The St - Germain Sessions

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Part 1

Preface

Is love at first sip possible? I didn’t believe it until about three years ago, when my lips met St. Germain elderflower liqueur. It was at that point, I became a believer. Throughout those years, I have sampled St. Germain in various forms – I was first introduced to it during a tasting at Union Square Wines & Spirits and found both its taste and aroma to be most unique. Since summer is around the corner, USQ decided to have a tasting last night; I find this to be a fantastic ingredient to any cocktail (especially during that season), so I thought I would post some thoughts about the various concoctions I sampled.

This is supposed to be the first of what is scheduled to be three St. Germain tastings this month, so being the fan-boy that I am, I hope to be able to attend all of them. There were a set of tastings about six months ago that included some bartenders from an exclusive NYC bar called Milk & Honey; Tom, the Spirits Manager at USQ told me that the exact address of M&H was never disclosed; you could only find its location if you knew someone who worked there or someone who’d been a previous customer – the kind of chic reputation certain New Yorkers adore, but held in great disdain by This Brooklyn Boy, so I’ve never actually been there. Fortunately, however, these same barkeeps – who also have their own place downtown – were back once again … and their presence made it an even greater treat …

The St-Germain Cocktail

If you’ve never tried St. Germain before, it’s best to start at the beginning. The St. Germain cocktail is served in a tall Collins glass filled with ice; you mix equal parts of St. Germain, sparkling wine (preferably something dry – a Brut, Prosecco or Cava, e.g.) and topped off with club soda. Stir it a bit and you will find this perhaps the most refreshing summer cocktail you’ve ever tried – fruity, light, refreshing … but not too sweet. The scent of the St. Germain is enough to send you to a bit of a tailspin since it’s so unique, but given its sweetness, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it on its own, even over ice (although I’ve heard that some do). The one prepared for me last night was made with Gruet NV Brut from (of all places) New Mexico. If you learn one thing from St. Germain it’s this: if you use this as an ingredient, you can’t make a bad cocktail. Ever.

Fraanche



Second was something called Fraanche, created by Jason, from the above – named bar. It’s a mixture of rum, St. Germain, lime juice and tangerine juice. On this night, Jason used Mount Gay Rum Eclipse, an aged rum (as opposed to an unaged white rum), but he assured me that just about any rum would do – this one he happened to like simply because of the woody taste it added to the drink because of its aging. The real trick to it is the tangerine juice. It goes like this: fill a shaker with ice, then add ½ ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 oz. of rum and 1 of St. G; shake it, then pour into an ice – filled Collins glass, finally topping it with the tangerine juice. Jason started with freshly squeezed tangerine juice; I tried this version and remarked to him, “I can’t taste the rum at all – this is potentially deadly!”. He shook his head, “Not potentially, it *is* deadly!”. Shortly thereafter, however, he completely ran out of the tangerine juice and had a friend make a quick run to the nearby Whole Foods market, but she could only find tangerine soda; trying this version, I found it more diluted than the juice and the rum had more of a presence. So, depending on how much you want to taste the rum in this cocktail, you may or may not want to try it with soda vs. juice. I definitely prefer the juice, especially the fresh juice, because the added pulp gave it a texture that many cocktails lack. Jason advised me that in the absence of tangerine juice, orange juice could be substituted, but would suggest that if you go that route to use a macerated orange peel with the drink to absorb any extra acidity. According to Jason, if you’re like me and don’t particularly care for rum (sorry, but I’m not exactly the first on line at Hedo for the Appleton give-aways), you could substitute gin – at this point, however, I’m told it makes an entirely different drink. This alone was inspiration for experimentation.

