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)
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.
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;
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.
Greetings everyone! Today I'll present you an old-time classic from the ancient times when Romans ruled the world. Well not quite, but nonetheless, this is one of the greatest cocktail I've had and I can easily recommend this drink for anyone. It's a stiff drink I admit but after the first sip I fell in love with it. I present you the Mint Julep.
To make a long story short, this is the cocktail served in the annual Kentucky Derby. It's a bourbon based cocktail and here's how you make one:
4-5 mint leaves or ~10 if they're smaller in size
~2 tea spoons of sugar
6 cl bourbon
crushed ice
a mint sprig for garnish
First, take the mint leaves, slam them against your palm and drop them in the glass. For perfectionists traditionalists out there, there's a Julep Cup that is traditionally used in this cocktail. Made out of pewter or if feeling rich and fancy, silver. But since I don't have one (yet), I shall use one of my fancier tumblers.
So the mint is in the glass, add your (granulated) sugar and gently press the sugar and the mint to release more of the essential oils/aromas of the mint. Don't shred the mint, press it.
Add your favorite bourbon, stir a couple of times and then keep scooping that crushed ice. What you want is to get the cocktail freezingly cold after which you add more ice. When the glass gives your frostbites, it's cold enough. Then add another scoop of crushed ice on top and garnish with a mint sprig and preferably at least one straw. Sip and enjoy slowly, since this drink only has alcohol in it.
I have to tell you, this drink earned its place in my all time favorite top3 cocktails! It is super refreshing and has a great taste of bourbon/mint in it. I can't believe I haven't drunk one before!
Love at first sight (not to mention how visually beautiful the cocktail is), no doubt about it!
The rum collection, the Matusalem (middle) belongs to my friend
Hello everyone and welcome to yet another great tasting! Today I had the great opportunity to sample six different styles of rums with a good friend of mine! As you already might know, the previous reviews with cognacs, herbal-liquers and vodkas have all been great successes so I decided to keep the winning streak going on but with rums. But not just any rums, instead I was going for the aged ones.
Without going into too much detail what rum is, aged rum differs enough from the basic blanco ones. An aging process and moreover, a way more complex flavor profile than your regular "Bacardi white". So four of the six rums were ordered from online (of which one belongs to my friends), one from another good friend of mine (holla Michael!) and one from my ex-colleagues when "El Capitán" (me) left his navy (holla Stockmann!). The collection, and for the sake of me & my readers, I shall go through the list as it appears in the picture. I also gathered bits & pieces of information regarding that specific rum so we all know what we're dealing with:
Tasting order: Matusalem, Pyrat, Appleton, Aniversario, El Dorado and Kraken
I deliberately left the Kraken Rum to be tasted as our last, since its style clearly differs from the five others.
As you can see, even in their apparent outlooks they differ quite a lot. Keep in mind that in the alcohol business a lot of producers use caramel coloring to make their product look more appealing. Check out this link to find more about it and why producers do it. "Luckily" the random order I chose (except for Kraken) for the tasting was almost from the "faintest" golden to the almost plum-colored dark.
With water on the side and coffee beans for us to smell in between (and old crackers to cleanse our palate :D) we started our journey into the rum business. We both took notes of each rum and again, this was not a simple task at all.
Fancy as f**k!
The Pyrat XO did have the most distinct fruity and sweet notes in comparison. So fruity it almost couldn't be count as a rum but more of a fruity-candy-liquor!
Our wild card Kraken was something completely different as well. Again, it's hard not to compare this rum as itself but to others when there are five aged ones waiting in line. But given, the Kraken didn't really cut it in the big boys' league BUT it works damn fine with coke! It's a spiced rum so it works as a mixer just fine!
So now we're dealing with Matusalem, Appleton, Aniversario and El Dorado. They all got good scores/reviews and quite frankly, it was impossible to say which one of these was the ultimate best. Appleton 12yo and El Dorado 12yo got both 8½ points out of 10 and both Matusalem and Aniversario got 7 points.
These four were all great rums and top-of-the-line products.
As a summary I would say, it was awesome once again to have a tasting like this. And as said before, it wasn't easy to find differences in these rums. Fair enough, some had more or less afterburn or sweeter, honey-type notes to them but overall it wasn't a walk in the park, at least for me. But you can't go wrong with these rums. No sir!
