The holiday season is a time for punch. But not your standard pirate’s fair of Caribbean fruit juices and rum. The cold weather of Christmas and New Years beg for something rich and luxurious. For many, that means Egg Nog. Egg Nog can be a delightful holiday drink (Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Portland, Oregon’s Clyde Common has mastered it). But most Egg Nog comes pasteurized, with no alcohol and a horribly chemical flavor. As with any craft cocktail, fresh ingredients are best.

An alternative to Egg Nog that will impress your guests is the Tom and Jerry. It’s a dairy-based hot punch made with dark rum and brandy, with the traditional holiday spices that will make it seem familiar and comforting even to people who have never had the pleasure. Unfortunately, it’s also an involved process to make, more akin to baking than most bartenders care to hazard.

A holiday punch alternative to Egg Nog that I’ve always liked is a very old Scandinavian mulled wine called Glögg. First, the name is great. Second, while the holidays offer a variety of mulled wine and cider drinks, Glögg is unique for it’s heavy does of cardamom and the inclusion of raisins and almonds. Lastly, wine-based holiday punches are accessible without carrying the risk of knocking your guests out with hidden alcohol.

My preferred Glögg recipe comes from punch master Dan Searing and his book, The Punch Bowl. His recipe includes:

Glögg
3 cardamom pods
2 750 mL bottles of red wine (cheap and dry is best)
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
3/4 cup demerara sugar
1/4 cup vodka
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:
1. Using the flat side of a knife, smash the cardamom pods, reserving the shells and seeds.
2. In a large pot set over medium heat, mix the wine, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom pieces. Simmer 5 minutes, then turn off heat and let the mixtures steep for at least 2 hours. Strain, if desired.
3. Return pot to a low simmer, then slowly add the sugar, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the vodka.
4. To serve, put a scant tablespoon each of almonds and raisins into a mug, then pour 6 ounces of Glögg on top. Serve with a teaspoon so guests can eat the almonds and raisins as they drink.

Bourbon Punch by Gina Chersevani
1 bottle of bourbon (I used Bulleit)
1/2 bottle of St. Germain
32 oz of fresh grapefruit juice
1/3 lb of 10x powdered sugar
16 oz of fresh squeezed lemon juice
10-15 dashes of the Angostura bitters
4 oz of mint
16 grapefruit peels or segments (garnish)
32 oz sparkling water

In a bowl, whisk grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and powders sugar together until sugar is dissolved, then add bourbon, St Germain, bitters, sparkling water and stir. Then garnish with peels and mint. Let stand with an ice block in it for about 10 minutes or serve over ice.

I actually find this recipe starts off a bit too tart and dry for my tastes, so I gradually increase the sweetness with extra sugar and St. Germain until it gets to where I want it.

Bourbon is a relatively modern American spirit, so it probably isn’t the perfect fit for this century’s old holiday. Thanksgiving cocktails would probably be best served with rum, but this punch is too good to pass up.

What are you drinking on Thanksgiving?

No other holiday offers as much built-in reason to enjoy beer and spirits as St. Patrick’s Day. From Guinness and Harp to Jameson and Bushmills, the Irish have given us more than their fair share of great spirits.

But what can you drink on St. Paddy’s Day if you want a well-crafted cocktail? Here’s a favorite drink of ours, the St. Columb’s Rill by Philip Ward, one of America’s best mixologists.

As most drinkers of Bushmills know, St. Columb’s Rill is the stream on whose banks the Bushmill distillery was first built and which provides the fresh water that goes into their whiskey. It’s a boozy drink for sure, but one that we really like

St. Columb’s Rill

• 2 oz Bushmills
• 3/4 oz vermouth bianco (Dolin or Martini Rossi)
• 1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
• 1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
• Dash Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters*
  Combine ingredients and stir over ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Do not garnish.

*Bittermens is a great brand that produces really unique flavors. The Xocolatl Mole Bitters add a great chocolate complexity to any drink and they work phenomenally well in this drink. If you can’t find these or other chocolate bitters (Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters are on Amazon), you can substitute a dash of classic Angostura Bitters, though the drink is superior with chocolate bitters.

