Archives: April 01, 2007

Spirited Cuisine: Scotch whisky

Friday, 27 April 2007 06:59 PM

This is the sixth installment in the Spirited Cuisine series from Sri Bala (Shaman) and me. Each round, I select a liquor or spirit, and Sri creates a dessert recipe incorporating it. Find Sri's posts at his blog and mine here within the Lush Life category.

Here's a great cocktail made with Scotch.....

Are you still here? Thank you for staying. You are a special, open-minded sort of person. People avoid Scotch-based cocktails for one of two reasons:

1. They are "real Scotch drinkers" and would never pollute their beverage of choice with mixers -- nothing stronger than an ice cube or a splash of water or soda.
2. They despise the taste of Scotch and would never drink it in any form.

Scotch is the Champagne of liquors: It comes only from a particular region of the world, the government of a country regulates what may and may not use its name, and it's surrounded by allure and confusion.

Scotch out-Champagnes Champagne in fact, because it somehow creates fierce loyalty in its drinkers. According to my source at the PA Wines & Spirits store at Moraine Point in Butler, Scotch buyers walk in the door and directly to their label of choice, never look at another brand, and walk out empty-handed if their Scotch isn't in stock.

The real name for Scotch is "Scotch whisky" -- note the absence of the "e." Quick definition:

Malt whisky must contain no grain other than malted barley and is traditionally distilled in pot stills. Grain whisky may contain unmalted barley or other malted or unmalted grains such as wheat and maize (corn) and is typically distilled in a continuous column still, known as a Patent or Coffey still, the latter after Aeneas Coffey who refined the column still in 1831. While there are scores of malt whisky distilleries, only seven grain distilleries currently exist, most located in the Scottish Lowlands.

Scotch, Canadian whisky, Irish whiskey, American whiskey, and bourbon are all made nearly the same way, but with different starting ingredients. You'd think this would mean they are easily substituted for each other in cocktails. You can swap Canadian whisky, American whiskey, and bourbon without much loss, but not Scotch or Irish whiskey -- and the prime reason is the smoky peat flavor that's characteristic to these two types.

The smoke flavor comes when peat is used in the fire that roasts the barley malt. It completely changes a drink -- much the way that grilling over a mesquite fire imparts a distinctive flavor to the meat or vegetable. It's distinctive, and many people like it. And many others find it awful.

The best Scotch cocktails use the peat smoke flavor to advantage. Three that I recommend are the Rob Roy, the Godfather, and the Black Watch. Why these drinks work is that the second ingredient (sweet vermouth, Amaretto, and Kahlua, respectively) is strong enough to stand up to the smoke of the Scotch. You get a blend of both flavors, plus some sweetness. Of the three, my favorite is the Godfather.

Rob Roy
1 part sweet vermouth
4 parts Scotch
Either chill a stemmed cocktail glass or put ice in a lowball/rocks glass. Fill a shaker with ice, add ingredients, stir or shake, strain into glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Godfather
3 parts Scotch
1 part Amaretto
Put ice in a rocks glass. Add ingredients, stir well, serve.

Black Watch
1 part Kahlua
1 part Scotch
splash of soda water
Put ice in rocks glass. Add Kahlua and Scotch, stir briefly, add splash of soda. Garnish with lemon twist and serve.

If you're not familiar with Scotch, you may now be asking which type of Scotch to use for these drinks. If you do drink Scotch, you are probably still thinking that you're never going to defile your drink with mixers and odd ingredients.

Here's the thing: All Scotch is not created equal, just as all bourbons are not the same. If you give me a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 20 year, I will not be using it to make Old Fashioneds. Similarly, if you've got a bit of Aberlour a'bunadh, I'd suggest you serve it in a small glass with an ice cube or a bit of filtered water. You will need nothing else.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a cocktail that combines rich flavor with sweetness but still has some backbone, grab a bottle of Scotch in the $20 to $40 range, mix up a nice Godfather, and enjoy.

Sri has strong affection for Scotch and was more than a little concerned when I suggested he devise a dessert with it. Yet he succeeded. Hop over to his site and check out "single malt whisky jelly with lemon sorbet." Mmm!

Next time: Spiced rum.

The Steelers new mascot looks really familiar...

Friday, 27 April 2007 03:08 PM

Does the Steelers new mascot remind you of anyone?

The Steelers organization will invite fans to help name the new mascot. My suggestion for a name: The Chin.

UPDATE: My brother Anthony thought the mascot would look good wearing that sweater Cowher wore to pretty much every press conference.

Spirited Cuisine: Galliano

Sunday, 22 April 2007 03:07 PM

This is the fifth installment in the Spirited Cuisine series from Sri Bala (Shaman) and me. Each round, I select a liquor or spirit, and Sri creates a dessert recipe incorporating it. Find Sri's posts at his blog and mine here within the Lush Life category.

Spirited Cuisine has been on hiatus for a while -- or rather, I've been on hiatus while Sri has carried the weight on his own, creating not just a dessert but also a cocktail for our current featured ingredient, Galliano. At last, here is my contribution to the party.

