The Negroni

I love the drink named the Negroni. It's bright, refreshing and quenches the thirst, unlike many cocktails. It never leaves me feeling drab, nor does it take away my appetite like some other cocktails do when sipped before a meal.

In my upcoming book, Apothecary Cocktails, Restoratives from Yesterday and Today, I discuss the correlation of the digestive tract and healing, by using liquors mixed with fresh herbs. If only the pharmacists from years back had known about the Negroni as a healing curative! Well, in a way they did.

The Negroni was invented back in 1919 in Florence, Italy - purposively built to heal what ails you. Orson Wells famously said in 1947 that, "The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other." I don't know about you, but I think gin is good for you. Perhaps Mr. Wells had it altogether incorrect. The entire drink is good for you. Gin, after all, was used during the Middle Ages as a curative for the Black Plague. And Vermouth has long been held as a curative for many internal battles surrounding the digestive glands. 

The history of the Negroni involves a base spirit, like gin, plus bitters and vermouth. I enjoy my Negroni Cocktail with the powerfully intoxicating Caorunn Gin from Scotland. Distilled with a healthy smack of the juniper berry and woven into a backdrop of citrus with a hefty punch of alcohol, the Caorunn Gin just tempts me to have another. Combined with the syrupy and complex Carpano Antica Vermouth and the historically correct Campari Bitters from Italy, the Negroni speaks very clearly of getting buzzed with the minimum of effort. I just sipped my Negroni down and absolutely feel no pain. And why would I, with the application of my finger to stir this magnificent cocktail?

My friend Gary Regan stirs his with his finger so why shouldn't I? 

Well the reasons are numerous why you should not stir your cocktail with your finger. Cleanliness has something to do with this. But I suppose if you dipped your finger in your tri-sink filled with disinfectants and cleansers, you'd really have nothing to worry about as long as you were in your own home. I always use a cocktail spoon when working behind the bar so not to upset my customers! The drink shown was mixed with my own finger… far away from any paying customers!

The best Negroni is also the simplest one to make. I do only a couple of things differently:

1. Wash glass out inside and out with cool water.
2. Dry carefully with a soft towel.
3. Pack with ice and water.
4. Carefully measure out your ingredients, pour out the bar ice and water.

I also use a couple large hand-cut cubes of ice from the Williams Sonoma silicone ice cube tray. But most importantly, I filter my water first with ice made from from my Mavea "Inspired Water" filter. With this magical device, my ice nearly freezes crystal clear. A far cry from the ice that comes out of the ice machine in the fridge. 

The Negroni Cocktail

Ingredients:
• 1 oz. Campari
• 1 oz. Carpano Antica
• 1 oz. Caorunn Gin
• 2 dashes of The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters

Preparation:

1. Add Campari.
2. Add Sweet Vermouth - I ALWAYS USE Carpano Antica for the second step.

 

3. Add your choice of Gin. In this case I used Caorunn Gin from Scotland. Caorunn is liberally flecked with citrus fruit woven around the haunting elegance of the moors at night.

 

4. Add The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters.
5. Add ice.
6. Stir all ingredients together… (And no, you don't have to use your finger!!!)

Cheers from DrinkUpNY!

Article by Warren Bobrow, a nationally published food and spirits columnist who writes for Williams-Sonoma, Foodista and the Beekman Boys.

Grenache, the Go-To Grape

By Amanda Schuster

Grenache is a true classic. Think of it as the little black dress of red grapes. It is not only extremely versatile and adaptable, but looks good dressed up or down.

There is a lot of evidence that indicates that Grenache originated in the Aragon region of north-east Spain. Not least among that evidence is the fact that some of the many synonyms for Grenache are "Uva di Spagna" and "Aragones". As the kingdom of Aragon grew, so did the range of where Grenache began to grow. It also has a long history in farther-reaching regions such as Roussillon and Sardinia (where it is known as "Cannonau").