It has time to "admit defeat" and stop fighting the windmills. My "gotta-catch-em-all", Pokémon-style collection of DeKuyper - liqueur series will come to an end. Actually it has already done so (I gave a few bottles to my friends). I will no longer search and collect the vast assortment of liqueur brands the Dutch make and make more room for products that I will actually use. Given, there are some flavors I will keep collecting but let's face it; "Will I ever use a sour Rhubarb or Cranberry flavor?" The answer is quite simply: No.
Secondly, if you look at the bottle shape I have now and compare to the new design they made, I can't be bothered to collect the new series.
Thirdly, living in Finland makes it near impossible to actually get one's hands into most of the flavors available! The Finnish liquor retailer only sells a few selected items i.e. those people usually buy for parties to make punch (sour apple, apricot brandy, peach and so forth). 80% of my collection is thanks to Estonia and their selection!
So what will happen with these bottles? Eventually they will be used in drinks and after that I will have more room for rums, brandies, and whiskies. I mean, I have a "coconut" flavored DeKuyper and Malibu.
So yeah, you can call this an end of an era. The collection boom that started ~4 years ago has reached its pinnacle and I can proudly say I had about 27 different DeKuyper bottles at best. Not bad. Not bad at all!
Well not quite, but close enough! This whole Midsummer weekend has been rainy and well, quite dark! To honor that I've made a very classic cocktail (variant) called Dark'N'Stormy!
Fair enough, this drink demands the use of Gosling's rum (which I don't have) and their own ginger beer but heck, I will now cut some corners and as mentioned, make one of my own. Go ahead, Gosling, SUE ME! :D What you need:
ginger beer (go for the fiery ones)
6 cl dark rum
a little bit of lime
In a highball glass filled with ice, pour the ginger beer in. Do leave some room for the rum. Then pour in the rum to create a layer as seen in the picture (the stormy bit on top of calm waters). Squeeze in some lime and garnish with a lime wheel. (Add a straw) & serve.
Quite excellent a summer drink! Given, the use of Kraken rum (I got to say the use of Krakens and stormy drinks to fit in like a glove!) made this cocktail taste different than probably intended, but it worked well! The spiciness of both the rum and ginger beer were an absolute "wow".
A great Sunday...day to each and every one! This weekend has been very special in so many ways! Yesterday we Finns celebrated Midsummer. Food, drink, sauna, friends. What could possibly go wrong? Well, bad weather, but that didn't stop us! Last year I had a bunch of friends come over and we pretty much did all of the above. This year I had two of my siblings (older brother/sister) and while enjoying drinks and BBQ food, we also watched some football (the World Cup 2014 in Brazil).
But before we get to the drinks part, I had a reader come up with a question:
"By the way, have you ever ordered beers or spirits from any online store? Could you share your thoughts on that with us."
The answer is: I have now (and got lucky with the delivery just before the holidays). First things first; the matter seems very complicated for me to describe here because all of the regulations involved when handling alcohol. BUT in the EU there's a little something called free trade. Secondly, the Finnish authorities (customs) try to scare us Finns not to order alcohol online since for some reason they deem it illegal. I still don't understand.
Nonetheless, I made an online order from a German site, where you can buy almost everything.
"...the Gourmet dispatcher for delicatessens, gourmet, wine and good groceries since 2002."
I won't argue with that. I placed the order on the 5th of June (just before our trip to Bremen), unfortunately they didn't have one of the rums I ordered after all so the final order got shipped on the 13th of June i.e. one week later. A few days later I got the delivery company's tracking number and how grateful I am a friend of mine helped a brother out to pick up the package from the post office (I was at work when the home delivery guy rang the door bell) later that day (Thursday 19th):
The complete list of what I ordered:
Glenfiddich 12yo
Glenfiddich 18yo
Pyrat XO rum
Kraken rum
Maker's Mark bourbon
12 bottles of Bionade - soft drink
6 bottles of Fritz - soft drink try set
1 bottle of vinho verde white wine (for a friend)
In total (products+delivery) these costs ~170€. In comparison to the Finnish alcohol retailer, the Glenfiddich bottles + bourbon alone would've costs over 180€. A huge save there already (I got the bourbon 50% cheaper from Germany).