Lend Lease

Next up was something called Lend Lease by Matty G, also from M&H. He calls this the St. Germain version of a whiskey sour. In addition to the St.G, it includes Bulleit Bourbon, and lime juice. The recipe: ¾ ounce of lime juice in an ice – filled shaker with 1.5 of bourbon and an equal amount of St. G.; pour into a rocks glass (preferably one filled with ice, or a sour glass without ice, if you prefer). Yowzah. This one really hit the spot, but maybe I’m saying that because I prefer most types of whiskey over any rum. Matty and I generally tend to have similar tastes, but occasionally we disagree. E.g., he doesn’t like Jack Daniels although I do, but he says you could definitely substitute #7 for the bourbon, or even an Irish whiskey like Jamesons. While you and I might say, “It really depends on your taste/preferences”, Matty said, “Depends on your flavor profile”. OK. Sound a bit pretentious? Yup. But then again, if you knew Matty, you’d understand he didn’t mean it to sound that way, he just takes this whole thing extremely seriously. Out of curiosity since I’d never tried Bulleit before, I asked Matty if I could sample it neat, without the St. G.; I found this to be an excellent bourbon, extremely smooth and something which you could easily sip on its own. Matty told me Bulleit inspired this cocktail because he’d used it in the past to make Mint Juleps.

Don Peña

If you’re thinking this is merely a margarita made with St. G, you’ve definitely got another think coming. Philip, an associate of Matty & Jason, created this one and it really is a different kind of cocktail for more reasons than one. For this one, he used 2 ounces of Don Julio Reposado tequila in a shaker of ice with 1 oz. of St. G, an ounce of freshly – squeezed lime juice and (here’s the kicker) chunks of pineapple and red bell peppers MUDDLED! He poured this elixir into a champagne glass, but only because he didn’t have a margarita glass handy (although he does recommend a Coupe). Whoa! You can definitely taste (and smell) the peppers in this one! If you like tequila and really want something different, try this one.

Summary

When introducing this tasting, Tom from USQ characterized these guys as saying, “You will have a master class in mixology from these gentlemen!”. He was absolutely correct. I can’t begin to tell you how much I learned – and how much I enjoyed talking to – each one of these guys. In addition to working at M&H, Matty & Jason also are partners in their own establishment in downtown Manhattan called The Randolph, where Philip also works. Although I’ve yet to visit, I certainly hope to do so some time soon; if you are thinking of making a trip to NYC, I would definitely recommend this place, based on the bartenders alone, even though I haven’t even been there myself. These guys take their cocktail mixing seriously (you should see how they work a shaker! I’m surprised they haven’t torn a rotator cuff yet!) and enjoy inventing cocktails on the fly, so if you don’t mind being a little bit adventurous – or being a guinea pig, for that matter – it’s something to keep in mind if you happen to make a visit to these parts. I told Jason I wanted him to come up with something for the next St. G tasting that contained Pisco – he seemed to appreciate the challenge, even though he’d come up with a St. G/Pisco drink before, so we’ll see …

[Kawaii Kaiju]

How funny. I was just bemoaning elsewhere recently that I had consumed that last of my St Germain Elderflower Liqueur and that I needed some options on something else to try for my evening drink.

Zilla (who ended up trying an Orange Muscat, but it didn't satisfy me nearly as much as the St Germain or the Tokay)

[♥ COVID-19♥]

My Dearest Boopsie -

Do check out St. Germain's Web site as they have some interesting recipes there.

FWIW, St.G also sells a gift set which comes with both a carafe and a recipe book.

BTW, the other tastings are May 22d and the 29th, FYI ...

