Category Archives: Spirits

Classic Peach Daiquiri Recipe

The classic daiquiri has been bastardized.  (I said it.)  The all-inclusive  resorts have misled our poor 18-year-old spring breakers and started a sad trend of icy, blended, sweet, frothy monstrosities with crazy straws and paper umbrellas.*

Many don’t know that the classic daiquiri is not only delicious, but incredibly easy to make.  It should start with a quality rum … no plastic bottles or cartoon characters!  I started with Rum Diplomático, a Venezuelan dark rum that is distilled from molasses.  Aged for 12 years, it has a dark gold color and has a slightly sweet taste.  Their daiquiri recipe is below.

DIPLOMÁTICO DAIQUIRI
1 1/2 oz Rum Diplomático
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
Garnish: lime wheel

Rum Diplomático asked me to come up with my own daiquiri recipe, a task for which I’m always game.  I added a little peach to it and have two versions of the recipe to try out–one slightly easier than the other!

CLASSIC PEACH DAIQUIRI
1 1/4 oz Rum Diplomático
3/4 oz Leopold Brothers Peach Schnapps or homemade peach liqueur (recipe below)
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
Garnish: lime wheel & peach slice

Shake wet ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice.  Strain into a daiquiri glass and garnish with a lime wheel and peach slice.

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If you’re anything like me, the only way that you get your fruits for the day is in your cocktails.  If you’re in need of your daily Potassium and Vitamins A & C, try this version with a little higher nutritional value.

CLASSIC PEACH DAIQUIRI
1 1/2 oz Rum Diplomático
3/4 oz peach puree
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 simple syrup
Garnish: lime wheel & peach slice

Shake wet ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice.  Strain into a daiquiri glass and garnish with a lime wheel and peach slice.

National Daiquiri Day is coming up on July 19, so try your hand at a big kids daiquiri for a change.  (Paper umbrellas are still acceptable if you can’t do without them.)

 

 

HOMEMADE PEACH LIQUEUR
2 cups vodka
4 large peaches, roughly chopped
Zest of one lemon
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water

Steep the peaches and lemon zest in vodka in a tightly sealed in a cool, dark place.  After about two or three days, strain the liquid through a high-gauge coffee filter squeezing as much liquid as possible out of the peaches.

Place the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then heat until it becomes syrupy.  Let the mixture cool, then combine it with the peach liquid.  Leave for at least one day and store up to two months in the refrigerator.

*Ok … paper umbrellas are admittedly awesome.  They will still be allowed … when appropriate.

Caledonia Spirits

I recently attended an event highlighting Caledonia Spirits and have been intrigued by the brand since. Each of their spirits is crafted in small batches with Vermont honey. (And this honey is le-git! I was given a jar of raw honey to take home and taste and I don’t think I will be able to go back to honey as I knew it. This raw, unfiltered honey has never been heated so it has traces of pollen, propolis, and beeswax.

Barr Hill Gin (90 proof) is handcrafted in small batches. Raw honey is added just before bottling with a finishing taste of juniper berries. Barr Hill Gin has a gold medal and “Gin of the Year” at the 2013 Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition and it won the a double gold meal at the 2012 New York International Spirits Competition.

Tom Cat Barrel-Aged Gin (86 proof) is aged for four to six months in new, charred American White Oak barrels. It has whiskey-like notes of oak and spice with a finish of juniper and honey.

Barr Hill Vodka (80 proof) is handcrafted in small batches completely from raw honey. It has notes of honey, flowers, and vanilla and has a very smooth finish and was (way too) easy to drink.

Oh, and all three of these products are gluten-free and kosher … so that’s neat.

CALEDONIA SPIRITS
www.caledoniaspirits.com
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If you are ever in Vermont and want to check out the distillery:
46 Log Yard Drive
P.O. Box 1249
Hardwick, Vermont 05843

Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 11am-3pm (July-December)

 

Jameson Irish Whiskey Cocktails in Dallas

So … I’m a whiskey fan.  If you’ve read a lick of anything I’ve written, you’ll know that.  I like most (good) whiskies, but one of my absolute favorites is Jameson Irish Whiskey.  I mean … for starters, it’s Irish. (And who doesn’t love Irishmen … err Irish things?!)  But for real … it’s some damn good stuff.  Jameson is a traditional Irish whiskey with a peppery but sweet nose and a smooth taste with a nice balance of spicy, nutty, and vanilla notes thanks to the sherry casks used for aging.

If the extent of your enjoyment of Jameson is a shot with a pickle back, shame on you.  (Kind of.  Ok, not really … I’m not mad at it.  You just have a lot more to enjoy from this spirit.)  I was given the chance recently to spend an evening with Dallas’ Jameson ambassador, Darren, at Henry’s Majestic trying some of the amazing things that their bartenders are doing with Jameson beyond traditional whiskey treatments.  The pictures below pale in comparison to how they actually tasted.  From sweet cocktails with fresh fruit to more traditional whiskey cocktails with bitters, they were all amazing.  (Well … except one, but it was totally the grapefruit’s fault.  Damn that icky grapefruit.)