So to answer the question "Could you share your thoughts on that with us." I will say it was effing awesome and worked like a charm (despite the tad lengthier wait and the exciting wait should the delivery make it before Midsummer).
MAGIC
Of course with my siblings over and the grill ready for some delicious meats, I had my hands full creating cocktails for my guests. This time I stuck more to the "classical" line and towards the "night" I made easier (liquor+mixer) type of drinks. So right after I got back from work on Friday early evening, I took out the mint I had gathered earlier that morning and made three different styles of Mojitos.
From left to right: A classic Mojito, a Kraken Mojito and a Xanté Mojito.
Caipirinha time!!
During the first game I made three different style champagne cocktails. The French 75, Classic champagne cocktail and Champagne cocktail Shaker style.
In addition to those, I then made numerous Cuba Libres, Whisky&Cokes and so forth, whatever I saw fit when looking at my cabinet. Though outside it was still pretty cold. Hot Toddy's, anyone?
And of course, a delicious cold evening dessert drink, the Minttukaakao.
These were pretty much drinks from the first evening I took pictures of. Yesterday I again made a few drinks and together (me & Henna & my sister) gathered around to see the Germany - Ghana soccer game:
Tequila Sunrise
Daquiri made with the new Pyrat XO rum I got
A Watermelon drink made with watermelon, watermelon liqueur, triple sec, vodka, a dash of Midori, lime juice and Sprite
I got to say, despite the shitty (pardon my French) weather, I had a super fun Midsummer weekend with my family! What's left now is the pile of dishes, food in the fridge and taking it easy for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow I will go and donate blood so I won't be having any drinks tonight.
Germany without Weizen (wheat beer) is non-tolerable!
Welcome to the Bremen part 2 where I discuss a major issue regarding the cocktail/pub culture in Bremen. Not only for fun/hobby but also related to my work (as a bartender) I wanted...no, needed to know how things are run here. During my five day visit (I don't count the sixth since we left so early in the morning) I got to experience a broad selection of different places/quality.
Let's get a few things straight. From a Finn's drinking point of view, Bremen is cheap. When I visited the city in 2009 at my brother's wedding I really didn't have the time (or interest) to make proper observations. Now, five years later I look at the "market" completely different. Keep in mind that price != quality in Bremen. Just because it is located in the middle of the city does not automatically justify "great price great quality". Moreover, the standard measure in 90% places in Bremen is 2 cl instead of the Finnish 4 cl. I find this a good thing; you can try different products with great ease and it doesn't put a hole in your wallet. Of course you can always ask for half a measure if it is listed as 4 cl (as they did with some whiskies/liquors).
Also, it's not just a question of "wow liquor here is so cheap". It's a matter of how society is built there. That matter is completely another story which I will not (in great amounts) address.
That said, I had my notes with me and also another, smaller notebook, for journal keeping and more importantly "reviewing" cocktails/drinks I ordered at different bars/locations. But before we get to the details, let me talk about the general experiences I had while in Bremen. After that I will review a few places I visited during my holiday.
1. Having a drink with someone does not require planning things ahead
This said, meeting a friend in Bremen and deciding where to eat/drink lunch/dinner, it's really not a problem at all. Setting the "suburb" aside (where it is even cheaper), coffee/soda/beer was pretty much priced the same everywhere. Of course you always have those top-tier places with fixed higher prices but even then the difference is around some euros (with drinks). Naturally, if you decide to wine/dine fancy, prepare to pay more. But having like a gazillion coffee/"imbiss" places in downtown, tourists especially can live cheaply.
2. People smoke inside bars
This was really surprising, how smoking was allowed in almost every place! I have to say, this was and still is one of the biggest cons I had to witness. Us being non-smokers, it was not pleasant to stay in a bar for long where everyone smokes. A seriously...I can say, disgusting thing. Even after one drink my clothes smelt like tobacco smoke, which wasn't nice at all.
3. Bremen does not have a proper whisky culture
At least this is the impression that I got. Whiskies (single malts at least) are hard(er) to come by.
