Cosmopolitan

COSMOPOLITAN

A good and jolly evening to each and everyone! Tonight I made a classic I should've done ages ago! I introduce you to the Cosmopolitan. But before we got to the core basics of this classic, a bit of history if you don't mind.

I've post-poned the making of this cocktail for a long time. Probably the biggest reason being the fact that I have actually made this before, a few years back but wasn't really satisfied with the result. It could've been the lack of my artisanship, poor recipe (I get to that soon) or both. Moreover, this cocktail uses a very small amount of cranberry juice in it and a whole carton of it for the sake of an amount less of a standard type shot, I felt justified of "not-making-this" cocktail.

Nonetheless, I have grabbed the bull by its horn and here we are. No excuses, just cocktails!

Oh and regarding the recipe. Keep in mind that the one I just represents only one version of the Cosmo. There are literally countless amount of different versions of this cocktail (I went through a lot before going for this one) and let's be honest here. There are good ones and there are bad ones out there but there is no "right" one. But basically, this is a "pimped out" Kamikaze, if you so gently put it. I remember the first time I made this I used the rule "one shot of everything (2.5 cl / 1½ fl oz)."

• 4.5 cl (citron) vodka (I used absolut citron)
• 3 cl cointreau
• 1.5 cl fresh lime juice
• ~1.5 cl cranberry juice 

READ THE UPDATE WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THE ORIGINAL TEXT

The cranberry juice is mainly used for the color but it has a tart taste to it as well. Vodka for the power and lime juice to even out the sweetness of cointreau. Again, where I work I would make it differently, with more cranberry juice and less liquor (silly laws).

Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake hard and double-strain into your chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with either a lime or if feeling "uuh adventurous", take a zest of orange, light it up and rim the glass with it/twist the essential oils of it into your drink & drop it in (as seen in the picture).

Result? A gorgeous cocktail with a lovely orange aroma to it. But...the unlimited versions of the Cosmo has made me doubt myself to the point that I ask myself "How should a Cosmo taste like?" I've tasted quite a few ones (the most horrible being in Estonia where they used booze instead of vodka oh my the memories!) and I'm still not convinced.

Feel free to comment a recipe you prefer and I might as well make it. I seriously feel torn here!

And now that we're at it, I had the opportunity to meet my god-daughter today and that KICKED ASS! CHEERS TO THAT! :)

UPDATE 26.01.2016

THIS is the shit!

So here's an update. A WELL-DESERVED update on this now-modern classic! FINALLY a recipe I can stand behind to! Robert Hess from Small Screen Network made this cocktail and given, with the recipe he provided...THIS is a good Cosmopolitan!

• 4.5 cl Absolut Citron (or any citron-flavored vodka)
• 1.5 cl Cointreau
• 3 cl cranberry juice
• 0.75 cl lime juice
• orange peel garnish

The Cosmopolitan. 'Nuff said.

Chimay 2009 VS Chimay 2014

Chimay 2009 VS Chimay 2014

Notice the new label (and my hands when I took the picture)

Hello everyone!

One day at work I noticed a bottle of Chimay Blue in the showcase. Nothing special, except for the fact it was brewed in 2009! Now at this point you might say "Eww Cele that's FIVE YEAR OLD BEER!" or "Put that f***ing thing away before I stick it up your ass!" BUT there's one thing you should know. These high ABV beers (in this case 9%) can be kept in cellars and "matured". Keep in mind, though, the 2009 version standing on the showcase has not quite met the requirements for proper (or any) "cellar"-conditions, so comparing it to the new version was just a fun experiment to make.

Thankfully a friend of mine managed to come along; drinking these alone would've been too much for me. But before tried out the Chimays I chatted a bit with two French tourists visiting Finland for a week, Inez and Jacques ("Jack"), with whom I talked before my friend showed up.

But let's get into business. As you can see in the following pictures, these two varied a massive amount; both in nose and palate. 

Left 2014, right 2009

First things first; the nose. Where as the 2014 had a fresh, malty aroma to it, the 2009 version smelt very yeasty to me, even spoilt. Also, the foam was weak and disappeared almost instantly. The amount of sediment (yeast) was crazy in the old bottling (as you can see in the pictures below).

2014

2009

2009

2014

Regarding taste, I have to admit the older Chimay had a distinctive taste to it. Fair enough, it wasn't a good one, but as if drinking cheap sparkling wine. I somehow got same kind of aromas from it! The 2014 bottle was so much sweeter (which makes sense since the yeast hasn't consumed all sugars) and maltier. Overall it was just better, no doubt about it. Sure, as mentioned before, the 2009 version wasn't cellar conditioned at any times, but still...phooie :D

I should've realized to decant the old bottle so all of the yeast had not gone in the glass, but well, too late now :D

Summa summarum, it was quite an experiment. After the Chimays we had a go at three gins sold at our bar (part of my NY-resolution and with a friend sampling products is WAY better); Gordon's, Bombay and Hendrick's. Out of these three, I ranked them as following:

Best nose: Hendrick's

Best taste: Gordon's

I got to say, Bombay gin had an awful peppery taste and was...quite bad to be honest.

Was fun! :)

Project "Infused vodka" part 1

PROJECT "INFUSED VODKA"

Loki

"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later."

- Og Mandino

Hello everyone! Working at a bar truly has its advantages. Two days ago a customer finished our Highland Park; Loki - bottle. I found the packaging so beautiful, I asked my manager if I could take the (now empty) bottle and its case with me home. She had no problem with it. But it gets better! Not only did I get this bottle but in our office there was another bottle of the "Valhalla" series Highland Park produced and namely Thor.

I crammed both in my backpack and headed home. First I thought using only the bottle in my role playing games BUT then realized the true beauty how I could use them; put my own infused vodka in them!

You might notice how there isn't any text on them. That's right, because I scraped them off! With a pair of scissors, the job was actually easier than I initially thought it would be. So now I got two extremely stunning looking bottles waiting for a content. I actually have two specific recipes in my mind. As soon as I make my online order (three bottles of smirnoff vodka [among others]), I start my work. But here are the recipes;

Spiced Pear Vodka

and

Plum Pudding Vodka

I found these two very interesting with lots of flavor.

I shall report more of this project as I get along with it. But now...we'll just wait.

Brandy Eggnog

BRANDY EGGNOG

Good late evening everyone!

Tonight I made a cocktail that incorporates an egg yolk. I introduce you to the Brandy Eggnog!

Winter is coming (chuckle) and soon we'll all be warming ourselves in front of fire places drinking fine drinks. Eggnogs in general a good choice for these kind of actions. The recipe I used goes as following:

• 5 cl milk (prefer whole milk)
• 4 cl brandy
• an egg yolk (you know, the yellow part :D)
• a dash of bitters
• (nutmeg for garnish)

Put everything in a cocktail shaker and (dry) shake. I must confess that with egg whites a dry shake is very recommended but I will have to look up the use of this method when dealing with egg yolks. Nonetheless, I dry shook the drink first, then added ice and shook again. Definitely double strain into a cocktail glass and (optionally) garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Opinions? I loved the silky smooth texture this cocktail had. Well-rounded cognac-y taste with a distinctive aroma from the nutmeg. BUT in my opinion the cocktail felt "thin and light", due to milk used. Fresh cream would've made a difference and made the overall drink feel better in the mouth. 

I'll give this cocktail a 3½ out of 5!

Editor's note: When dealing with fresh eggs (either whites or yolks), take good care of overall hygiene when dealing with these items.