Grenache has a thin skin, though the wines tend to be lightly colored, more of a medium red. It's also low in acidity, which can cause what color there is to fade unusually quickly for a red wine. Which is not to say that as a single varietal release it lacks any lustre, just that it's somewhat light and meant to be consumed young. This can be a great thing, especially if you enjoy reds with a slight chill on more casual occasions or in warmer weather. Cannonau, in particular, is fabulous with a weekday pasta or summer barbecue.

However, the key to Grenache's global success is the fact that in the right places - hot, dry, and with a long growing season - the grapes ripen easily, and keep a fair amount of residual sugar and higher levels of alcohol. These traits make Grenache the perfect blending grape, letting the other more rustic grapes do the work of the tannins, color and additional flavors. In these circumstances there is immense staying power as a flavor component. GSM - Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre - is one of the great grape trifectas of all time, found and known all over the world.

Grenache traces its roots back to Spain, where it continues to be a vitally important grape to this day. Over the past several years, many plantings of Grenache in Spain have been replaced by other varieties, but it still is the third most prolific producer of Spanish wine after Tempranillo and Bobal. Grenache can be found complementing Tempranillo in Rioja and Navarra, as well as in up-and-coming regions such as Campo de Borja and Montsant, among others. The real jewel in Spain's Grenache crown is the wine of Priorat, where ancient bush-trained vines produce tiny quantities of amazingly rich, dark fruits.

While Grenache may be Spanish, its greatest success story is probably in France, where it is also the third most planted red grape variety, after Merlot and Carignan. But here it has more prestige. Grenache is a key component in some of France's greatest and most famous wines, including: Côtes du Rhône (major GSM territory that includes Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas); the rosés of Lirac and Tavel; and the dessert wines of Banyuls, Roussillon, and Rivesaltes. Many of these appellations and styles using Grenache are known for their elegance and endurance in the cellar, particularly the Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the dessert wines, the latter of which have been known to last several decades.

It is now also very popular in the New World, finding its way in GSM's and single varietal releases or with other grapes in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and the US. The Côtes du Rhône style of producing Grenache is particularly prevalent in Australia, and in parts of California, where it figures heavily into the Rhone Ranger wine movement.

The great thing about Grenache is that it's almost impossible for it to be actively bad. And when it's good, it's fabulous. Take some out tonight and see what we mean!

Cheers from DrinkUpNY!

Amanda Schuster is a native New Yorker, but without much of the accent. The mobile landscape of the city has taken her on a whirlwind journey from Medieval historian, photo archivist, jewelry designer and invitation specialist to earning her sommelier certification in late 2005. After working as a retail wine and spirits buyer and freelance brand promoter, she turned to the one thing that has stayed a constant all these years – her love of writing. She has published dozens of articles on cocktails, spirits, wine and other culinary interests, and is currently working on her first novel. Her favorite cocktail is a Manhattan.

Caipirinha Classica

By Warren Bobrow, Cocktail Whisperer

I love Brazil. The people make up the social thread, the food fills their bellies and the music fills their hearts. Their heads are filled with the particularly potent liquor named cachaça. Now with an AOC for purity, cachaça has become a world player in the rush for flavor and nostalgia alike.

It completes the equation of the soul meeting the heart through the influence of the earth.

 Avuá Prata Cachaça is made in Brazil. It cannot be made anywhere else on the planet by the force of law. Cachaça is a complex beverage that takes great passion to make. This passion runs through the veins of the Brazilian people. When Caipirinha cocktails are made, people come together. They dance, they sing - it seems to help solve problems in life and make people come together for a common good. You cannot drive anywhere in Rio and not see offerings to the spirits, both physical and metaphysical. They are everywhere in Brazil.

When I was a boy my parents took me to Brazil to experience the Caipirinha cocktail up close. And yes, I had several while there. One too many perhaps, but as the theory goes - once you've enjoyed a Caipirinha cocktail, you will always remember it. The flavor of freshly cut lime, the burst of cane sugar sweetness from the cachaça intermixed with the haunting flavor of the wooden cask, all mingle to create a truly unique product.