4. Tipping in bars
Although tipping is completely voluntary, 10% is considered "normal" but of course if service/quality does not meet, one shouldn't tip. More importantly, it is situation dependent! I had a principle to round up to the next closest euro(s) which gave me a nice sum back. I'm not a fan of super small coins, especially abroad.
Gaststätte, or inns, are rustic, warm, cozy and usually located at smaller streets. These places have a unique feeling to them. This place, Kleeblatt or Four-leaf clover, was the closest one to our hostel we could find. I can never forget the look on their faces (there were about eight people inside when we entered the place) when I opened the door. As if a "I am a tourist!" sign was beeping right on top of our heads! But impression-wise it was very nice. People got interested in us, who/where we were from. In addition, when I ordered for a captain morgan + coke, the barkeep didn't even measure anything; just poured the rum into a class, added one ice cube and filled it up with coke!
Restaurants
Bremen Ratskeller restaurant
There are plenty of restaurants of all sorts of cuisine at one's disposal. Kitchen's from all over the world, it is really a matter of taste/opinion where one wants to eat/drink. The picture above is from the Bremen Ratskeller, where we had a glass of wine/ local eau de vie during our Saturday night bar hopping. These places were high(er) tier (price-wise) when it came to fulfilling one's belly.
Coffee places
Countless amount of coffee shops! Cappucinos, espressos, lattes, you name it! These places also serve wines, liqueurs and from what I saw, alcohol assortments that fit for a cafeteria i.e. sambuca, baileys, brandy, grappa and so forth. Ordering a Sambuca con la mosca without having to explain what it is and actually getting one really warms my heart. These places were very nice in general.
Happy hour
Happy hour. In Bremen. Nice. A lot of these places (at least in my opinion) had customers first during happy hour and after. Why pay 8-9€ for a cocktail when you can get that same for 4.5€! This includes every cocktail in the list. Most places had a comprehensive booklet filled with different cocktails; from the classic ones to variations of different coladas, fruity ones and a massive amount of shots.
These places varied the most in quality. I mean, ordering a beer (Beck's since we're in Bremen) tastes the same but ordering a Manhattan or a Caipirinha, and it always tastes different. And it should. Of course each bar makes their cocktails with their style and recipes differ according to the source/measures but during my Bremen tour I had my best Manhattan ever and my worst Moscow Mule ever. Quality varied, a lot.
Cocktail bars
How do Cocktail bars differ from Happy hour bars? Quite simply; time and well, no happy hour (at least from what I experienced). Happy hours can sell Caipirinhas costing only 3.7€ (seriously, less than 4€! (4$)) but cocktail bars don't do that. Also, some Happy hour bars have to cut corners to achieve the quantity with selling < 5€ drinks to the customers. Cocktail bars need time and those three places I visited, their range of liqueurs/liquors was huge. I'm not dissing happy hour bars here, but you'll understand what I mean when we get to the review part. Just because I pay 10€ for a Manhattan instead of 4.5€ isn't the whole truth; Both gave me a positive experience and just like in any restaurant you don't just pay for the drink; you pay for the overall experience. I'll get to that too, but later.
REVIEWS
To keep things interesting, I shall instead review cocktail bars in the order I please, keeping the #1 last.
EDITOR'S NOTE
During my (cocktail)time in Bremen, I gave my blog address to some bartenders and told them to visit the site in ~1 week so I could finish these blog posts about Bremen. As a colleague from another country, we all share the passion for good cocktails and customer service. So if you read this Claude, Daniel (it was Daniel, right? Right? :D), Sara and the bartender(in) at Rosso Bar/Cocktailbar Watch, please give me a holla! You did a good job! Networking is great, your drinks were top tier!
When I reviewed these cocktails, my criteria was (order of priority)
taste (how the cocktail tastes like)
appearance (how the drink looks like)
working style (If I could see how the bartender made the cocktail)
price (is the drink worth the price?)
other
My system isn't the truth as we know it but my personal experience. And as we all know, taste is a matter of personal preference. Here goes.
B1
Moscow Mule
Behind the Bremen railway station there's a restaurant/bar called B1. But answer me this; would you consider this is a Moscow Mule? Me neither when I first saw it. This pretty much was everything a Moscow Mule isn't. I have to say that in every drink list I looked at different bars too, a Moscow Mule had cucumber in it. I'm not sure what's the deal with cucumber here, but I admit,it gave the drink its desperately needed positive note as overall it didn't taste gingery nor zingy. As a long drink it got mild super fast. Cheap, not good.