For anyone whose only experience with Egg Nog has been the syrup that comes in a milk carton and is available in your super markets dairy section, it’s not surprising that you don’t like Egg Nog. After all, how many good cocktails are available at any supermarket in a cardboard container? I’ve never been a huge fan of Egg Nog, but at the Repeal Day Ball, Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon made one that I couldn’t get enough of. It was light and sweet, not cloying or heavy. I really couldn’t get enough of it.

Since it’s now holiday times – prime Egg Nog season – I tracked down Jeffrey’s recipe on his blog. I’m not certain that this was the one he used (though since Sailor Jerry was a sponsor of the Ball, I think it’s likely).

Egg Nog (Morgenthaler Recipe)

2 large eggs
3 oz (by volume) granulated sugar
½ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
2 oz brandy
2 oz spiced rum (I use Sailor Jerry’s)
6 oz whole milk
4 oz heavy cream

Yields 2 servings

Beat eggs in blender for one minute on medium speed. Slowly add sugar and blend for one additional minute. With blender still running, add nutmeg, brandy, rum, milk and cream until combined. Chill thoroughly to allow flavors to combine and serve in chilled wine glasses or champagne coupes, grating additional nutmeg on top immediately before serving.

If you’re not a fan of the eggs in Egg Nog, a great holiday alternative is Atholl Brose. This centuries-old Scottish cocktail is made with scotch, oats, cream and honey. It’s a fantastic alternative for Egg Nog, though ideally should be aged for a few days before serving. I made a big batch last year and it was a hit with folks I’ve served it to. The end result is a cocktail that tastes like a thick, creamy, scotch and honey liqueur. Trust me, it’s not bad at all.

Painting by Laurie Olinder

The painting above is by a friend of my family, Laurie Olinder.

Happy Repeal Day! On December 5th, 1933, Utah became the final state needed to ratify the 21st Amendment, which repealed the odious 18th Amendment. The Amendment reads:

The 21st Amendment
Ratified December 5, 1933

Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use there in of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Last night I went to the 3rd annual Repeal Day Ball by the DC Craft Bartenders Guild. As in years past, it maintained its status as The Best Party of the Year. In addition to local luminaries Adam Bernbach, Gina Chersevani, Chantal Tsang, Derek Brown, Dan Searing, Rachel Sergi, and Owen Thomson (to name a few), bartenders from around the country came to serve drinks. Dale DeGroff, Jeff Beachbum Berry, Dave Wondrich, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler all were behind the stick, while Ed Hamilton, Misty Kalkofen and Simon Ford enjoyed their peers fine work. Rick from KaiserPenguin.com was back again and I also got to meet Gabe from CocktailNerd.com for the first time.

I’m not going to go into the many drinks served simply because there were too many to mention. Gina and Owen did some really mind blowing molecular gastronomy-type “cocktails” – some were big hits but others were just a bit too crazy for my tastes. I’d never ordered a Cosmopolitan in my life, but figured Dale DeGroff was the guy I wanted to make it for me. DeGroff didn’t disappoint and it was actually a pretty incredible drink (though I can’t believe I’m writing this). Morgenthaler made another drink which I normally do not like at all, but his Egg Nog was sublime. One of the simplest drinks was also one of my favorites – Rachel Sergi’s Dewars, bitters, and Fentiman’s Lemonade highball.

The point that I have to emphasize is this: you must go to the Repeal Day Ball. If you live in DC, you have no excuse. If you don’t live in DC, you should plan a weekend here to come to the ball. There is no excuse – it’s too much fun for you not to go. So I’ll see you next year, then, won’t I?

DC Craft Bartenders Guild Celebrates the Third Annual Repeal Day Ball

The DC Craft Bartender’s Guild (DCCBG) is holding its Third Annual Repeal Day Ball on December 4th from 9 P.M. to 12:30 A.M. for general admission (8 P.M. to 12:30 A.M. for VIP ticket holders) celebrating the 77th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. Attendees will enjoy craft cocktails from the city and country’s best mixologists served in era-themed rooms with food from Occasions Catering, while dancing along to 1920s hot jazz by the Red Hot Rhythm Chiefs. We will also honor legendary Washington, D.C.-bartender Jim Hewes with the Johnny Walker Silver Shaker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Bartending. The dress is creative black tie and will be held at Maison Biltmore at 1822 Biltmore Street, NW in Adams Morgan.