Cachaça is the soul of the people of Brazil and Avuá Prata Cachaça is one of the best I've ever tasted. It speaks clearly of the cane, that hauntingly sensual liquid that coats the back of your throat and swirls around your mind. Two or three cocktails and you are out on Copacabana Beach, soaking up the Equatorial sun, slathered with coconut oil and iodine for a deeper tan than you ever thought possible. I spent two months in Brazil and came back to winter in NJ as a different person. The food and the music would never leave me. When I wrote restaurant reviews for NJ Monthly Magazine, I made sure that I reviewed a Brazilian restaurant in Newark, NJ named Seabra's. They make an extremely fine Caipirinha right in front of you. I'm a big fan of in-your-face bartending.

Yesterday I was fortunate to spend some time in the company of Daniel Bull, the mixologist for his families' restaurant named Brasilina located near Hell's Kitchen on the West Side of NYC. He is passionate about his ingredients, insisting on fresh and freshly sliced whenever possible. He hasn't been a bartender for too long, but his hand is steady behind the stick and the passionate Brazilian spirit flows readily through his fingers into his handcrafted cocktails.

Daniel made me the classic Caipirinha cocktail with Avuá Prata Cachaça and what transpired was less a lesson in making the cocktail, but more a view into the sense of taste. Avuá is sold at DrinkUpNY and you can take the easy to follow directions (below) and make your own cocktail. I do have one suggestion. When you make this cocktail, make sure your hands and your heart is warm first. Warming your hands is easy, by holding them under warm water until they are warm. Your heart may be more difficult to warm, but you can start by thinking of a place like Brazil and the affectionate sunshine that bathes this country in her perpetual glow. 

Do you think that it is the Avuá Prata Cachaça talking?

Daniel says it is essential to slice your limes fresh, as in right before using. He also stressed not muddling the lime too much. Muddling releases the oils, yes - but it can release the bitter from the skin just as easily. Be gentle and smile while you make this cocktail!

Make your drink like a Brazilian, with passion!

Classica Caipirinha

Ingredients:
• 4 fresh cut lime wedges
• 20ml simple syrup (2 parts of refined sugar to 1 part boiling water - blend it in the blender)
• 2.5 ounces of Avuá Prata Cachaça

Directions:
1. Add lime and simple syrup to your glass.

2. Muddle 5 to 6 times - make sure you don't extract too much of the oil from the lime skin.

3. Fill your glass with ice & add the cachaça.

4. Stir with a swizzle stick.
5. Complete the glass with more fresh ice.
6. Garnish with lime wedge, freshly cut is essential!

Cheers from DrinkUpNY!

Article by Warren Bobrow, a nationally published food and spirits columnist who writes for Williams-Sonoma, Foodista and the Beekman Boys.

Last Train to Brownsville

By Warren Bobrow, Cocktail Whisperer

I can picture in my mind's eye the first time I tasted Mezcal. I was down in Mexico - specifically in the Yucatan Peninsula, visiting the Mayan ruins with my family. Overflowing pitchers of green-tinged, icy cold drinks were set upon broad tables shaded from the tropical sunshine by the lush vegetation. Down in this part of the world an icy drink is a welcome diversion against the burning rays and the inferno-like heat of the sun.

I was perhaps sixteen and already well acquainted with Tequila from childhood forays into the seedy underbelly of overindulgences. But these pitchers held something more than just mysteries. The vessels contained fever-dripped dreams of another world, linked together with a thin veneer of char and smoke. It was a heady brew for anyone, much less a teenager with a serious thirst from the heat. After several cocktails in the hot sun, the world took on a deeper dimension - the Mayan temples seemed a part of my experience and the Mezcal spoke to me. But please don't ask me what it said, because I don't remember a thing!

