HOW TO : APEROL SPRITZ

HERE'S A LITTLE "HOW TO" I SHOT AND DIRECTED ON ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE ITALIAN COCKTAILS.

BLACK DIRT

I PICKED THIS UP AT MY LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET IN UPSTATE NY. 

APPLE JACK HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS PLACE IN UPSTATE NY (OFTEN HOMEMADE) BUT THIS BARREL AGED JACK FROM WARWICK NY, MADE BY BLACK DIRT DISTILLERY DRINKS MORE LIKE BOURBON OR GOOD FRENCH CALVADOS.  

A GOOD CHOICE FOR MAKING ONE OF THESE GREAT SUMMER COCKTAILS FROM JACK RUDY. TWO JACK'S WERE NEVER SO WELL PAIRED.

THE JACK ROSE

EVENTIDE:PORTLAND, ME

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN PORTLAND MAINE EVENTIDE SHOULD NOT BE MISSED.

HANDS DOWN BEST OYSTERS AND LOBSTER ROLL I HAD IN MAINE.(AND I ATE A LOT OF LOBSTER ROLLS!) IT IS JUST RECENTLY OPENED SO GET THERE BEFORE THE LINES START.

 CELERY GIN GIMLET

 HORSERADISH ICE

 BBQ STEELHEAD BELLY

 KILLA' LOBSTER ROLL

ON STEAMED BUN.

MANHATTAN GARNISH

THESE PERSIAN DRIED SOUR CHERRIES LOOKED LIKE THE PERFECT GARNISH FOR A MANHATTAN.
(REHYDRATED IN A BIT OF BOURBON AND RYE OF COURSE)

 FIRST OUTDOOR SHOWER OF THE SEASON.

FRANKIES COCKTAIL BOOK

I STOPPED OFF AT PRIME MEATS DELI TO GET SOME STEAKS AND PICKED UP THIS LITTLE BEAUTY. WRITTEN BY ONE OF MY FAVORITE MIXOLOGISTS DAMON BOELTE. THIS IS A TERRIFIC POCKET GUIDE FILLED WITH SOME CLASSICS FROM FRANKIES BAR. (ALSO, CHECK OUT NOW I'VE LEARNED MY ABC'S FOR A GREAT VINTAGE TAKE ON COCKTAILS)

NYC : SARDI'S

FIRST, I ASKED MYSELF "WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING ANYWHERE NEAR TIMES SQUARE AT CHRISTMAS TIME". BUT, UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS WHERE I FOUND MYSELF ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THANK GOD FOR THE OLD SCHOOL OASIS OF SARDI'S. LOCATED ON 44TH ST IN THE HEART OF THE THEATER DISTRICT. IT IS A NO BRAINER STOP FOR THE PERFECT COCKTAIL (STOLI MARTINI FOR ME, WITH A TWIST) AND DELICIOUS SALTY BAR SNACKS. (THERE ARE TUBS OF CREAMY CHEDDAR CHEESE AND RITZ CRACKERS THAT MAKE YOU CRAVE DRINK, AFTER DRINK.) NOT TO MENTION LOADED WALL TO WALL WITH SOME OF THE MOST FANTASTIC CELEBRITY CARICATURES.

SATURDAY COCKTAILS

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED A SUMMER MARTINI. (THE PICKLED RAMP MARTY IS A STANDARD AT THE HOUSE) SO, WHEN FRIENDS, IAN AND LISA BROUGHT ME BACK A BOTTLE OF HORSERADISH SCHNAPPS FROM DENMARK AND CHALLENGED ME TO SOME TYPE OF COCKTAIL RECIPE, THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH. WE NAMED IT A "MAROR MARTINI"(MAROR IS THE HORSERADISH ROOT USED IN THE PASSOVER SEDER. A NOD TO MY FRIEND IAN'S JEWISH ROOTS). THE GARNISH IS A QUICK PICKLE WITH RICE WINE AND MALT VINEGAR WITH TARRAGON. THE BRIGHT BRINEY FLAVOR FROM THIS PICKLE PAIRED PERFECTLY WITH THE HORSERADISH BITE. ALL IN ALL A SUCCESS.

MAROR MATINI: 3 PARTS VODKA, 1 PART HORSERADISH SCHNAPPS. SHAKE, WITH LOTS OF ICE. GARNISH WITH PICKLE.

SOME COCKTAIL SNACKS:

SCOTCH EGG ON PEA GREENS

 DATES STUFFED WITH CHORIZO AND DANISH BLUE CHEESE.

NOW I'VE LEARNED MY ABC'S....

I JUST BOUGHT THIS BOOK FROM A STREET VENDOR IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN BROOKLYN. HONESTLY THESE GUYS HAVE CRAP 95% OF THE TIME. BUT THIS WAS A GREAT FIND ($5.00 WITH NO CUSTOMARY HAGGLING ON MY PART) PUBLISHED BY PETER PAUPER PRESS IN 1953. THIS LETTERPRESS BEAUTY IS SHORT, (60 PAGES) TO THE POINT, (MOST COCKTAILS HAVE AN AVERAGE OF THREE INGREDIENTS, TOPS) AND IT'S FILLED WITH ALL THESE BOOZE INSPIRED, PHILOSOPHIC LIMERICKS ILLUSTRATED BY RUTH MC CREA. FIND YOURS ON ALIBRIS.