This year’s ball will have themed rooms corresponding to significant eras in cocktail history, 1800s (punches), 1900s (pre-Prohibition), 1920s (Prohibition), 1940s (Tiki), 1960s (Mad Men), 1980s (inspired by Cocktail, the movie) and the Future, along with the main ball room where the band will play.

Gina Chersevani, ambassador of the DCCBG and mixtress at PS7’s, calls the event, “The premier Repeal Day party in the country and the best party in Washington, D.C. all year —no one knows how to throw a party like bartenders.”

Come celebrate with cocktail creations from local favorites Gina Chersevani, Derek Brown, Tom Brown, Chantal Tseng, Owen Thomson, Rachel Sergi, Dan Searing, and Adam Bernbach, along with special guests–bartending legends Dale DeGroff from New York, Chris McMillian from New Orleans, John Hogan from Annapolis, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler from Portland, as well as nationally-renowned cocktail historian and writer David Wondrich and Tiki expert Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. We will also feature top brands including Absolut Citron Vodka, Plymouth Gin, Beefeater Gin, Dewar’s Scotch, Macchu Pisco, Fentimans Botanically Brewed Beverages, Canadian Club Whisky, Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum, Square One Organic Vodka, Square One Organic Botanical Spirit and Boca Loca Cachaça.

VIP guests will gain entry early and enjoy exclusive access to the bartenders, special demonstrations, heavy hor d’ouevres and access to the Hayman’s Old Tom Gin “Gin Lane” VIP after-party at one of the city’s top cocktail bars.

Tickets are $100 for general admission ($150 for VIP) and can be purchased online at www.repealdayball.com. The annual Repeal Day Ball benefits the D.C. Craft Bartenders George A. Williamson Scholarship Fund and the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans.

I seriously cannot recommend this party highly enough. It’s a blast. The cocktails and food are great. The people are great. It’s just straight-up fun.

I’m not much of an egg nog fan, but as it gets cold and the holidays approach quickly, I do recommend a hot buttered rum or a scottish brose.

Here is Rum Dood’s hot buttered rum recipe. Because after all, if you’re going to serve a rum cocktail, the Dood abides:

Hot Buttered Rum

2 oz Rum
3 tsp Sugar
.5 tsp Allspice
.5 tsp Cloves
1 tbsp Butter
Hot Water

Warm a mug or glass, and then add sugar and about 1.5 oz of hot water to the mug.  Stir sugar and water until sugar is well-dissolved.  Add rum and spices and then fill top the mug with hot water.  Add butter and stir until butter is completely melted.  Garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or orange peel, depending on the flavor you’re looking for.

I like this recipe because it’s both very simple and it incorporates some extra spice that goes beyond the 19th century hot rum drinks that it closely resembles.

But the cocktail that is really piquing my interest lately is a Scottish Atholl Brose. I only first had it a week ago at the Repeal Day Ball, but it knocked my socks off. I’ve been trying to find a good recipe that makes sense and this is something that I think is sensible and manageable. Some recipes I saw only called for letting the oats mascerate for 30 minutes, while  others called for including raw egg white in the first step and letting it sit for a week before serving. I wasn’t sure that either of these steps were sensible. This entry, from WikiHow, seems to split the difference:

Atholl Brose

2 and 1/3 cups Scotch Whisky (560 mL)
1/2 cup steel-cut oatmeal (or other medium-coarse) (90 g)
2/3 c cream (140 mL)
1/4 c honey (90 g or about 60 mL)

1. Combine the oatmeal and whisky in a shallow container. Cover with linen and leave in a cool place for at least 48 hours.
2. Remove clear liquids from this mixture, using linen to squeeze last drop of whisky out of oatmeal solids.
3. Transfer whisky to a container with a wide enough neck to stir.
4. Very slowly pour the cream into the whisky, stirring with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the honey even more slowly, stirring continually and evenly.
6. Put the finished Brose in a storage bottle, if not already.
7. Serve when ready.