Roasting agave at San Luis Del Rio

Mezcal is made with similar ingredients as Tequila but it takes a twisted path up the side of the mountains through a method that involves the use of smoke. Mezcal is to Tequila as Scotch Whisky is to Bourbon. They both use similar ingredients but one is sweet in the nose and mouth while the other can be vividly smoky to the palate and especially the nose. I love Mezcal for precisely that reason. There is an obviously sophisticated method of making Mezcal. Although it mimics Tequila in the flavor profile, Mezcal takes on a characteristic all its own through the potent application of fire and earth.

As a rule, I'm very fond of Mezcal, in this case one named Mezcal Vida from Del Maguey. What Del Maguey has done is get high quality Mezcal into the hands of more consumers at a much lower price point.

During this mostly cool spring, citrus is at the forefront of my palate. I cannot seem to get enough of it. Oranges are at their peak right now and I love to lightly sear them in a dry sauté pan, let them cool, then juice them, releasing a perfume and spark that makes me salivate.

Perrier, you know - the pink grapefruit sparkling natural mineral water happens to work very well with grilled orange. Brightly aromatic, the citrus weaves around each bubble. The spark of the bubbles rises through the smokier elements of Mezcal and the grilled orange juice.

To make a Last Train to Brownsville Cocktail you must first get all the ingredients. Each comes together in a bold, multi-layered event in your glass and soon your mouth. My ice is the most important part of the Last Train to Brownsville (Texas) Cocktail. I ALWAYS filter the water through a Mavea "Inspired Water" pitcher and you should too - water just tastes better, soft, creamy almost. There is sensuality about the water that I cannot explain… You must drip it into your mouth or suck on an ice cube made with Mavea filtered water.

So, without further adieu…

The Last Train to Brownsville (Texas) Cocktail

Ingredients for two VERY STRONG DRINKS:
• 4 oz. Del Maguey "Vida" San Luis Del Rio Mezcal
• 3 oz. Grilled Orange Juice (reserve a few slices for garnish)
• 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• 4 oz. Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water (Pink Grapefruit essence)
• 3 oz. Valley Girls Grapefruit Soda Syrup*
• One very large hand cut cube of ice made from Mavea "Inspired Water" for each cocktail

Preparation:
1. To a Boston shaker add the liquors and the bitters.
2. Add the grilled orange juice and the Grapefruit Soda Syrup, then fill ¾ with plain ice.
3. Shake Boston Shaker for 20 seconds, it's going to be quite frosty.
4. Pour into short rocks glasses with one really large hand-cut ice cube made of the Mavea filtered water ice. (There might be enough for a couple of shots as well, unless you use a tall glass then no shots for you.)
5. Top with a couple splashes of the Perrier Pink Grapefruit Sparkling Natural Mineral Water.
6. Garnish with a slice of grilled orange and a couple of shakes of Angostura bitters over the top.
7. Sip very carefully and have another immediately afterwards.
8. Marvel at the visual elements of this strikingly beguiling cocktail.

*Valley Girls from Sonoma are dedicated to handcrafted, small-batch cooking that preserves old-school methods of making food that tastes, tasty! The sales benefit Sonoma Valley Teens Services "Skills For Life" programs which benefit at-risk teens. http://www.valleygirlsfoodstuffs.com

Cheers from DrinkUpNY!

Article by Warren Bobrow, a nationally published food and spirits columnist who writes for Williams-Sonoma, Foodista and the Beekman Boys.

That's Amari

By Amanda Schuster

Have you ever felt bluch? That's not a real word, but you know what it means, don't you? My family made it part of their vernacular years ago, but everyone says it from time to time without meaning to. Especially at the end of celebratory meals like Thanksgiving or Christmas, or that time you went on a dumpling tasting in Chinatown, or when a bunch of "small plates" become a giant platter in your belly. Way too much consumption - bluch!

The Italians know a thing or two about indulgences and living life to the fullest, which is why they figured out a way around this problem centuries ago and created the digestivo called Amaro. Amaro, meaning "bitter", is a concoction of herbs, citrus rinds, botanicals and spices, all infused in alcohol or wine, and finished with a bit of sweet syrup to make it all go down. One of the best methods for producing a flavorful Amaro is through percolation - much like making a good iced coffee. The herbs and botanicals are placed in a part of the still and distillate is pumped over and through it, usually several times. An Amaro's alcohol content may fall anywhere between 16% and 35%, and these are often aged for several months to a few years before release.

