Sauced

The Vesper at The Herbfarm

The Woodinville eatery dabbles in James Bond’s drink.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on May 13, 2011 at 02:49PM 1 Comments

Vesper Lynd, as portrayed by Eva Green in the film adaptation of Casino Royale.

The vesper is one of those drinks that comes up again and again in the cocktail canon. It tastes good, for one, but is also captures our imagination with its origin story: it was invented in a James Bond novel from the 1950s, Casino Royale.

In the book, Bond orders a dry martini. This is how he asks the bartender to make it:

“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel.”

Later in the story he names the drink after one of his, um, ladies, Vesper Lynd.

Anyhow, The Herbfarm is serving a vesper tonight paired with smoked salmon-green garlic souffle. So if you have a reservation, bottoms up. But if you don’t, you can still try one. Any good Seattle bartender can, and will, make you a vesper, though not with Kina Lillet, as they don’t have any of that. Take a lesson from Toby Cecchini and ask for one with Cocchi Americano. (The Herbfarm, for its part, is using chardonnay and herbal infusions).

Add a Comment »

Tags: Cocktails, The Herbfarm, Talk About A Cocktail, James Bond

Talk About A Cocktail: The Gin Gimlet

It’s officially spring, break out the gin and juice.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 23, 2011 at 10:15AM 3 Comments

Gimlet!

Photo Courtesy: venuez.be

Gimlets—with vodka—are what my parents drank when I was growing up. It was a special occasion thing, if you consider Friday to be a special occasion.

There was always a bottle of Rose’s Lime Juice squeezed onto the refrigerator door shelf between the Heinz Ketchup (Hunt’s ketchup is vile) and the Grey Poupon.

To a child, Rose’s Lime Juice is chief ambassador for that category of consumable called Things That Should Taste Delicious But Do Not (see also: baking chocolate, fruit cake, scalloped potatoes, and Hunt’s ketchup).

To an adult, Rose’s represents the fastest path to gimlet goodness. And it’s not only about expediency. Many adults swear by Rose’s, insisting that a gimlet with that stuff tastes better than one made with lime juice and simple syrup. Even Robert Hess thinks that. So if you think that, you’re in good company.

Maybe it’s those traumatizing swigs of it that I took as a child—I should have learned the first time, but kept trying again just in case it had turned into delicious soda since last I checked—but I do not enjoy Rose’s Lime Juice at all. So I like my gimlets with fresh squeezed and a little sweet stuff.

It was Chelsea Anderson at Sun Liquor who reignited my interest in gimlets when she made one in this video, and a gimlet with Plymouth gin was one of the the first drinks I tried at the new Sun Liquor. I loved my Sun Liquor gimlet—it was very limey but with no pucker factor, a triumph of balance. I have yet to find one I like better, though I’m happy to keep trying. Woodinville-distilled Voyager gin makes for a decent gimlet. I had one with Voyager at Local 360, where they’re using all PNW spirits in their drinks.

Honestly, if someone—like, say, my dad—serves me a gimlet with Rose’s, I’ll drink that thing happily. But I’ll be more happy that I’m hanging out with my dad than I am about the high fructose corn syrup in my cocktail. As for Hunt’s ketchup, that I can’t do.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Cocktails, Gin, DIY Cocktails, Spring Drinking, Talk About A Cocktail

Talk About a Cocktail: The Red Hook

Rye, Punt E Mes Vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 01, 2011 at 10:36AM 2 Comments

The Red Hook, named for the neighborhood where New Yorkers get their Ikea on.

Invented in 2004 by bartender Vincenzo Errico at Milk and Honey—one of the Manhattan cocktail bars responsible, at least in part, for the craft-cocktail craze—the Red Hook cocktail combines two ounces of rye whiskey with .5 ounces Punt E Mes vermouth and .25 ounces maraschino liqueur (or equal amounts vermouth and maraschino, depending on whom you ask).

To make it at home, combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, stir vigorously, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Why I love this drink: Some people can’t handle bitters. That’s just a fact. You can’t change the world. You can still serve them/suggest to them a good drink, however. The Red Hook (named for the Brooklyn neighborhood) achieves balance by way of Punt E Mes, an Italian vermouth that is at once bitter and slightly sweet. The bitter part is pretty easy-going, relatively speaking. So people who can’t get down with bracingly bitter drinks can still drink it.

Why I’m talking about it now: Because I’m hopelessly outdated, I guess. In fact, I’m about to unfold my razor scooter and scoot on over to Jamba Juice for a ginormous tub of smoothie. Then I’m going to ask you if you’re watching Entourage.

Where to order: The Red Hook is on at least two Seattle signature menus (Naga, Vito’s) but it’s also a good one for the back pocket—in case you find yourself at a bar and suddenly have no idea what to order. If the bar doesn’t stock rye, or doesn’t know what Punt E Mes is, run out of there as fast as you can. Or stop being so dramatic and just order a beer.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Cocktail Recipes, Seattle Bars, Talk About A Cocktail