-- The Steroid - Free Bukkake Boy

[♥ COVID-19♥]

The St – Germain Sessions Part II

On the Friday night of Memorial Day Weekend, the StG tastings continued, with much of the same crew from the previous tasting. The crowd piled into USQ’s tasting room (AKA “The Salon”) and the door was closed behind us; since this was a reservation – only tasting (for which attendees were required to pay the measly sum of $10), other USQ customers were forbidden entry. It all felt so … exclusive. Tom, USQ’s Sprits Manager, began the evening by summing up tonight’s events with a single sentence: “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, we will ch-ch-change the world one cocktail at a time”. Quite frankly, that was enough to put me in the right frame of mind after a particularly tough week at work – so I was ready for the proceedings to start prontissimo.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

The St-Germain Cocktail (Adam from St. G)

After beginning with the basics, I started to chat – up Adam, an employee of St-G who appeared at the Session I tasting. Adam was a little amazed at the enthusiasm for St G; he is a relatively recent employee of the company and when I told him that I’ve been a fan of the stuff for the past three years after my introduction to it at a USQ tasting, he was honestly blown away. While a great ingredient in almost any drink, I told Adam that I couldn’t imagine St-G drinking straight – either neat or on the rocks; surprisingly, he told me that he has met people who claim that they do drink it on the rocks. Personally, I would never do this myself because the aroma and taste of St-G, while most excellent, is just too intense on its own, even if you let a little ice melt in the glass. Despite that, he assured me that some people use it as either an aperitif or even a digestif (although I can’t imagine either, especially the latter).

[♥ COVID-19♥]

The Rowan (Matty Gee from Milk & Honey & The Randolph)

SPOILER: Click to show

I have no idea where Matty got the name of this cocktail from; hopefully, I’ll find out someday. However, he did tell me its origin: recently, a cousin of his graduated from college. Wanting to do something special for this young woman’s accomplishment, he set forth to invent a new cocktail; being a fan of St-G, he naturally wanted to include this liqueur as one of its ingredients. Eventually, he came up with The Rowan.

The Rowan includes Pisco, a Chilean Brandy, which, if you’ve never tried, shame on you. Prior to this, the only cocktail in which I’ve ever tried Pisco was a Pisco Sour, which is one of my favorites. For The Rowan, Matty recommends using Alto Del Carmen Pisco. I have been drinking this very reasonably – priced Pisco for over a year now and find it excellent; I’ve sampled three different varieties of Pisco and find this to be the best. However, if you can’t find it, an excellent alternative would be Capel. Although it is technically classified as a brandy, don’t be surprised if you somehow manage to find it in a section other than brandy, like rum.

OK, so here we go (warning: this one’s going to require some upper body strength, so come prepared): muddle 3 slices of cucumber in your shaker, then add 2 ounces of Pisco, ¾ oz. of St-G, ¾ oz. lemon juice, add a shitload of ice, then shake like a motherfucker. Finally, strain into a coupe glass using a Hawthorne strainer (unless, of course, you’re like me and using a Boston shaker) and top with a few dashes of Peychaud bitters. I found this to have the cucumber as the most dominant aroma and taste, due to the muddling (most likely). The muddling also adds an interesting texture to the drink – I understand that texture may not be something which you might associate to a cocktail, but believe me, between the seeds and the freshly – bashed cukes, I could easily see this as a potentially great summer cocktail. If you don’t mind the extra work involved (i.e., the muddling), this one’s mighty damned tasty.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

www.lasplash.com/uploads/gift_guide/roundup_0000000000002030_image_01.jpg [/img]

Pelhourinho (PhilipPepperdine, formerly of St G and p/t The Randolph, now of Sushi Samba)

As “Customer Zero” of St-G, Phil greeted me warmly and prepared a concoction for which I was admittedly unprepared. Prior to this, the only cocktail in which I’d enjoyed cachaca was the Caipirinha.

No more.