Amari (in plural form) were originally procured from your local Medieval pharmacist, but things have gotten easier, more palatable, and thankfully less leechy since then. The recipes vary regionally and the exact ingredients are often considered protective property, some number of "secret herbs and spices" that have been passed down through a lineage of faithful cousins, and more often than not, monks.

Some Amari require a bit of palate conditioning to get used, but it's worth every effort. They really do help calm the stomach and aid digestion too. Amari only refers to this style of digestifs produced in Italy, however, there are several Amari-like styles found in the states as well, blending herbs like gentian root, chamomile and citrus for an authentic take on the classic. Other root liqueurs take the Amaro esthetic and use specific herbs and botanicals to create a distinctly American, soda jerk take on the genre. Then there are producers who go global, gathering their ingredients from several international sources at once to create a true world summit of a digestif.

Amaro style digestifs are most commonly consumed neat at the end of a meal, or at other times with a splash of soda (most ideally while sitting at an outdoor cafe in the sunshine and watching the world go by). However, they are now very much on trend with cocktail enthusiasts as substitutions for vermouth in riffs on classic cocktails, or as starring ingredients in their own right.

Give them a try. You don't even need to wait for your next bluch, though it would certainly help.

Cheers from DrinkUpNY!

Amanda Schuster is a native New Yorker, but without much of the accent. The mobile landscape of the city has taken her on a whirlwind journey from Medieval historian, photo archivist, jewelry designer and invitation specialist to earning her sommelier certification in late 2005. After working as a retail wine and spirits buyer and freelance brand promoter, she turned to the one thing that has stayed a constant all these years – her love of writing. She has published dozens of articles on cocktails, spirits, wine and other culinary interests, and is currently working on her first novel. Her favorite cocktail is a Manhattan.

La-Morte in the Morning

By Warren Bobrow, Cocktail Whisperer

You cannot escape the citrus tinged aromatics of Nolet's Dry Gin. They envelop your personal space, spilling down your forehead and onto your nose, eventually filling your head and your memory with their passionate aromas. Grasp the top and twist it off. It's got serious heft to it. Stainless steel in weight, marked with a seal of authenticity and a bottle number. I know you cannot drink great packaging - what's inside the bottle is the most important feature, and the Holland distilled Nolet's is amongst the best botanical style gins out there.

My tasting notes ran the gamut from "Genever-like" to "herbal and botanical in nature" and back to the classic crisp finish and herbal characteristics that say very finely made gin. There's a bit of citrus in there that reveals itself along with the mouth coating finish that goes on and on. I smell freshly cut hay in the nose and the ever-present heat from the 95.2 proof level of alcohol. This you cannot escape. It's very dangerous in a Negroni and absolutely mind erasing with lemon zest infused ice cubes nursed on by a bit of The Bitter Truth Lemon bitters.

I love The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters. They remind me of the bitter pith of the lemon without the sweet candy flavors that mar many other lemon bitters on the market. Bitters are not supposed to be like gummy bears.  They are meant to add a blast of sour to balance out the sweet! Historically speaking, bitters were originally used as health concentrates. They would be added to a bit of alcohol (ok, maybe more than a bit) and healing would begin.

I can remember the first time I tried gin. I was in the Ivory Coast of Africa with my family. It was 1976. I remember getting off the Pan Am 707 in Abidjan and being assailed immediately by the humidity. The first drink I was given by my "understanding" parents was a tall gin and tonic. I think that it was the first gin and tonic I'd ever enjoyed "for medicinal purposes only"! Why was this for medicinal purposes? Basically, there was a malaria outbreak and not only did I take quinine tablets against this insidious mosquito borne illness, but the relentless heat (100 degrees and 100% humidity) made for a perfect storm of sweat off my young brow. And why not enjoy a gin and tonic with lime? If there was any cocktail that signifies refreshment in equatorial climes, it is the gin and tonic.

