Seasons are funny in LA. They’re especially bewildering after having spent nearly two decades on the east coast where time is very much marked by the changing temperatures, and periodic closet rotations. I used to know what time of year it was based on my boot and puffy coat accessibility!
During my first year here, I lived in a summery vortex where I didn’t ever know what month it was (let alone what day – one of the pitfalls of being a freelancer with odd working hours). But after a year or so in, I started to notice the subtle changes of the Southern California seasons…
…the slight shift in lighting, the cool mornings and cooler drop in temps around dusk, and the occasional scent of wood smoke – from outdoor fire pits, of course! As a recipe creator I was especially relieved that my seasonal cravings started coming back – red wine and brown spirits in the winter, floral and aromatic in the spring…
As a resident “Masters of Mate” – cocktail recipe creator for Argentine Yerba Mate – I like to think seasonally. Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons to create recipes for. While this Spritz could essentially be drunk all year round, it has a decidedly autumnal twist. I love the heady combination of gin, pear and rosemary. The simple syrup infused with Argentine Yerba Mate adds tea tannins, earthy notes and a little zing.
I may no longer need to bundle up quite as much as I used to come November, but I’m welcoming fall this year with a pear spritz in hand and an extra thick poncho to wear around those autumnal bonfires. 😉
Buenos Aires Spritz 1 oz Gin 1 1/2 oz Organic Pear Juice 1/2 oz Argentine Yerba Mate Tea Syrup* Sparkling Wine Garnish – sprig of rosemary
Shake gin, pear juice and syrup over ice until chilled. Strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with rosemary sprig.
* Steep one cup of Argentine Yerba Mate and strain. Add steeped Yerba Mate liquid to a small saucepan with one cup sugar. At medium-high heat, whisk until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 months.
You can find Argentine Yerba Mate brands in specialty tea stores and in select Whole Foods Markets across the U.S. You can also purchase Argentine Yerba Mate on Amazon.com.
This week on the Bit by a Fox Podcast we’re continuing the second chapter of the Bartender Interview Series, The Master Blend – a collaboration with BERTOUX Brandy.
This bi-weekly series of interviews will have each bartender discuss their distinct style, biggest inspirations, and how they’re making their mark on today’s cocktail culture.
This week’s guest is San Francisco bartender Natalie Lichtman. She may come off as an elegant pink-haired Holly Golightly behind the bar, however Natalie’s quick rise in the intense restaurant and bar world of San Francisco has proven that she has ambition and the chops.
We talked about the importance of mentors, getting that big break, and how she finds a way to feed her unique artistry behind the bar and away from it.
The featured cocktail this week is Natalie’s BERTOUX Brandy cocktail, The Aperitif, currently featured at San Francisco’s Nico Restaurant.
The Aperitif 1.25 oz. BERTOUX Brandy .75 oz. Verjus Blanc .5 oz. Kina L’Aero D’or .5 oz. Bigallet China-China Amaro
Stir all ingredients over ice, strain, and serve up in a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish is a petite corvette rose with small shards of lemon pith and sage leaves tucked between the petals.
All photographs by Anthony Parks on behalf of BERTOUX Brandy
This week’s Bit by a Fox Podcast is an exciting one. I got to sit down with the Master Distiller of one of my all time favorites, Plymouth Gin.
Sean Harrison joined Plymouth Gin 25 years ago as Assistant Manager and is now the Master Distiller and keeper of one of the oldest and iconic gin recipes that has been passed down verbally to every Master Distiller since 1793.
Sean was in town celebrating World Martini Day, so naturally, I reserved some time for a chat. We spoke about Sean’s beginnings as a fledgling distiller, what it’s like to be the maker of such a historic brand, and how he’s witnessed the gin craze grow bigger than he ever imagined over the last two decades all while working at one of the most beloved gin brands in the world.
This week’s featured cocktail is one of Sean’s favorites, a 50/50 martini using Plymouth Gin and Lillet Rosé:
Rosé Fifty-Fifty 1 part Plymouth Gin 1 part Lillet Rosé Grapefruit Twist (Sean prefers no garnish!)
Stir and serve up or in a rocks glass over a large cube of ice, garnish optional.
This week on the Bit by a Fox Podcast, we’re kicking off our second chapter of The Master Blend – A Bartender Series. In collaboration with BERTOUX Brandy, the Bit by a Fox Podcast will host a series of interviews with some of America’s most acclaimed and innovative bartenders.