Muddling a cucumber with one ounce of Leblon Cachaca, an ounce of St-G and ¾ ounce of lime juice, he added a few drops of Orange Blossom water (try finding THAT one!), then, after a vigorous shake, he served it up in a coupe glass. After borrowing several slices of cukes from Matty G, it was both the aroma and taste of the cucumbers – and (surprisingly) NOT the Orange Blossom water – that was the dominant sensation of this cocktail. And a great summer drink it was! As stated before, Cachaca is Brazilian rum and is very sweet; when combined with the other ingredients, this could potentially be a killer drink because you can barely taste the alcohol. When asked about the name, Phil said he’d done some research on the ‘Net about Brazil and couldn’t quite come up with an appropriate name. Then, he contacted a few friends of his – one who spoke Portuguese (the native language of Brazil). The friend suggested this name; Phil inquired as to its meaning – he was told “Whipping Post”. While the drink is quite gentle, given the amount of alcohol it contains, the name might be quite appropriate. That said, approach with caution …
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[♥ COVID-19♥]

Nam Cam (Jason Littrell from The Randolph)

Finally, the most complicated cocktail of the evening – and wouldn’t you know it – it was made by Jason, the guy who clowns around the most.

The ingredients are 1 ounce St-G, ¾ ounce lime juice, 1 ounce Rye Whiskey (preferably Old Overholt) and topped with a “fancy soda”. What’s “fancy soda”, you might ask? Good question! I wondered the same thing myself. Turns out the answer is whatever you want it to be – basically, it’s not your average soda that you’d pick up in the local supermarket, but rather, a combination of a couple of exotically – flavored that you might find in a specialty store, such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. To confound matters even further, this drink is neither shaken nor stirred. No, my friend, that would be far, far too simple. Instead, you mix it in a siphon and use a seltzer charger. Take THAT! Basically, you pour everything into the siphon (except for the “fancy soda”), then, eh, “squirt” it all into a Collins glass filled with ice, topping it off with the “fancy soda”). For an even more complex taste, Jason served it an alternative way – the St-G had cloves mixed in it, spicing it up considerably, which completely ch-ch-changes the drink. Although I appreciated this variation, I do suggest you try this one with caution.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

This coming Friday was supposed to have been part III in The St-G sessions, but I learned from Tom The Spirits Manager at USQ that this was not to be. Apparently, Philip had left St-G in order to take a job at Sushi Samba; as a result, without a full – time connection at St-G, it would be difficult to get someone to sponsor future such events. So, this post, unfortunately, will have to conclude the St-G Sessions tastings.

However, there *is* a bonus which I stumbled upon …

On this holiday weekend, I chose to spend Saturday night dining at my favorite seafood restaurant, City Crab. Perusing their menu, I noticed a specialty cocktail which contained – you guessed it – St-G as one of its ingredients. Called The London Lemonade, it was said to include Bulldog Gin, St-G, sparkling wine and lemon juice. Having tried this on a previous visit, I ordered it yet again on this night – my waiter did a double – take and looked me straight in the eye and said, “You must be a St-G fan!”. “How did you know?”, I inquired. “Only the St-G fans order that drink”, he replied, adding, “Tonight, we had to go out and buy another bottle of the stuff. See that table over there?”, he said, pointing to a party of 6 or 8. “All of them ordered the London Lemonade, so we completely ran out of St-G!”. Fortunately, they replenished their supply and I was able to once again sample this most refreshing beverage. Asking my waiter for the details, he returned with the following:

• 2 -3 slices of lemon squeezed into an ice – filled shaker
  
• A shot and a half of Hendricks Gin
  
  
• A shot and a half of St-G
  
• Top with champagne
  
• Shake
  
• Then serve in an ice – filled pint sized glass with a lemon wedge

I immediately questioned his information for two reasons: one, the menu says the ingredients are Bulldog Gin, not Hendricks; second, he claimed that the drink was shaken with the sparkling wine. As far as the gin is concerned, Hendricks would add a completely different flavor to the drink; while Bulldog is high in citrus, Hendricks has a spicier taste – what some might refer to as “an acquired taste”, but a good gin nevertheless. That said, I would doubt this would be an ingredient in such a summery cocktail. The other thing is that as any good barkeep will tell you, you NEVER shake with any ingredient that contains bubbles, lest you cause it to flatten. That considered, I’ll slightly amend the instructions I was given by my waiter to the following:

BB’s Version of The London Lemonade:

• In an ice filled shaker, add one ounce of lemon juice
  
• Pour one and a half ounces of Bulldog Gin
  
• Then an equal amount of St-Germain
  
• Shake vigorously
  
• Strain into a Collins glass/Highball glass filled with ice
  
• Top it off with sparkling wine
  
• Add either a lemon wedge *or* lemon zest, depending on how you prefer the appearance

As soon as I go shopping and refill my liquor supply, I’m going to try this. If you feel adventurous and want to give it a shot, please let me know how it turns out.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

~ Le Bump ~ ...