Stop in to Henry’s Majestic and see them and challenge them to wow you with Jameson … you won’t be disappointed.

(Another note: go see Stephen H. at Parliament and ask him for a Jameson Black Barrel Manhattan or let him go crazy and do his own thing.  He knows how to make Jameson sing.  Example: the unreal cocktail he made me where he SMOKED Jameson.  I kid you not.  Proof below.)

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Thanks again to Darren for the fun night and the badass swag!

Herradura Tequila

Cantina Laredo Tequila Dinner Series ft. Herradura

Whether it is warranted or not, very few spirits get the same bad wrap that poor old tequila does. Most of us know exactly why, too. Flashback to college … ahh, the good ole college days. To make a long (and messy) story short, there was usually tequila involved. Unfortunately, my buddies and I didn’t always go for the good stuff … we were drinking the bargain basement stuff like Montezuma and whatever else we could get our hands on (cheaply). Do I even need to go on and say that many a night ended badly? More than once, we learned the hard way that drinking the cheap stuff never was a good idea.

Good thing those days are over.

I was fortunate to be invited to one of Cantina Laredo’s new high-end tequila dinners via Susie. This 4-course dinner was at the Addison location and featured drink pairings that featured Tequila Herradura. Founded in 1870 in Amatitán, Jalisco, the brand has consistently produced high quality tequilas from the beginning. They insist on using traditional methods and 100% agave. The brand controls 30% of the tequila market in Mexico … so they must be doing something right.

There were three glasses of tequila to welcome us at our place settings. (That’s the way to start things off on the right foot!) We took things slow and sipped these over the course of the dinner, as one should with fine tequilas. Our first course was a Sope de Brisket, a delicious and tender beef brisket served in a flaky pie-like crust. The appetizer was accompanied by a Paloma cocktail. This was a simple but refreshing combination of Herradura Blanco tequila and Fresca soda. (OMG how I’ve missed Fresca!)

This was followed by a Mango Salad. While I am not normally a fan of fruit in salads, I actually didn’t mind this. The mango melded well with the dressing and queso fresco, and the jicama added in a nice crunch. It was fresh, light and colorful.  The Santiago Cocktail comprised of Herradura Blanco shaken with Midori, grapefruit juice, grenadine and sweet and sour mix. It was enjoyed by others, but it was simply too sweet for my taste.

We had a choice between two main dishes … the Seabass Oscar with Chili de Arbol Sauce was excellent. The fish was perfectly cooked–tender, flaky and not overdone–and the sauce that accompanied it was the perfect mixture of spicy and sweet. This was definitely the better of the two options, but you couldn’t have gone wrong with the filet either.  Here we enjoyed a classic Margarita with Herradura’s Reposado Tequila. You can’t beat a margarita made with top-shelf tequila, that’s all I will say… the Dia y Noche Flan was a nice finale to the dinner and was served with an Old 43 Cocktail. The Old 43 is a dangerously delicious mix of Añejo Tequila, Licor 43, Kahlua, half & half and fresh brewed coffee topped with whipped cream and a cherry.  An awesome alcoholic, cinnamon-y hot chocolate drink.

 

This was the first of Cantina Laredo’s series of tequila dinners in the the DFW area.  Check out  the the list of the locations and brands of tequila they will feature in the coming weeks. For $49.99 per person, these dinners are an excellent deal. (I think that just the assortment of tequila and cocktails alone are worth that price!) Add in the delicious food and you definitely get more than your money’s worth. If you missed the Addison event, I’ll include the recipes for Herradura tequila-based cocktails for a Mexican night of your own.

City Tequila Date Phone
Addison Herradurra 5/21/2015 (972) 458-0962
Grapevine Don Julio 5/23/2015 (817) 358-0505
Fort Worth Cabo Wabo 5/29/2015 (817) 810-0773
Lewisville Gran Centenario 6/4/2015 (972) 315-8100
Frisco Herradura 6/4/2015 (214) 618-9860
Dallas Casa Noble 6/13/2015 (214) 265-1610

Thank you to Chef/Manager Rambo Saucedo for treating us to this great dinner.

Cantina Laredo – Addison
Website | Facebook | Twitter
4546 Beltline Road
Addison, Texas 7544
(972) 458-0962

 

Tequila Recipes

Paloma
Ice glass, add:
1½ oz. Herradura Blanco Tequila
Garnish: grapefruit slice

Mix all ingredients. Top with Fresca.