You've surely seen the distinctive Galliano bottle, a super-tall, taped bottle of bright yellow liqueur. It's usually on a high shelf, for two reasons: First, it won't fit anywhere else, and second, no one drinks anything that requires it.

Galliano tastes almost exactly like Good & Plenty candy -- a Hershey's brand confection made of black liquorice pink and white candy coating. (Fun fact: Good & Plenty is "the oldest branded candy in the United States.") The candy coating has a sugary vanilla flavor, just as Galliano does.

Most anise flavored liquors stand up for themselves in a mixed drink, but the subtle vanilla and other herbs of Galliano are easily overwhelmed. For instance, here's the recipe for a Harvey Wallbanger, the best-known Galliano drink:

Harvey Wallbanger

3 parts Vodka
1 part Liquore Galliano
orange juice to fill

Mix the vodka and orange juice in a highball glass, then float the Liquore Galliano on top. Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry, and serve.

Even though the Galliano is floated on top, I find it's almost completely obscured by the orange juice -- especially if you're using fresh squeezed juice, which you should for best taste.

Other Galliano drinks are a little better at highlighting the subtle charms of its flavors: the Golden Cadillac is just Galliano, creme de cacao, and cream. But I think Galliano is best served straight, in a cordial glass, as an after-dinner digestive.

Sri has concocted a lovely dessert that plays perfectly with Galliano's flavorings: Galliano marzipans with dark chocolate ganache. The recipe and photos are so tempting you'll have to buy a bottle -- even though it's too tall to fit on any shelf in your house. Trust me, it's worth it.

Saturday: BootCamp PGH

Thursday, 19 April 2007 11:55 PM

Why I've not been blogging these last few weeks: I've been helping organize a terrific event that will happen Saturday. To wit:

BootCamp PGH is a free one-day, immersive "entry level" workshop designed to educate students, small businesses and corporate communications professionals on the power and possibilities of new media. (That is, blogging, podcasting, social networks, and the like.)

WHEN: Saturday, April 21, from 9 AM to 4 PM
WHERE: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, 420 Boulevard of the Allies, 15219
WHO: New media experts, aspiring new media creators, communications and PR personnel, and you!
HOW MUCH: Free!

153 registered attendees and counting... Register today!

Preregistration closes at 4pm Friday, April 20. Walk-ins are welcome but they'll miss out on freebies and giveaways at the event.

Find out more and register at the BootCamp PGH website.

I'm leading the Intro to Blogging session at 10am with my fellow Pittsburgh Bloggers Christina Schulman and Mike Woycheck. Lots of fun and useful information will be delivered. Then I'll be hanging out in the Mentor Lounge much of the day, helping people try out what they're learning and answering questions one-on-one.

I hope to see you there!

So it goes.

Thursday, 12 April 2007 12:27 AM

Kurt Vonnegut died last night.

It's time I reread Slaughterhouse-Five, I think.

Wallflower for the Big Dance

Thursday, 05 April 2007 09:39 AM

Oh, is the NCAA basketball thing over already? Gosh, that was quick.

How'd I do in that Pittsburgh Celebrity Bloggers Pool?

Apparently the Friends of Cindy picking strategy wasn't a winning formula for 2007.

The first time I participated in a fantasy football league, I came in last. The next year, I won. So all you Pittsburgh celebrity bloggers had better be ready for me next year.

I resemble that remark

Thursday, 05 April 2007 09:28 AM

Bill Toland has the enviable job of "spirits writer" for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and in today's column he takes a long look at my favorite underrated liqueur, Campari.

I'm quoted in the article, being that I am a huge fan of Campari's advertising and of the beverage itself.

And in the article I sound like a lush, although perhaps a sort of classy one. Honestly, I need to learn how to talk to journalists so that when I'm quoted I don't cringe to read my words in print.

These are the Mikes I know

Sunday, 01 April 2007 11:23 AM

Received this missive on the mailing list of Mike Doughty today, announcing what would surely be my dream band:

Mike Doughty is involved in a new project called PASS THE MIKE with Mike Campbell (The Heartbreakers) on guitar; Mike Mills (R.E.M.) on bass, guitar and keys; Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums; and Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE) on bass and backing vocals.

The band is currently talking with labels about a possible fall 2007 release.

String arranger Mike Narr described it from the studio last week: "If you took the kind of jazz they play on the Weather Channel out to the alley and beat the hell out of it with a whiskey bottle, and it got really mad and vengeful and vowed to tease puppies, Pass The Mike sounds like the ensuing restraining order. Except with better hooks."

The album also includes guest appearances by Mike D (Beastie Boys) and Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom). The group is recording now with producer Mike Chapman, who helmed breakthrough albums by Blondie and The Knack.

For now, stay tuned to http://www.myspace.com/passthemikeband for updates on Pass The Mike.

Copyright © 2004 – 2007 Cynthia Closkey