This second installment is a continuation of interviews that will have each bartender discuss their distinct style, biggest inspirations, and how they’re making their mark on today’s cocktail culture.
Kicking off this second Master Blend series is Christopher Longoria, Beverage Director at the insanely popular restaurant, Che Fico in San Francisco. We talked poetry, California, hip hop, his 20 year evolution behind the bar, and discovering as an artist and as a bartender, less is more.
This week’s featured cocktail is Christopher’s BERTOUX Brandy cocktail currently featured at San Francisco’s Che Fico: SMOKED STRAWBERRIES
SMOKED STRAWBERRIES 1 oz Smoked Strawberry Juice* .75 oz Earl Grey Tea Syrup** .25 oz Ramazzotti Amaro .5 oz Lime Juice Pinch of salt 4 Dashes Absinthe (through a bitters decanter) 1.5 oz BERTOUX Brandy
Shake, double strain. Serve up, in a coupe. No garnish.
*Smoked Strawberry Juice: In a hotel pan, stack a perforated hotel pan. Lightly coat the perforated hotel pan with Vegeline. Add a flat of strawberries (capped) to the perforated hotel pan. Place over an open fire hearth for approximately 40 mins. Line a second perforated hotel pan with cheese cloth. Stack on top of a hotel pan that has clearance for the strawberry juice that will be pressed. Carefully place smoked strawberries over the cheesecloth.
Cover the strawberries with the excess cheese cloth. Using an additional hotel pan stacked over the strawberries, add an appropriate amount of weight to press out the juice (we use a case of beer). Allow for at least 24 hrs of press time. Press in a space at wine cellar or fridge temperature. Once pressing time is done, manually squeeze excess juice from the strawberries through cheese cloth into appropriate container.
**Earl Grey Tea Syrup: In a vac seal bag add: Loose leaf Earl Grey Tea: 42 g, Orange Peel (zested): 12 g, Clove: 8 ct, Water: 1 qt (800 g).
Let infusion sit at room temperature for 24 hrs. Strain infusion into a quart container to confirm volume.
Post infusion: Add the infusion into a pot. Using and induction burner, bring to a simmer (hot enough to melt sugar). Add volume of granulated sugar equal to the infusion volume. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Allow to cool.
All photographs by Anthony Parks on behalf of BERTOUX Brandy
The Dark ‘n Stormy is a classic highball traditionally made with a robust, Caribbean style dark rum and spicy ginger beer. It’s as simple as a mixed drink gets, but those two opposing flavors create a heavy dose of complexity…and deliciousness!
There’s a reason why this drink has enjoyed consistent popularity since the 1800s when sailors were throwing them back with abandon!
If you’ve ever been involved with the seafaring world, then you know this drink’s deep connection to maritime history. Rum was a popular ration for England’s Royal Navy in the 19th century, and ginger was used as an effective seasickness cure. These two were bound to come together on a boat or near one! Bermuda was the supposed birthplace of this combo finally getting together, and the Dark ‘n Stormy, as we know it, was born.
Cocktail legend has it that the name was dubbed by a sailor who, after imbibing one of these spicy numbers of his own, remarked that the color of the drink was reminiscent of a storm cloud too dangerous to sail under.
While I LOVE the simplicity of this drink, y’all know I was gonna mess with it! In fact, you know what makes this version even better? It’s a slushy. With this extended summer we’re having in Los Angeles (helloooo 85 degrees in September), I’m still welcoming ALL the frozen drinks for as long as I can. The other reason this take is next level? I did not settle for that normal spiced ginger beer. Oh no, this (sp)icy beauty deserves some strength! I used the spiciest ginger beer on the market – Reed’s Strongest. COME THROUGH GINGER SPICE!
Reed’s Strongest has 3 times the fresh ginger root of their Original and the result = SPICAAAAAY (that’s like extra spicy). We are turning up the volume on that ginger in this slushy because we actually need to. With all that ice, you need the spice! Make sure to also have a very deep, dark, robust rum to counterbalance those big flavors. I also like to add a little lime juice and a touch of salt to brighten all of the ingredients.
The beauty of this version is that it can be batched out so you can serve a number of people at the same time. What’s better than an ice cold slushy cocktail? Um, 8 of them.