Of course my gin in this recipe is a far cry from the traditional G&T cocktails that heralded the coming of neocolonial marauders in formerly wild French West Africa. I wouldn't remember how they made them other than tall and cold. With a lime please. Oh, no lime? Then a lemon will have to do to cure the scurvy.

This cocktail that I call La-Morte in the Morning is named for a very specific reason. It's a play on the classic Ernest Hemmingway Death in the Afternoon cocktail and not just because it's the morning when you imbibe them. A couple of these in the late morning and you won't have a chance to "die again" in the afternoon. They are tall mind erasers and they do the job efficiently and with merit.

But what is the basis for this drink?

The basis for this cocktail is the fruit forward (instead of juniper forward) Nolet's Gin. It's said that Nolet's has made this gin since 1691 so they are quite experienced in the gin world. I said above that this gin tastes like aged gin or Genever. This is my first impression right out of the gate. Instead of attempting to sway your palate towards tonic, I'm hoping you would consider using the lemon variety of the ever-popular Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral water. It's crisp, aromatic and very refreshing with a fruit forward gin like Nolet's. I also add a portion of ice, made with water filtered through a German-made Mavea "Inspired Water" Pitcher. I've written that my water, although from a well, is high in minerals, so my ice freezes dull and listless. When I filter it though the Mavea filtration pitcher system, it freezes nearly crystal clear.

This cocktail demands the best ice and the Mavea filtered ice is the best you can use.

I also zest about a dozen lemons and add these zests to the filtered water. Then I freeze this amalgamation overnight using a Tupperware gallon container in the freezer, then hand cut the cubes to the desired shape with a wood working chisel and a rubber mallet. As the ice melts, the flavor of the zest works its way into your subconscious. The citrus perks up your sense of taste and the gin slowly puts a smile on your face. The use of The Bitter End Lemon Bitters deepen the experience and the Perrier Sparkling water with the lemon essence makes for a play on the romance of zesty to crisp to vividly sensual.

The aromatics of the fresh lemon juice will limber up your throat and raise your ardor. This is a cocktail that is meant to loosen (and remove) your clothing when enjoyed on a blistering hot and humid day. It can also make going back to bed easier if you are enjoying with a like-minded friend who appreciates the fullest potential for certainly more interesting morning activities other than going to work.

The La-Morte in the Morning Cocktail will souse TWO of your most sturdy friends.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. Nolet's Silver Dry Gin (shooting for about 3 oz. of liquor per drink, so it's not a 99 pound weakling of a cocktail.)
• 3 oz. Simple Syrup
• 2 oz. Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 oz. Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water in lemon flavor
• 5-7 shakes of The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters
• .50 Darjeeling tea for the wash
• A few handfuls of the Mavea (lemon zest) infused ice into a Boston Shaker
• Fresh Kentucky Colonel Mint

Preparation:

1. Add the liquor, simple syrup and lemon juice (making a quick and easy lemonade) to your Boston Shaker that already has been filled ¾ with the lemon zest infused ice.
2. Wash two Collins glasses out with the Darjeeling tea (then discard the tea).
3. Fill the glasses with a couple hand-cut chunks of the infused lemon zest ice.
4. Shake your Boston Shaker 15 seconds at least for greatest frosty effects.
5. Strain the gin mixture over the infused ice and add a few shakes of The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters over the top of each glass.
6. Garnish with a lemon pinwheel and a sprig of the mint.
7. Finish with about an ounce of the Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral water (Lemon).

Sip carefully!  This is certainly a danger level 5 out of 5!

Cheers from DrinkUpNY!

Article by Warren Bobrow, a nationally published food and spirits columnist who writes for Williams-Sonoma, Foodista and the Beekman Boys.

