Tequila Surprise in a Town Known For Wine



Alebrijes' Infused Tequila



Recently Mrs. Thirsty Lawyer and I were visiting some friends of ours who live in Lodi, California. Lodi is in San Joaquin valley, which produces more wine grapes than any other part of California (yes, even Napa). It's a gem of a town for wine lovers; lots of great wineries pouring quality wine, great restaurants and one of my favorite resort hotels, Wine and Roses. While the ladies were being pampered at the Wine and Roses spa, my friend and I set out to grab lunch and a drink (or two).  I thought for sure we would find ourselves visiting a few of the numerous downtown tasting rooms. Instead my friend - knowing I enjoy a good cocktail - took me by Alebrijes Mexican Bistro to sample their wide selection of infused tequilas. They had a few of the standard tropical fruit infusions, but the majority of infusions were unique and inspiring (more on that later...).

I started off with a margarita made with rosemary and pomegranate infused tequila, fresh lime juice and fresh agave nectar. I personally would have liked to taste a bit more rosemary, but I certainly can see myself drinking a few of these over the summer. Next I ordered a shot of the coconut and cucumber infused tequila - it just blew me away. The refreshing taste of the cucumber and the slightly sweet coconut were a nice balance against the earthy flavor of the tequila. We were having so much fun sampling these infused tequilas that we never made it to any of the tasting rooms.

Cucumber-Ginger Infusion

Inspired by experience, the next morning I broke out the trusty old mason jar and put together a cucumber ginger tequila infusion.  Here's the recipe 

Half a cucumber, pealed and sliced;

1 tsp chopped ginger;

1.5 cups silver tequila (Hornitos) 

Shake daily and let is sit in a cool place for 2 weeks.

Another Thirsty Lawyer Travles to England

Another thirsty lawyer, Jim Clarke, traveled to England and Ireland this week for a spot of fun (when he is in Ireland, its a wee bit 'o fun).  He promised to send me updates of his cocktail adventures and this is his first.

It it's 11:30 PM  gmt Thursday.  I have been up since 0700 AM PST.  Jet lag has been successfully beaten.

Tonight after a few pints of the sweat nectar of the gods with my London chums, we went out for a late night dinner at a Turkish place in the Regdnt Park area. Food was ok.  It is not going to make me forget about dinners in Nishantasi. 

I had some Turkish red wine with dinner. It was light and fruity.  Similar to a Beaujelais.  A good accompaniment to the dinner.

St. Patrick Day Cocktail Contest

Yesterday I had the good fortune to be one of three judges in a St. Patrick's day cocktail contest in which  ten of the area's best bartenders competed head to head in a bracket format competition.  Each judge would choose from one of five different cocktails - Irish whiskey based of course.  The bartenders would compete for time, with the judges adding time no time for perfect cocktail to up to thirty seconds for a fatally flawed drink.

One of the more challenging drinks was the Tipperary #1.  The recipe called for 1 oz Jameson Irish whiskey, 1 oz. sweet vermouth and 1 oz Green Chartreuse, stirred, strained and garnished with a lemon twist.  In the initial rounds all of the judges agreed that the recipe called for to much Green Chartreuse, and it wasn't until the final round where the bartenders were able to get the balance right.  It's a shame I didn't think to ask; I guess that just means I will have to experiment on my own.

The Weeski

One of the cocktails I very much enjoyed and will add to my regular rotation is the Weeski - 2 oz Redbreast Irish whiskey, 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc, 1/4 oz Trip Sec, one dash orange bitters, one barspoon of simple syrup, stirred, strained and garnished with an orange twist.  In the early rounds, to heavy of a hand with the Trip Sec and simple syrup made the drink to sweet.  In later rounds, where the bartenders didn't freepour and focused on exact measurements, we were able to appreciate just how complex and well balanced this cocktail is.

