My goal was to create a drink that is readily accessible to even those who might not otherwise try or believe they would enjoy absinthe. Absinthe’s history is filled with so much myth, misinformation, and mystery, that the come-hither allure of a tropical drink presented in a whimsical tiki mug may just be the perfect introduction to the green (or in this case white) fairy.

1.25 oz of La Valote (Pere Francoise or Kubler are also acceptable)

1 oz Rhum J.M Gold

1 oz pineapple juice

1 oz fresh lemon juice

1 oz homemade cinnamon syrup (recipe below)

½ tsp orange flower water

In a blender, puree all ingredients with 1.5 cups of crushed ice until slushy. Serve in a tiki mug, adding additional ice to fill, and garnish with a straw and a sprig of fresh mint.

To prepare the cinnamon syrup take 3 cinnamon sticks, crushed, 1 cup water, and 1 cup demerara sugar and boil until sugar dissolves. Let the mixture sit to further infuse for 2 hours, then strain into a container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.