Tonight, a half year after the St - Germain sessions began, they continued! This, despite the fact that my friendly bartender/St-G contact Philip (see above) claimed that he had abandoned St-G for the Sushi Samba restaurant chain -- turns out, as I found out about a month and a half ago, St-G made him an offer he couldn't refuse, so he promised me he'd be back with his regular band of scalawags to turn out yet another round of cocktails with this amazing liqueur ...

After sampling (yet another St-Germain cocktail ( ~ hic ~ ) to begin the evening, I tried something called a "Billy Dee Williams" by Jason Littrell (formerly of Randolph At Broome, now of Death & Co.). The recipe ...

• 1.5 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
  
• 3/4 oz. clove - infused St-G (i.e., 1 cup cloves in 1 750ml bottle St-Germain for about an hour)
  
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  
• Float of hand - whipped cream
  
• top with either nugmet or cinnamon dust
  
• serve in a cocktail glass

Why is this called a Billy Dee Williams, I asked while waving a photo of Lando Calrissian that lay near his station? "Because it's smooth and dark, man!", said Jason as he indicated the picture beside hiim. Note that when he floated the heavy cream in the recipe above, he had used some kind of battery powered tool he found at Bed, Bath and Beyond, then poured it over one of those long stirring spoons often used when mixing cocktails -- not unlike how a genuine Irish Coffee is made in Ireland.

Next up was Philip's Moulin Blanc:

• 1.5 oz. Barsol Pisco
  
• 1 oz. St-G
  
• 0.5 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  
• 0.5 oz. Fino Sherry (preferably Alvear)
  
• 0.5 oz. Egg White
  
• shake vigorously
  
• serve in a cocktail glass

While tasty, I asked Philip why he used a Peruvian Pisco (as Barsol was) rather than a Chilean Pisco, which is more readily available in the U.S.; he said that the Peruvian Piscos tasted different -- and as far as this particular cocktail was concerned, far better -- from the Chilean Piscos. While that may be true, I quite honestly did not see what the Peruvian Pisco brought to this drink. As a result, I would say that if you want to try this one at home, definitely give the Chilean Piscos a shot -- just make sure you use the St-G!

Lastly was Shane's El Pepino Fresco, made as follows:

• 2 oz. blanco tequila
  
• 1 oz. St-G
  
• 1 oz. lime juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
  
• muddled cucumber
  
• shake
  
• top with Peychaud's Bitters
  
• serve in a rocks glass
  

By far and away, I would have to say that this one was by far the most popular cocktail of the evening (at least, judging by the number of young ladies at the station -- but maybe that was because of the youngish mixologist at the station?). The cucumber slice on the side of the glass definitely made the difference, but it seemed somewhat out of place -- more of a summer drink than one designed for the autumn season.

So, if I had to pick one, I'd probably choose the one made by Jason, the Billy D, but not the way he made it for the masses. After chatting with me for a while, he admitted to a great degree of experimentation and confessed that he wasn't sure if this was a proper cocktail for the evening. After volunteering to be his guinea pig for the evening, he then re - mixed the drink with warm ingredients, ensuring hot water was in the shakers for all of the ingredients -- I must say that on this particularly chilly night, tha was what made all of the difference in the world to me. As a result, if you wish to try an experiment in your own bartending efforts, I would suggest this one -- but if you're going to try it with chilly weather as I did tonight, most definitely, do warm it up a bit as Jason did when mixing -- it does make all the difference in the world, both in the aroma and the taste.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Part II of The Autumn '09 St-Germain Sessions was held last night at Union Square Wines & Spirits. In addition to past barkeeps Adam, Philip and Jason, some new blood, Brian Miller from Death & Co., attended to show off some rather nifty cocktails they invented which (of course) included St-G as an ingredient.