Enchilada
Caipirinha
Here we have a classic Happy Hour bar. Located at the Schlachte, this place cuts corners to make many cocktails in quick succession. This Caipirinha only cost 3.7€ (+1€, which I got back when I returned an orange coin-like token at the bar). They had a big machine that, according to my understanding, gave the "juice-mix" for each drink and all the bartenders had to do was to add the alcohol + stir/shake. Quick and easy, just like the two women before me ordered Sex on the Beaches, they got them pretty fast.
I understand the mentality. You're operating at the busiest place next to the river and especially during the warm summer days people don't want to wait for their drinks. Taste-wise, the cachaca was clearly distinguishable, but in the drink there was clearly some non-desirable side taste to it. The cocktail doesn't look really pretty at all but gets the job done. Also, the drink got a bit better towards the end.
ESPRESSO IL MIO BISTRO RESTAURANT
Zombie
Here we have a coffee/restaurant/cocktail bar located in the middle of the city. We ate lunch here, but you could have different coffees, eat sweet/salty or have cocktails (when happy hour starts). I ordered a Zombie. It's a cocktail that has a lot of rum (white, dark & high-proof), apricot brandy, fruit juices and what-nots. A strong and spicy drink, this cocktail has one big flaw; the high-proof rum they use. The list said "73% rum" and I am 100% sure they use Stroh for this. I recognized the flavor from the Hot Toddy I made some time back. This rum didn't work at all. It overpowered everything else and summa summarum, the Zombie tasted like a Stroh + nectar juice.
Jumbo Caipis during Wednesday from starting at 19:00 à 6.5€. Not bad.
ROSSO BAR
Manhattan
Here's another Happy Hour bar called Rosso Bar. Easy location, cheap prices, good cocktails + a special mention to the bartender for knowing a cocktail out of the list that tasted exactly like supposed. So above is the Manhattan. Visually good looking, the garnish was stunningly executed (and how he rimmed the glass first) and If I'm not mistaken I saw this cocktail being made with Canadian Club. Taste-wise, both the whisky and vermouth were easily spotted + notes of spices, the vermouth did overpower this drink just a little bit too much, though.
Japanese Slipper
Here's an example of the Japanese Slipper; one of my great all-time favorites. This I ordered from the waiter outside and as said earlier, I didn't have to tell them how it's done. If you look my version of it, they're really the same! And boy did this cocktail taste good! Just how I imagined it! It was fresh, sour and strongly melon-flavored.
Eisfee, "Ice fairy"
Here's another example of an awesome cocktail, the Eisfee. I had no idea what it was, I just looked it up from the menu. The main ingredients were sambuca, lemon juice, lime juice and regular sugar. You could see the little heaps of sugar in the bottom of the glass with this one. So how did it taste? Quite exciting, actually. Strongly aniseed and combined with the citrus notes, it worked! For some reason I could always imagine a German candy called Nimm2 when I took a sip of this.
Rosso Spritz
From all of the cocktails I had at the Rosso Bar, this worked the least for me. Made with aperol, cranberry juice, prosecco and mint, it was not only a tad too bitter for my taste (fair enough, this is meant to be drunk as an aperatif), but visually the least appealing. It seemed as if the drink was only half-finished for some reason. With only one small bundle of mint in the glass it looked very lonesome. In its essence, this kind of spritz just wasn't my thing after all.
COCKTAILBAR WATCH
White Russian
Here's a cocktail bar located I believe I'm not totally wrong if I say near or next or at a hotel close-by the main railway station. This place had a real cocktail bar atmosphere to it and the list was comprehensive. I ordered the White Russian and just look at this cocktail! Not only did it look better than any White Russians I've ever had, it tasted just like one! The glass makes it even better. I can easily applause to this piece of work!