Santiago
1½ oz. Herradura Blanco Tequila
½ oz. Midori
1 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice
1 oz. Grenadine
½ oz. Sweet & Sour Mix
Garnish: Grapefruit Slice

Shake with ice until chilled and strain into Martini Glass

Classic Margarita
1½ oz. Herradura Reposado Tequila
½ oz. Grand Marnier
1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup
Garnish: Lime  Wheel

Shake with ice until chilled and strain into salt rimmed Martini Glass

Old 43
1 oz. Herradura Añejo Tequila
½ oz. Licor 43
½ oz. Kahlua
½ oz.Half & Half
Garnish: Whipped topping, Cherry

Combine ingredients in Irish Coffee mug. Fill with fresh, hot coffee to ½ from rim.

Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival

The best of the best came out during the weekend of the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival. I was able to attend four of the seven events during the festival. Each event was unique and extremely well-planned and executed.

The Grand Tasting Friday night was overwhelming to say the least. There were more than one hundred restaurants, wineries, breweries, and distilleries represented in the Worthington Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. I had to plan a strategy to make it all the way though so that my stomach and liver didn’t hate me at the end of the night. (Or the next day, for that matter.) The highlights were, of course, Fort Worth favorites such as Rahr & Son’s Brewing and Firestone & Robertson Distilling.

#latenight Desserts after Dark at 809 Vickery was a short Uber ride from the Grand Tasting. This event was all about who had the best dessert and who could make the best cocktail using Firestone & Robertson’s TX Blended Whiskey. (I’ll bet you $50 that Susie was really upset that she had to miss this event.) There were eight desserts and eight drinks featured. My favorite drink was the Proper Manhattan from Proper. I also enjoyed the Texas Peach (TX Whiskey, vanilla bean simple syrup, Texas peach preserve, pistachio foam and cinnamon) from Bob’s Steak and Chop House. The Fan Favorite of the night was from Thirteen Pies. It was called John’s Banana Milk Punch (TX Whiskey, cream, house-made banana puree, and a farm egg, garnished with a banana marshmallow and vanilla cookie crumble.)

"John's Banana Milk Punch" from Thirteen Pies, Fort Worth

“John’s Banana Milk Punch” from Thirteen Pies, Fort Worth

Saturday night consisted of cowboy boots and lawn chairs at the Burgers, Brews, and Blues event. This event was held along the banks of the Trinity River with eleven chefs and twenty-two craft breweries showcasing the best each had to offer. The live music included sets from James Hinkle, the Michael Lee Clemmer Band, and the Chris Watson Band. I am always up for a good beer, so this was probably my favorite event of the weekend. There was a good mix of local breweries such as Rahr, Lakewood, Rabbit Hole, Panther Island, and Martin House. Unfortunately, the lines were extremely long for the burgers, so I opted for more brews than burgers. (Oops.) My favorite burger that I did wait in line for was Rodeo Goat’s Chaca Oaxaca which was a beef/chorizo burger with avocado, queso fresco, fried egg and tabasco mayo. (Yes … it was delicious.)

Sunday Funday wrapped up the weekend at the Coyote Drive-In. There was a wide variety of food trucks to sample during this event,  but mIMG_3934y favorite food truck in attendance was definitely Salsa Limon. The food truck is usually parked next to The Cellar at 2919 West Berry Street (across from TCU) and their tacos can also be found at their permanent location located at 929 University Drive. They are all about serving the best Mexico City-style tacos in Fort Worth. PRO TIP: Add plenty of jalapeño cream salsa if you like a kick to your tacos!

Bravo, Fort Worth … bravo. If you have the chance to attend any of the events at next year’s, make it happen. It’ll give you the chance to find some new Fort Worth treasures and enjoy old favorites.

FORT WORTH FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 
fortworthfoodandwinefestival.com
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Save the Date for next year: March 31- April 3, 2016

Ticket prices ranged from $50 to $125 depending on the event.

JEM Beverage Company’s New Facility

JEM Beverage Company (makers of Western Son Vodka, Red River Whiskey, South House Moonshine, and more) has shed its Carrollton roots and moved to Pilot Point, Texas to expand its distillery!

They offer distillery  tours Fridays (4pm) and Saturdays (1pm, 3pm & 5pm).  Oh  … and you get half off your tour if you arrive on horseback.  I kid you not.

Some of the #SDDContributor team and I stopped by their grand opening party this past Saturday, May 23 to celebrate.  Check out the trouble we got into!

Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade Rum

Just in time for warmer days, Cruzan Rum has announced there’s a summery new kid on the block: introducing, Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade Rum.

Cruzan’s newcomer to the scene packs a sweet berry flavor with just the right hint of tangy lemon. At 21% alc. vol., Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade is a perfectly sippable, lazy-day patio drink. It mixes perfectly with fruit juices (hello, boozy blueberry lemonade…), iced tea, and more.