After starting off with Adam's basic St-G cocktail, I tried Brian's Carré Reprisé, made as follows:

1 oz. Rye Whiskey (preferably Rittenhouse)
1 oz. Cognac
1 oz. Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth
½ oz. St-G
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

All of the above ingredients are stirred in an ice - filled shaker or small pitcher and served in a rocks glass with a lemon twist.

As you might guess from the double hit of bitters, it's got a strong aroma, especially when mixed with the St-G and rye. It tastes very much like it smells -- slightly bitter, but enough sweetness to it that the bitterness is not overwhelming. If you prefer sweet drinks, this one is definitely NOT for you. I asked Brian if he ever substituted bourbon for the rye and he said he never tried it, but depending on the bourbon, you could certainly do that; since rye tends to be spicier than bourbon, you would want to choose a somewhat spicy bourbon to balance out the other ingredients.

Next was Jason's El DeBarge, which included the following:

1 oz. lemon juice
¼ oz. brandy (preferably Purkhart Pear Williams)
¾ oz. St-G
1½ oz. Reposado Tequila (preferably Don Julio)

Add all of the above to an ice - filled shaker and shake vigorously, then strain into a rocks glass with ice and add an orange peel twist.

The tequila definitely adds quite a kick to this one and even though I only had a small sample, you could definitely see this as something that might get you quite drunk, and enjoy the journey along the way. I asked Jason why he used a Reposado tequila, as opposed to an Añejo or Blanco; he said that the Añejo, being the more expensive, is too good to mix with (this is considered a sipping tequila you would only drink on its own) and the Blanco doesn't have enough taste since it's not aged. Given the Reposado falls somewhere in between the two, it stood out to him as the perfect choice.

Finally, there was Philip's Nomayo; the recipe:

1½ oz. gin (preferably Plymouth)
¾ oz. St-G
½ oz. Aperol
½ oz. lemon juice
Sparkling wine

Everything except the sparkling wine goes into an ice - filled shaker and shaken then strained into a cocktail glass; then, float the sparkling wine on top and finish with an orange twist

As a fan of The Aperol Spritz, I was interested in trying this one and it did not disappoint. Because of the Aperol, this would make a great cocktail to have before dinner. While Philip generally prefers Plymouth when making a cocktail with gin, I might like to try it instead with Bulldog, which adds a more citrus taste.

The final St-G Session for 2009 is next Friday; if I'm able to attend, I'll try to post more recipes.

[Ardbeg... innit]

Nov 14, 2009 10:18:48 GMT -6 ♥ COVID-19♥ said:

I asked Brian if he ever substituted bourbon for the rye and he said he never tried it, but depending on the bourbon, you could certainly do that; since rye tends to be spicier than bourbon, you would want to choose a somewhat spicy bourbon to balance out the other ingredients.

Glad you asked, because that was the first question that came into my mind (though not specifically bourbon)

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Well, I specifically asked about bourbon because they are so closely related and have had something of a competition with each other -- e.g., Manhattans started out being made with rye, but as bourbon gained greater popularity, they used that spirit instead.

In any event, I would still like to experiment with the recipe a bit and try all kinds of whiskeys -- except, of course, scotch. That would be a sin.

[Ardbeg... innit]

I was thinking a middle of the line blend might be an interesting substitution

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Hmmm ... interesting idea ... but I just picked up a bottle of 12 year old Chivas tonight, so I don't think I'll be trying it with THAT -- but I'll certainly keep it in mind. Thanks!