The Paddy Cocktail

Another favorite is the Paddy Cocktail which is really in Irish whiskey take on a Manhattan.  The recipe calls for 2 oz Redbreast Irish whiskey, 1 oz sweet vermouth, one dash Angostura bitters, stir, strain and garnish with a lemon twist.  Personally I found that one ounce of sweet vermouth can overpower the taste of whiskey.  After giving this comment in the first round, the bartenders scaled back the amount of sweet vermouth they used (probably to 3/4 an oz) bringing the taste of the whiskey forward and making the drink well balanced.

Cocktail of the Week - The Rob Roy

The Rob Roy is a classic cocktail that, despite the resurgance the cocktail, you don't see it very often.

The History:  First created in 1894 by a bartender at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. The drink is named after the Scottish folk hero Robert Roy MacGregor who became famous for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.  Don't feel bad for Robin Hood; he has a cocktail named after him but it certainly isn't as well known. I wonder if the two could trade places for Rob Roy would rather be known for his acts of humanity - like Robin Hood - or for his namesake cocktail

The Recipe: 

• 2.5 oz Scotch.  I pref(er The Famous Grouse.  It's a very nice blended scotch that won't break the bank.)
• .75 oz Sweet Vermouth.
• A few dashes of bitters. (Angoustoura is traditionally used, but blood orange works equally as well.)
• Stir with ice and serve up in a cocktail glass
• Garnish with a twist or cherries (or do as I did and garnish with a twist and bourbon soaked cherries)

Falernum - New Item For The Bar

I recently discovered the wonders of John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum.  Falernum is a sweet  tating spirit that is primarily used in Caribbean and tropical drinks. It contains flavors of almond, ginger and/or cloves, and lime.  I recently enjoyed it in a classic rum drink, the Corn n' Oil: (Cruzan Black Strap Rum, John D. Taylor‟s falernum, fee‟s old fashion bitters)

New Tropical - Its In The Foam

Creative bartenders have been importing various techniques from molecular gastronomy for a few years now.  You come to expect this in major metropolitan area, but I certainly did not expect to find this in Maui.  Merriman's in Kapalua has an exceptional offering of cocktails, including a few that incorporate molecular mixology. 

The first cocktail to note is the Tequila & Mango:  Cazadores tequila, Lahaina mango shrub, Hawaiian chili peppers, coconut foam.  I am not a fan of flash over substance, but this really works  The foam adds a nice layer of texture and flavor; first you taste the  rich, slightly sweet, coconut foam, then you taste the sweetness of the mango, the spice of the chili peppers, and the earthiness of the tequila.  Come this summer, I fully intend to copy this recipe!

The Mai Tai is dead, long live the Mai Tai

Dear Monkeypod-

I can never drink another Mai Tai again; you killed my ability to ever agin enjoy that cloyingly sweet verion of the cocktail served at every Laua and hotel restaurant on the island. Having been to Maui many times before, I knew not to expect much in the way of cutting edge mixology. I was fully prepared to drink my share of cocktails with umbrellas and be content. But then our paths happened to cross. There you stood, from the outside, a very unassuming second story location in a strip mall in Wailea. But I knew the minute I read the description of the Monkeypod Mai Tai that I was in for something very special. (Old Lahaina Rum, Maui dark rum, lime, Orgeat, Orange Curacao and Honey-Lilkoi foam)


No overly sweetened mixes here. The foam is like a lilkoi meringue; it slowly sweetens the cocktail as it melts.   The flavor of the light and dark rum are not hidden behind a sweet syrup mixer (you can actually taste the alcohol) and the Orgeat adds just a hint of Almond.

It is true Monkypod, that you feature lots of other intreaguing "new tropical" cocktails that showcase your appreciation for current mixology trends.   But the Monkeypod Mai Tai has the strongest sense of "place"' (wine folkes call it terrior) of any cocktail I have ever tasted. Lush, beautiful, sweet, strong, and memorable; it's wonderfull Hawaii in a glass.  

Mahalo-

Thirsty Lawyer