‘tis better to give than to receive but sharing might be best of all.
the mixologist
—by Solomon Siegel
CLASSIC HOLIDAY COCKTAILS
I’ve done it too, drunk eggnog right from the carton. This year, it’s time to raise the bar. Eggnog and other holiday warmers have a long history. The truth is, they are dead easy to make from scratch.
think global. celebrate local. www.victoriaspirits.com
Real eggnog, the way Jerry Thomas (author of the 1862 classic Bartenders Guide) was making it 150 years ago, works best cold. Take one whole egg (wash the shell first), 2 oz (60 mL) of brandy (I like Hennessy V.S.), 1 oz (30 mL) Santa Cruz Rum (I like Cruzan Single Barrel), about 2 oz. (60 mL) of milk (heat the milk first if you want hot egg nog) and 1 oz (30 mL) or to taste of simple syrup (2 parts sugar dissolved in 1 part water). This all goes into a cocktail shaker. Whisk it up before you add the ice. Those cheap, battery-powered latte frothers work great for this too, or give it a dry shake (shaking the drink without the ice). Add some ice and give the drink a good long hard shake and double strain into a glass (or two glasses, it’s a big strong drink.) Grate some fresh ground nutmeg on top. There are variations too. Made with brandy and Madeira, you have a Baltimore Eggnog. Make it with cider and you have a General Harrison’s. If you can track down a copy of David Wondrich’s Imbibe! (Perigree Trade, 2007), you will have wealth of knowledge on all of Jerry Thomas’s drinks including eggnog. My favourite hot cocktail is the Tom & Jerry, one of Jerry Thomas’s original creations. This drinks used to be so popular you can still find old mugs with “Tom & Jerry” printed on them. The popular cat and mouse cartoon duo was named after the drink. Thomas named the drink after his two pet white mice. To prepare the Tom & Jerry, you first need to make the batter. Start by taking a half-dozen egg and separating them. Whisk both the whites and the yokes very well. Then combine them and add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, half a teaspoon of ground cloves and half a teaspoon of ground allspice. Slowly beat in a pound of extra fine sugar until it gets to pancake batter consistency. Adding a teaspoon of cream of tartar with stop the sugar from settling. That is your batter. (Make it up for a party, or put it in the fridge for your next batch of drinks. It will keep for a couple of days.) To make up a Tom & Jerry add a tablespoon of the batter into a small mug add a 2 oz. (60mL) of Brandy (I like Hennessy V.S.) or 2 oz of a mix of brandy, Santa Cruz Rum (I Like Cruzan) and Jamaican Rum (I like Appleton’s.) Fill the mug with boiling water or hot milk and grate some nutmeg on top. The ultimate winter warmer. Old school punches are great for parties, and real punches are like one giant cocktail. So put down the cans of frozen juice concentrate and Canada Dry and follow me. One of my favourite punches again comes from Jerry Thomas, and it’s called the Rocky Mountain Punch. The first thing you need is a cool punch bowl, so hit up your local thrift store or antique shop. Then you need an ice mold. A smaller bowl that fits into your punch bowl and leaves room for your punch works great as an ice block mold. Fill up the ice mold with water and freeze it overnight. Using one large block of ice has a dual purpose—it keeps the punch cool for a long time and slowly dilutes the punch. While the first cups that go to your guests pack a wallop to start the party, the later ones are watered down to keep the party going. To make the punch, pour a bottle of Jamaican rum (Appleton’s) and 375 mL of maraschino liqueur (Luxardo) into a pitcher. Slice five lemons and let them sit in the rum - maraschino mixture overnight in the fridge. The original recipe calls for sugar, but don’t add it unless you think it’s not sweet enough. To serve up the punch, put your ice block in the punch bowl. Pour the rum/maraschino/ sliced lemon mixture into the bowl and top up with four bottles of Champagne.* Give it a stir and decorate the top of the ice block with berries and sliced fruit. Then let your guest at it! You can serve up the punch in punch glasses, cocktail glasses, even teacups. Jerry Thomas called this “a splendid punch for New Year’s Day.” I think it works great for New Year’s Eve, perhaps both. Putting out drinks with love makes your guests take notice of your care. In turn, I believe this results in people taking their time appreciating them, which makes the party last longer and the next day a little easier on the head. Enjoy. *Champagne, from Champagne France, works great for the Rocky Mountain Punch, but the price starts at $65 dollars a bottle. Cava is sparkling wine from Spain and works as a great stand in. Cristalino is around $15 a bottle; great on it’s own too.
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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2010
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