[Tex]

OK Beeb, you drink some fancy shit and I've never known you to go on for so long about a particular booze. I guess I will have to give in and buy some. (not relishing the thought of going into an oilfield liquor store and asking for elderflower liqueur)

[♥ COVID-19♥]

A little suggestion: either wear a disguise or (better yet) send The Gay Neighbors on an errand.

-- BB (who's been drinking this stuff for several years now and truly believes it to elevate the level of any cocktail to a degree of elegance -- hey, if you can't *be* rich, you can at least make believe you can live like someone who is)

[Tex]

They all sound good but this is the one:

Second was something called Fraanche, created by Jason, from the above – named bar. It’s a mixture of rum, St. Germain, lime juice and tangerine juice.


...that piqued my interest. I'll probably try several of them, but not the one that requires a siphon hose and seltzer charger. (Maybe I can rig up a fire extinguisher and a douchebag.)

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Nov 15, 2009 21:56:10 GMT -6 Tex said:

Maybe I can rig up a fire extinguisher and a douchebag

If you ever figure out how to handle that douchebag, please let me know -- it'll come in handy when I have to deal with Jake.

[innit Geezer]

I'm glad this thread was revived because as the holiday times approach, I like to have different drinks available to sample for before, during and after dinner. Years ago Gentleman Jack was a favorite but this year I'll pick up a few scotchs to try. Last year I had mostly dessert type drinks such as Grand Marinier.

Two years ago we had strong homemade wine and while in the kitchen, a boyfriend of a my wife's cousin blurted out to me how they learned to "enjoy getting it in the behind". I tried to act casual as though it was normal holiday conversation and was thankful that her 3 sons were in another room out of earshot.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Gary, as usual, thank you for that valuable contribution.

[innit Geezer]

Well, maybe I'll save an embarrassing moment for someone, somewhere in case they were having home made wine. (and be thankful I didn't use the Pre, then it would be posted several times)

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Yes, but who's going to save YOU from an embarrassing moment?

[Tex]

Your kinfolks were just sharing their joy with family.

[innit Geezer]

When people are comfortable and celebrating, it's all good. He won't be coming because they aren't going-out anymore. To bad, he added to the fun mix.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Knowing what a St-G fan I am, Philip Pepperdine, who works at St-G, offered to send me some recipes that aren't documented in any of the recipe books they provide (there's a small one that comes with each bottle and a larger one that's included in the gift set). Just in case anyone either already has or wishes to try St-G, I've attached these additional recipes in the event you feel like experimenting with anything above and beyond the recipe books that come with the product.

Attachments:

[♥ COVID-19♥]

The final St Germain tastings for 2009 took place last night and quite a ch-ch-change – up in events occurred. Instead of starting the evening as usual with Adam’s signature drink The St-G Cocktail, we instead began with a holiday tincture that absolutely must be tried …

French Islander Christmas Punch

Developed by St-G’s Philip Pepperdine, this one is something to note for your next party – particularly if you’re a rum fan. It was a drink that was simultaneously fun, colorful, spicy and fruity all at once, strongly suggesting a festive holiday atmosphere. Although the Caribbean island of Martinique may not necessarily be the first place that comes to mind when you think of great rum, they do produce a brand that’s quite unique and one that Philip recommended for this punch …

In a large punch bowl, add the following:

• Slice a bunch of oranges and pierce them with cloves
• Add 7oz. Rhum Clément V.S.O.P. Rum
• And 7.oz. Rhum Clément Premiére Canne Rhum
• Followed by 3 oz. Rhum Clément Shrubb Liqueur
• Then 7 oz. St-G
• Pour in fresh OJ and grapefruit juice
• Fresh lemon juice
• And fresh lime juice
• Simple syrup
• Finally, add several dashes of bitters – Angostura (if you can still find it) & Peychaud

Stir for a good while then let steep for even longer before serving in a glass with ice. Good stuff. You’ll just have to trust me on this one – try it for yourself and see.