Enjoy this with some friends throughout the first weeks of a warmer than usual fall. The Strong ‘n Stormy will no doubt help you to weather the storm of all that ails you!
STRONG ‘N STORMY SLUSHY– serves 8
INGREDIENTS 2 bottles Reed’s Strongest Ginger Beer (24 oz) 12 oz dark rum 4 oz fresh lime juice teaspoon salt 2 cups ice Garnish: 8 lime wheels
INSTRUCTIONS In a blender combine rum, Reed’s Strongest Ginger Beer, lime juice, salt and ice and blend until slushy consistency. Pour into large rocks or highball glasses and garnish with lime wheel.
This post was sponsored (and powered!) by Reed’s Ginger Beer. As always, all opinions are my own.
Champagne House Laurent-Perrier, founded in 1812, can be credited with many of the cutting edge ideas that have defined champagne production.
photo by Leif Carlsson
They are responsible for pioneering rose, as well as a style of champagne called Brut Nature that has zero dosage (any additional sugar). Laurent-Perrier is also the largest family and female run Champagne House in the world.
Francofile, New Jersey Native, and President of Laurent-Perrier, Michelle DeFeo has been at the helm since 2014, but her experience in the champagne business goes back to the very beginnings of her career.
For this week’s Bit by a Fox Podcast, we discussed her journey to the champagne business, the feminist history of Laurent-Perrier, and what kind of responsibility comes with leading the largest female run Champagne House in the world.
Black Cow Vodka is perhaps the first of its kind in the world made from discarded whey – a bi-product of cheese production. Jason Barber’s family has been making cheese and producing milk for over 200 years. Along with friend and neighbor Paul “Archie” Archard – a former producer, artist and designer – they started Black Cow in 2012 to critical acclaim.
For this week’s Bit by a Fox Podcast co-founder Archie talks about how this harebrained idea came to be, how Black Cow is one of the most sustainable spirits being produced, and why milk is the perfect organic ingredient to make vodka with.
This week’s featured cocktail recipe is Black Cow Vodka’s Espresso Martini:
Black Cow Vodka’s Espresso Martini 2 oz Black Cow Vodka 1 oz Fresh Cooled Espresso Coffee 1/2 oz Maple Syrup
Shake hard over ice and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans.
Okay, okay, summer doesn’t technically end until September 23rd, buuut it seems like the majority of the country is back to school, people are already talking sweater weather, sweater weather, sweater weather, and according to my friends in New York, fall just suddenly set in over the weekend.
I’m not quite ready to let go of the summertime feelzzz, even though fall is one of my favorite times of year. So, how about we relish this delicious in-between time that has us enjoying longer days, cooler nights, and…refreshing cocktails?
The perfect transitional cocktail from summer to fall will always be a sangria.
You can start using red wine again, but also take advantage of the end of summer berries and mint that are still fresh. I love using steeped tea as an ingredient in sangria for an interesting depth of flavor. As a resident recipe creator for Argentine Yerba Mate, y’all know by now, I’m bound to work Argentine Yerba Mate into the recipe!
Argentine Yerba Mate works beautifully in a red wine sangria. It can play with the earthiness in a red wine while balancing out the sweetness in the overall drink. Argentine Yerba Mate actually has the same kind of tannins that occur in red wine that are responsible for the powerful antioxidants that occur. It’s an easy-to-make flavor AND energy boost! Its many added health benefits like vitamin C, zinc, and potassium are just a bonus.
For this recipe, I just steeped 6 cups of Argentine Yerba Mate tea and added it to the rest of the ingredients. You can sweeten it slightly, but then you won’t need to add the simple syrup. I like to add most of the fruit to the mix that will sit for 24 hours, so it can soak up all of that boozy flavor. Hold off on the mint until you serve, however, so as to keep it fresh as possible.
Here’s to soaking in the very last drops of summer with a zippy sangria in hand!
End of Summer Sangria 2 bottles red wine 6 cups cooled Argentine Yerba Mate tea 1 cup orange liqueur 1 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup simple syrup 6 strawberries, sliced 1 orange, cut into wheels 1/2 cup blueberries 1 bunch of fresh mint
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. When serving over ice, top with extra fruit and fresh mint.