I mixed up this light and refreshing little number, as suggested by the good folks at Cruzan …

Cruzan® Blueberry Lemonade Cooler
2 parts Cruzan® Blueberry Lemonade Rum
3/4 part Fresh Grapefruit Juice
1 small pinch Sea Salt
Club Soda

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If you are feeling like stepping up your fancy drink game, here is a mojito recipe that couldn’t be a more perfect summertime beverage …

Cruzan® Blueberry Lemonade Mojito
8 blueberries
6 to 8 mint leaves
3 ounces club soda
2 ounces Cruzan® Blueberry Lemonade Rum
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 lime wedge or splash fresh lime juice
Garnish: Mint sprig and additional blueberries

Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade Rum
750 ml bottle $15
21% ABV
Buy it at your local liquor store or online.
*Cruzan graciously provided me with a bottle of a Blueberry Lemonade Rum for my sipping pleasure. 

The Second Floor Bar

I have visited the Dallas Galleria more than few times (women be shopping’, yo), and I’m kind of mad at myself that all along, I have been missing out on the greatness that is The Second Floor by Scott Gottlich.

Aptly named, this sleek, contemporary spot is nestled away on the second floor of the Westin Galleria, and just paces away from the interior mall entrance. I had a chance to belly up to the bar to check out The Second Floor’s liquid offerings. Let me tell you, they’ve got a lot going on here, folks. This is not your average hotel bar. It may be attached to the Westin, but the sippable menu at The Second Floor easily competes with offerings you would expect to find at some of the best watering holes in Dallas. If you haven’t discovered this spot yet, it could be a game changer.  Ladies, is that shopping trip you dragged your guy on taking just a liiiitttle bit longer than originally advertised? Sit him down at the bar, and you’re solid for at least another hour. Better yet, are the odds ne’er in your favor when swim suit shopping? Screw swimsuits … they have cocktails.

When I say they do things differently here, I’m not kidding; I was impressed to learn that The Second Floor actually makes their own hand-crafted aromatic tonic, infused with orange bitters and burnt cinnamon. The Second Floor’s creative and thoughtful cocktail menu offers seasonal features in addition to old standbys; one fan favorite is the Cucumber Sip (Organic cucumber vodka, elderflower, strawberry, & soda, $12),  which I’m told is The Second Floor’s most popular drink.  I had the opportunity to sample the House Sangria ($8), which was chock-full of boozy berries that I’m told spent a good amount of time hanging out in a cognac-lemon-elderflower concoction prior to taking a dip in my glass. (Is it rude to ask for a fork to get these leftovers from the bottom of my glass?) The sangria was rich and bursting with fruity goodness, and ultimately waaayyyy too easy to drink.

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A few new inventions that are featured on The Second Floor’s spring cocktail menu include:

  • GRILLED MARGARITA – Char-grilled orange, El Jimador tequila, Combier, lime ($12)
  • CINNAMON SIDECAR – Four Roses bourbon, Combier, lemon, cinnamon, bubbly ($13)
  • CHAPALA – Hornitos Black Barrel tequila, mole bitters, grapefruit infused agave nectar, ground Mexican chocolate ($13)

 

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Perhaps the thing I was most impressed with overall about The Second Floor’s fleet of beverages is their extensive whiskey menu. With more than 70 American whiskey offerings in total, and an equally impressive Scotch list, the menu runs the gamut from old standards to Texas labels to far more exotic options. (18-year Japanese whiskey, anyone? ) Intriguingly, The Second Floor offers a very nice variety of whiskey tasting flights. Oh, yes. Flights start at just $12, but if you’re feeling saucy, go for “The Big Spender”–this flight features three whiskeys each aged 21 years or better (Hello, 25-year Macallan), and it can be yours for a mere $100.

Additionally, The Second Floor boasts a comprehensive wine list with more than 80 offerings by the bottle, 20 of them by the glass. If you are a beer drinker, they’ve got you covered, featuring 12 premiums, 12 Texas craft brews, and 5 domestic options.  Pro-tip: With any food or beverage purchase, The Second Floor will validate your Westin Galleria parking, which is kind of awesome. Must remember this come holiday shopping.

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Stay tuned for another post soon about their new menu offerings for Summer 2015!
The Second Floor offers up some mighty fine happy hour specials.

Happy Hour- 4-6 PM, Monday- Friday

  • Specialty cocktail of the day (changes daily) $5
  • Domestic beer $4
  • “The Best $5 Wine in the City”- Honoro Vera, Garnacha OR Les Costières de Pomerols, Picpoul de Pinet

Various snacks and small bites, $2-5

The Second Floor by Scott Gottlich
The Westin Galleria Dallas, Level 2
13340 Dallas Parkway Dallas, TX 75240
(972) 450-2978