A Cocktail for Baudelaire

By Warren Bobrow, Cocktail Whisperer

The Aylesbury Duck is an intriguing vodka from The 86 Company. They also produce a white rum, a gorgeous blanco tequila, and a lush, aromatic and refreshing London gin. From the very first sip poured with ease from the bartender-designed neck, (it has two lines extruding from the glass for added security) to the gradations on the side (for the measurement of a punch, no doubt) I know that this product is carefully made. The size and shape of the bottle is equally important. It's circular in dimension and is a bartender-pleasing one liter in volume. It would fit easily into a speed rack or grace the shelf of the back bar with its handsome labeling.

The label looks like handmade paper with Victorian-esque fonts with the depiction of the Aylesbury Duck and curious writing about the duck and hunting, as well as what it is made of, in this case wheat and water.  But you don't drink writing, nor do you drink fancy bottle styles. What you do drink is a carefully made vodka unlike any other on the market. But what does this mean?

This is what I would call an ultra-luxury product. This vodka is of such high quality that there is very little of it to be attained. But you my friends are in luck. Not only do you have the good fortune to read my words of wisdom attesting to the quality of this product, but also you are able to find this ultra-luxury vodka at DrinkUpNY!

This is your lucky day!

It's also your lucky day that you cooked some sweet, golden beets last night to accompany your roasted chicken. But instead of tossing them into a salad with a tangle of Mache lettuce and goat cheese like you usually do, this time you've pureed them with a touch of freshly squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. This gives the pureed beets a bright and citrus driven flavor when mixed with this pristine wheat based vodka. 

Then, as if by magic a frosty Martini glass appears in front of you.  And trailing down the sides of the Martini glass is the most elegant of bitters. In this case, I've used the historic Jerry Thomas Bitters, comprised of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and dreams. They smear down the side of your cocktail glass and lend plausible amusement for your taste buds.

The Aylesbury Duck is indeed a real duck. I'd say it is quite a bit larger than a normal duck and is usually hunted for sport, although it's not really a sport when this large breed of duck is the size of a golden retriever. It's hard to miss. There's a phrase that says: "like a sitting duck"...

I do hope drinking this imaginative vodka is more amusing than hunting the Aylesbury Duck! 

Tasting notes for the Aylesbury Duck Vodka:

A nose of sweet vanilla and candy sugar melts away into a vaguely floral scent of the grains. Notes of white chocolates melted around freshly cut French herbs and hints of Asian spices caress the palate. This iconic vodka finishes warm and lush with a mouth coating sweetness that goes on and on.

Quite mixable or perfect served over a hand cut ice cube made with water filtered through a Mavea "Inspired Water" Filter pitcher. (ESSENTIAL!!!)

I love to make infused ice cubes for this drink.

A Cocktail for Baudelaire

(Each recipe makes one drink)

Ingredients:
• 3 oz. Aylesbury Duck vodka
• 2 tablespoons roasted and pureed golden beets
• ½ oz. simple syrup
• ½ oz. fresh lime juice
• A few shakes of The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Bitters
• One large chunk of hand cut Mavea and Jerry Thomas infused ice

Ice Preparation: 
1. In a gallon Tupperware container, add at least twenty shakes of the Jerry Thomas Bitters.
2. Cover with Mavea filtered water and mix together.
3. Freeze overnight.
4. Cut ice to your desired shape and serve with your Aylesbury Duck Vodka in the cocktail of your choice, such as the vividly amusing Cocktail for Baudelaire.

Cocktail Preparation:
1. Fill a Boston Shaker ¾ with bar-ice (Do not use the infused ice here.)
2. Add the vodka and the pureed golden (or red if you wish) beets, lime juice and simple syrup.
3. Shake for 10-15 seconds.
4. Strain into your Martini glass and sip to getting drunk… (While reading Baudelaire's infamous poem about drinking to inebriation and beyond.)

Of course you should always practice mindful drinking…

Cheers from DrinkUpNY!

Article by Warren Bobrow, a nationally published food and spirits columnist who writes for Williams-Sonoma, Foodista and the Beekman Boys.