You can find Argentine Yerba Mate brands in specialty tea stores and in select Whole Foods Markets across the U.S. You can also purchase Argentine Yerba Mate on Amazon.com.
Is it possible to avoid sugar in cocktails without sacrificing the balance and flavor? Coming from a fan of sugar AND cocktails, the short answer is…YES.
Sugar! As a hippy kid who wasn’t allowed to have much of it, I worshipped at the altar of the candy aisle at the corner 7-11; At friends’ houses growing up, I gave into the siren song of cookie jars brimming with freshly baked goods. I’ve been seduced by sugar-filled sweeties for most of my life, but, luckily, I’ve found balance along the way. I no longer stockpile Nerds and Hot Tamales at the bottom of my backpack. My dependence on the sweet stuff now looks like a dark chocolate bar in the freezer that gets broken off in baby increments throughout the week….and the occasional cocktail, of course!
If you are a regular follower of this here blog, you’ve probably noticed that I often write about the importance of balance in a cocktail and that sweetness is a key component when countering the acidic parts of a drink. But when it comes to creating original cocktails, I try to use refined sugar sparingly, often substituting maple syrup or alternative sweeteners instead.
I’ve also found that over time my palate tends to err in favor of drier concoctions. The one thing I regularly stay away from is fake sugar and diet foods – mostly because they often don’t taste as good as the real stuff!
As a drinks blogger and recipe creator, yumminess will always be the priority! But for those trying to avoid sugar altogether AND imbibe in boozy deliciousness, what are you to do?
Leave it to the folks at Reed’s – the company behind the most popular all-natural craft ginger beer in the country – to create a product that is sugar free, has the familiar Jamaican-inspired ginger-y kick they are known for, and, most importantly, is delicious!
With the continued interest in eliminating sugar and the popularity of ketogenic-style diets, Reed’s has developed their first product with a proprietary all-natural sweetener that has zero-sugar and zero-calories – Reed’s Zero Sugar Ginger Beer. I’m ALWAYS skeptical of these types of things, but I’m honestly blown away by how good this new product tastes, and how versatile it is in cocktails. Plus, because it is made with fresh organic ginger, I can feel even better about it! My inner hippy kid is satisfied in all the ways!
Speaking of cocktails…one of the first drinks I thought of to make this with was a twist on a spicy ginger margarita. It IS the middle of August, after all, and margarita season is still in full swing!
The generous addition of Reed’s Zero Sugar Ginger Beer adds a refreshing effervescence and real ginger spice to this recipe. I’ve also replaced the traditional sugary sweet orange liqueur with orange extract for that necessary orange flavor. I made sure to keep plenty of lime juice for brightness and used a quality tequila, of course. The extra zing in this drink is a dash of habanero bitters!
Easy, refreshing, delicious AND won’t put you in a sugar coma? Make it 2! Look out for this new and exciting new launch coming to a store near you.
KETO SPICY MARGARITA
INGREDIENTS 2 oz Tequila 3/4 oz lime juice 4 oz Reed’s Zero Sugar Ginger Beer 1/2 tsp orange extract Dash habanero bitters
INSTRUCTIONS In an ice-filled shaker add tequila, lime juice, orange extract and bitters. Shake until well chilled. Strain into an ice filled margarita glass with a half salted rim. Top with Reed’s Zero Sugar Ginger Beer.
This post was sponsored (and powered!) by Reed’s Ginger Beer. As always, all opinions are my own.
Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur was created five years ago in Australia by distiller Philip Moore and coffee-enthusiast and designer, Tom Baker. A first of its kind, Mr Black is a coffee liqueur made with single origin cold brew coffee and Australian wheat vodka. Utilizing cold extraction, and using a slow-drip method, the resulting liqueur has half the sugar and 10 times the coffee of traditional coffee liqueurs. It is truly a cold brew spirit for coffee purists.
The brand has been embraced by the international cocktail community and is already the number one selling Australian craft sprit in the US since they launched in NY last year. I was at the official LA launch a few months back and had the chance to interview co-founder Tom Baker and Mr Black’s Global Coffee Ambassador, Martin Hudak for this week’s podcast episode.
This week’s cocktail recipe is the Cold Fashioned:
Cold Fashioned 1.5 oz Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur 1 oz Rye Whiskey Dash Orange Bitters Orange Twist – garnish
Stir with ice. Serve in rocks glass. Orange twist garnish.
