Breaking Spirits

This week, we are joined by Heather Noël (@picturesofyore), cohost of the Open Graves podcast to talk about all things goth and gothic- or more specifically, the intersection of drinking with the culture. Our discussion winds from the shrouded monasteries imagined by Victorian novelists all the way to the clubs and cafés of today!

Recipes Discussed:

Udolpho:

3/4 oz. Occitan Gin

3/4 oz. Tawny Port

3/4 oz. Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, and stir until chilled. Strain into a small snifter or rocks glass over one large block of fresh ice.

Black Cat:

2 oz. Hayman's Old Tom Gin

1 oz. Vermut Negre

1 barspoon Maraska Maraschino Liqueur

2 dashes orange bitters

1/4 oz Absinthe

Mix all ingredients except for the absinthe in a mixing glass over ice. Stir until chilled. Rinse a chilled coupe glass with the absinthe, leaving any excess in the glass. Strain the mixture into the glass, and garnish with a lemon twist and a brandied cherry.

This week, we're taking a look at red bitter liqueurs - starting with Campari and moving on to the wide world of spirits that followed in its wake.

Cocktails Discussed:

The Church

1 oz. St. Agrestis Paradiso

1 oz. Grey Whale Gin

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz. gomme syrup

1/2 oz. Cocci Americano

Based on the original recipe from the Locanda, as printed in San Francisco Cocktails by Trevor Felch

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube or sphere. Garnish with a wide strip of orange peel, and serve.

Eeyore's Requiem

1 1/2 oz. Bruto Americano

1 oz. Vya Extra Dry Vermouth

1/2 oz. London dry gin

1/4 oz. Cioco amaro

1/4 oz. Contratto Fernet

3 dashes orange bitters

3 orange peel twists

Based on Toby Maloney's recipe, as printed in Amaro by Brad Thomas Parsons

Combine all ingredients save the orange twists in a mixing glass with ice, and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express the three orange peels over the surface of the drink, discarding the first two, and dropping the third in as a garnish.

Further Reading:

Gaspare Campari - https://www.italyonthisday.com/2020/03/gaspare-campari-Italian-drinks-maker.html

Origin Of The Spritz Veneziano - https://philosokitchen.com/spritz-veneziano-aperitivo-venice/#:~:text=The%20origin%20of%20the%20Spritz,sparkling%20water%20into%20the%20wine.

A New Boom of Italian Aperitivo Liqueurs - https://punchdrink.com/articles/a-new-boom-of-italian-aperitivo-liqueurs/

A Field Guide to the Great Wide World of Bitter Red Italian Spirits - https://www.saveur.com/bitter-italian-spirits-aperitivo-aperol-campari/

Welcome to our first Nightcap, where we continue our conversations about poitin, unaged whiskey, and whatever else comes to mind. Nightcaps are going to be regular bonus episodes, where we follow up on trains of though that come up in our main discussion in an unstructured, casual bar chat format.

Cocktail Discussed:

Geansai Arann

1 1/2 oz. poitin

1/2 oz. crème de cassis

1/2 oz. Knight Gabriello Amaro di Toscana

1/3 oz. Celtic Honey

1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice

Inspired by Julia Momosé's Autumn's Jacket, as published in The Way of the Cocktail

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker, and shake over ice. Strain into a rocks glass over one or two large pieces of fresh ice. Take a sprig of rosemary and gently heat it by moving a lit match near the leaves, while not burning them. Garnish with this sprig, and serve.

In this episode, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, we take a look at Ireland's oldest spirit - Poitin.

Recipes Discussed:

Irish Martini

2 1/2 Oz. Poitin

1/2 Oz. Dry Vermouth

Combine both ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir well until the mixture is fully diluted (around 20 seconds), and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Banshee

20 ml. Poitin

20 ml. Rye Whiskey

15 ml. Cloosterbitter

15 ml. Lime Juice

1 Egg White

Adapted from a recipe first published by Andy Kerr in BBC Good Food

Combine all ingredients except for the egg white in a shaker, and shake over ice. Strain into a mixing glass, and discard ice. Return the mixture to the shaker, add the egg white, and dry shake until frothy. Pour into a chilled coupe glass, and garnish with a dehydrated lime wedge.

Further Reading:

https://ireland-calling.com/irish-drinks-poitin/

https://www.irishwhiskeymuseum.ie/news/irish-poitin/

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-is-poitin

https://www.winemag.com/2018/12/06/irish-poitin-moonshine/

This week we are joined by Chicago native Jeffrey Damnit (@jeffreydamnit) to discuss the homegrown liqueur that they love to hate - Jeppson's Malört! We talk about the history of Jeppson's, what a Malört is to begin with, and disagree profusely about whether or not Jeppson's is as bad as everyone says.

Cocktails discussed:

Point du Sable

2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

1 oz. Lillet Blanc

1 oz. Jeppson's Malort

4 dashes Angostura bitters

Chilled sparkling water

Based on the Mai by Rebekah Peppler, as published in Apéritif

Build all ingredients except for the sparkling water in a highball glass over ice. Briefly stir to combine, and top with the sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and serve with a sustainable straw.

Tears and Runny Mascara

2 oz. Fred Jerbis Gin

3/4 oz. dry vermouth

1/2 oz. Letherbee Bësk

1/4 oz. Tempus Fugit Créme de Violette

Lemon twist

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled, about 25 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe and serve with a lemon twist.

Further Reading:

Malört: Chicago's Favorite Bitter Liqueur - https://www.seriouseats.com/what-is-malort-bitter-liqueur-digestif-chicago-history-jeppsons-letherbee-bittermens

What does Malört taste like? Sun-Times readers weigh in - https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2021/8/25/22641237/what-does-malort-taste-like-chicago-liquor

Bësk - Letherbee - https://www.letherbee.com/products