I found that the honey is supposed to be stirred with a silver spoon, not a wooden one, so keep some silver close to hand. I also like the fact that this recipe requires advanced preparation and a strong measure of patience. Both of these characteristics should lead to more flavor, or at least a longer waiting period for the drink to be ready.

Enjoy!

DeGroff’s cocktail was called Coctel Jerez. It was made with Jameson’s Irish Whiskey, Lustau PX Sherry, Lustau Dry Oloroso Sherry, Angostura Bitters & a flamed orange peel. Regular readers of this blog will know that this is a cocktail that is right in my wheelhouse: strong, savory, and balanced. It was crafted to be sipped alongside these delicious lightly fried ox tail balls. The match was great and it was pleasure to have an original Dale DeGroff creation for the event itself. Oh, plus Dale had the most artful and skillful technique for flaming a citrus peel I’ve ever seen.

Ed Hamilton of the Ministry of Rum was making a Ti’ Punch with Neisson Rhum Blanc, Petite Cane Syrup and tiny wedges of lime. The Ti’ Punch was one of the first cocktails that I ever got into and this was far and away the best I’d ever had.  Ed’s mix was light and delicate. He free-poured throughout and used only a tiny bit of syrup and lime. Nonetheless, the cocktail was balanced and refreshing.

There were other great cocktails that I don’t have any notes for. Todd Thrasher’s cocktail was delicious and included a nice measure of air on top. Adam Bernbach made a hot pisco punch that will go down as one of the most enjoyable warm cocktails I’ve ever had. A drink that was new to me and worked incredibly well on a cold December night was a variation on an Atholl Brose, a traditional Scottish cocktail made with scotch, honey, cream and oats. Simply delicious and much more potable than Egg Nog or a Tom & Jerry, in my opinion.

But my favorite drink of the night – the only one that I had twice – was Tad Carducci’s Gussied Up Breadline. Fortunately, I have the recipe for it:

Gussied Up Breadline

1.5 oz Averna Amaro
0.5 oz G’Vine Floraison Gin
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz ginger beer
1 oz club soda
5 fresh cranberries

Combine Averna, gin & lemon juice in an ice filled shaker, shake & strain into a highball glass. Top with ginger beer and club soda, garnish with cranberries.

It was sweet, savory, and refreshing all at once. Truly a delightful cocktail and one that consistently some of the longest lines of the party waiting for a chance to drink it.

As I said above, I had a blast at the Repeal Day Ball. It was a testament to how strong and vibrant the craft cocktail community in DC is, both that so many people from DC and so many cocktailian luminaries — Dale DeGroff, Jill DeGroff, Simon Ford, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Ed Hamilton, Tad Carducci, and others — came to the party. I can’t wait to next year, when the cocktail community in Washington will again have grown and the core leaders of the cocktail movement in DC — Derek Brown, Owen Thompson, Adam Bernbach, Gina Chersevani, Todd Thrasher, Clinton Terry, Chantal Tseng, Tom Brown and others — will have found new ways to increase the love of the cocktail in the District.

THE 18TH AMENDMENT

SECTION 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

SECTION 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

SECTION 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

On December 4th, 1933 voters in South Carolina rejected ratification of the 21st Amendment. South Carolina would have been the 36th state needed to amend the Constitution and repeal the 18th Amendment.

However, just a day later – seventy-six years ago today – on December 5th, 1933 Utah became the final state needed to give the 21st Amendment the requisite approval from three-fourths of the states of the union, ending Prohibition.

THE 21ST AMENDMENT

SECTION 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

SECTION 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use there in of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

SECTION 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Today we celebrate the 76th anniversary of Repeal Day. If you’re in Washington DC, I highly recommend buying a ticket to the DC Craft Bartenders Guild’s Second Annual Repeal Day Ball.

I think it’s worth noting that tomorrow, December 6th, will be the 77th anniversary of the introduction of the 21st Amendment into the U.S. Senate by Senator John Blaine of Wisconsin. To night, I will raise my glass in toast of Senator Blaine from the great state of Wisconsin and the role he played in undoing a horrible piece of legislation and giving us the holiday we celebrate today.