We followed this with The St-G cocktail, then moved on to something with an almost operatic title …

Marriage of Fidencio

Jason LIttrell of Randolph at Broome and Death & Co. distressed over this drink for long hours before finally perfecting it and the time spent was truly worth his while. I told Jason that I thought it was virtually impossible to make a bad cocktail with St-G, but he disagreed – “it’s possible, but you can still fix it!”, he insisted, stating that too much St-G can be truly overpowering and can wind up giving you something of a wine cooler taste. The name of the drink came from one of its ingredients …

2 oz. Fidencio Mescal
¼ oz. amaretto
¼ oz. Zirbenze Stone Pine Liqueur
½ oz. St-G

Add ice to your shaker, then stir and serve in a coupe glass with lemon twist garnish.

Tom, the Spirits Manager, introduced the next bartendrix as “the rose between the thorns” … a lovely and talented young woman who’s new to the St-G tastings, Eryn Reece from Louis 649 and someplace called Ryehouse (which, she assured me, was a restaurant with a bar that stored a LOT of whisky – reason enough for me to check it out someday). Eryn invented the following drink …

Pinup In A Cup

• 1 oz. Reposado Tequila
  
• ½ oz. mescal
  
• ¾ oz. St-G
  
• ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
  

Add the above to a shaker, then fill it with ice and shake vigorously; strain into a cocktail glass.

So, I asked Eryn how she got to name this cocktail as she did and she told me that she tried it out on several of her girlfriends and one of them suggested the name. Although the name sounds like some kind of girly drink, believe me – between the tequila and the mescal, it most definitely is not –it will seriously fuck you up if you’re not careful. I asked Eryn about how she came to choose the ingredients and she told me that she wanted the Mescal because it’s different from tequila since it’s not made from blue agave and not from Jalisco, Mexico (the state where the city of Tequila is located), although the agave plant is roasted, as is tequila. Specifically, a Reposado tequila is used due to its wood flavor as a result of it being aged in oak barrels. Shaking the mixture, rather than stirring it, makes it colder quicker.

Last was a drink that seemed to be named after French singer Edith Piaf – or was it? Brian Miller of Death & Co. said that it was based on something called The Fallen Leaves, which contains both dry and sweet vermouth; Brian, however, gave it his own special twist with St-G …

The Little Sparrow

2 oz. VSOP Calvados (an apple brandy from Normandy, France)
¾ oz. sweet vermouth (preferably Carpano Antica from Italy)
½ oz. St-G
¼ oz. Laird’s Apple Brandy
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Add ice and stir, then serve in a coupe glass with a lemon twist garnish

With two types of apple brandy, the 80 proof Calvados adds a harsh taste while the 100 proof Laird’s gives it a spicier, dryer taste. The spicier brandy adds a texture to it and the Carpano Antica sweet vermouth adds a bittersweet chocolate flavor that makes it heftier than a Martini & Rossi might provide.

While this may be the last of the St-G sessions for 2009, I’m told that there will be a total of nine (3 more than usual) for 2010. If you’re not sick of this stuff now, you will be by next year if I start posting recipes for the tastings a few months from now ...

[Tex]

Just picked up a bottle in San Antonio. It was the last bottle and the girl told me it sold well - also that it made a good shot.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

I've never had it as a shot -- nor would I care to (a little too sweet for my taste, on its own). Excellent cocktails, however -- both in aroma and taste. Don't forget to take a sniff before sampling. Hope you got the little recipe booklet -- those St-G cocktails (the signature drink) are rather refreshing and you might particularly enjoy them in those oppressively hot Tejas summers, if you dare.

[Tex]

Please tell Jason he has some fans in Austin. We mixed up a batch of Fraanche with orange juice and they are truly outstanding. A couple of bonus points to Beeb for passing this along. I knew he was picky on the alcohol and is not known to flatter. I owe you a couple of drinks.