French Martini
This is a cocktail I spotted from the little advertising add you can see right behind this drink. Made with chambord, vodka and pineapple juice, this cocktail hit the spot. With a dark rosé color and a mild-ish pineapple nose to it, the pineapple did dominate this drink a little. The raspberry flavors were rather "hidden" in the background. Also, this cocktail didn't taste strong, which did only well. I have to give this a special mention too, because of the fresh berry garnish! The redcurrants on the side of the glass gave this cocktail its well deserved extra! Another great innovation!
BLAUER FASAN
"Blue Pheasant"
A cocktail bar at the end of the Schlachte and well renowned for their cocktails, this place I had as one of the bars I wanted to visit. Actually at the next bar I will soon introduce you to, they suggested I'd visit this place as well. The bar itself was rather small, a big oval-shaped counter with bottles everywhere. People were around it very casually and while I was ordering a drink for me, my brother and a juice for my wife, they went outside (it was rather stuffy inside) and I had a little chat with a guy on the counter.
A Manhattan, the bar can be seen in the background right
Yes, I love my Manhattans! Ordered one from here. As I put in my order the bartender asked whether I wanted the orange or cherry as a garnish. I opted for the cherry. Perfectly smooth and balanced, this drink had some berry-notes to it. The aftertaste was nice and overall it was a great Manhattan. But...not the best in Bremen.
It was funny drinking on the other side of the street. Figures though, inside wasn't too pleasant and right outside people were smoking. :D
Daquiri
Here's a Daquiri I ordered and I wanted to made as per Jeffrey's Method. My choice of rum was the Angostura 1919. I can only remember this being pretty much as desired, full of taste with a great combination of sweet & sour with notes of vanilla.
And finally, the very best cocktail bar I visited while in Bremen. There's a funny story to it as well. Actually two. First, I had the address to this cocktail bar. I got to the place just to see an Italian-style restaurant and people eating outside. I didn't want to disturb the customers so I walked by them a little dumbstruck. Eh? I walked to the next intersection and turned into the smaller streets in hopes for seeing someone I could ask about this bar. Another intersection and on my right I now see a place that looks like the back"yard" area of a movie restaurant (you know, those places people get beaten up?). But there was one waiter-looking dude sitting on the curb. As I approached him I saw a big sign of this bar and right at the man I asked "You know where this place is?" He replied and told me just to head up the stairs as much as possible. After the first steps I saw the restaurant terrace in front of me! Apparently the place is rather "well-hidden", so to speak, but let's not keep you waiting...
THE LEMON LOUNGE
Picture taken by my brother (as we left)
Guess which cocktail? Yup, the Manhattan!
These guys knew their s#&t. I ordered a Manhattan, the asked which kind. Classic (traditional), made with rye. Here I had the best Manhattan. Not too strong, perfectly smooth and a properly (read: from the freezer) chilled cocktail glass, this drink made me say the following:
Absolutely perfect.
Oh, by the way back to the "funny stories" I mentioned earlier. So as I sat there with the Manhattan in front of me, I pulled out my notebook. The bartender asked me about it and when I said "Yeah I'm a colleague from Finland", the barkeep chuckled, acknowledged it and another worker sitting in the corner actually said "I could tell by the looks." Around my second cocktail my brother called me (he was still "home") and asked me where to meet up. He said "Yeah a few friends of mine actually know a good cocktail bar, have you heard of the Lemon Lounge?" I replied: "I'm there right now." The situation was overly funny :)
Sidecar
Here's another cocktail I prefer, the Sidecar. The barkeep asked whether I wanted brandy or cognac in it and I chose the brandy. A dark peachy color, semi-bitter (it got stuck in the palate) and the taste of brandy was noticeable (not so smooth). I have to say this cocktail would've needed a double strain, the little ice shard particles were floating on top of this drink making the drink look sloppy. Not their finest work.
An Old Fashioned
Here we have an Old Fashioned, a drink I enjoy thoroughly. The bartender did a kick-ass job. A good bourbon (Maker's Mark), a lovely scent of orange, full of aromas and for some reason I spotted notes of cocoa...? Anyhow, this was the cocktail. Drunk from a sturdy glass with mass, I could only tip my imaginary hat at the barkeep. Bravo!
My brother & I
Well, this...was it then. As you can (hopefully) see, quality varied a lot in different places. I had an amazing time in Bremen and I'm sure I'll visit it again and a big thanks to the new people I've met!
.JPG)
