Brass Stallion Cocktail

It's been almost two years since I gave you a new original cocktail recipe from the Firewater Lounge. So it's high time that I corrected that. This cocktail I invented when I was looking for a cocktail to drink with a pretzel and cheese snack at midnight. I know what you are thinking, pretzels and cheese call for good ol' Wisconsin beer. You would be right. But cocktails sit much better on this near 50-year-old's stomach than beers do at this point, especially at midnight. Thus the Brass Stallion cocktail was born. It is as refreshing as a cocktail can get in the winter months and riffs what a yummy apple Manhattan might taste like.

New Orleans, Louisiana

There is no question that our favorite bartender in the Firewater Lounge is New Orleans' Chris McMillian. He has been the head bartender at several classic New Orleans bars including the Library Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton and Bar UnCommon. He is the co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail, also located in the Big Easy. Imbibe Magazine named him one of the 25 most influential barmen of the last century in 2010. Likely, the average Lounge Lizard knows him from the Library Lounge mint julep video that we repost just about every May around Kentucky Derby time.

Today, if you would like to have a drink poured by Chris McMillian or his wife Laura, you'll have to visit their own café and bar, Revel, located in the Mid-City neighborhood off Carrollton Avenue. Decked out in bold navy, auburn, purple, and gold, the café sports an entry dining area that is overlooked by the bar in the back.

How to Read a Bourbon Label

There are many dates on the calendar that are celebrated with drink. The Lounge's favorite, as you know, is Christmas. But for most people, New Year's Eve, Mardi Gras, and St. Patrick's Day are the big ones, probably followed closely by the ever-growing-in-popularity Cinco de Mayo and Blackout Wednesday (Thanksgiving Eve for Wisconsinite Lounge Lizards who don't know that the Northeast drinks itself stupid on this night). One date that might fly under the radar though is Kentucky Derby Day (which sometimes, like most recently in 2018, falls on Cinco de Mayo). With possibly the exception of Cinco de Mayo, most of these 'drinking holidays' don't have a specific liquor in mind, but, for Derby Day, only bourbon will do. So, with only a couple of days remaining, and a whole shelf of bourbon whiskeys staring you in the face at your local liquor joint, how do you know which one is for you? Well, let me be your guide on what is and what is not important on a bourbon whiskey label.

Age Statement- one of the most important elements of the bottle. The age statement tells you how long the bourbon distillate was in its barrel. One of the mistakes novice drinkers make is that they think that whiskey ages in the bottle like wine. Sorry, nope! Bourbon only 'ages' in its barrel. That's where it picks up the characteristic flavors of newly-charred virgin American oak- you know, the sweet ones you love in the whiskey- like toffee, caramel, vanilla, and chocolate. Now the age statement cannot alone tell you everything about the whiskey's flavor, but you can bet most bourbon that as aged four or more years are going to be more complex and sweeter than their younger moonshine-y counterparts. If the bourbon is a blend, the age statement denotes the youngest whiskey in the mix- some can be older, but none can be younger.

Straight- the term 'straight' matters. If a bourbon is straight, it needs to be aged for at least two years and nothing can be added to the whiskey except water to reach the desired proof. What it means in practice is that you don't have any artificial color or favors added to the bourbon.

Bonded or Bottled in Bond- Like 'straight,' there is a legal requirement for a bourbon to be bottled in bond. This bourbon must be made by one distiller at one distillery in one distillation season. It needs to be aged for a minimum four years and must be bottled at 50 percent alcohol or 100-proof.

Proof- most Lounge Lizards know that the proof of a bourbon is a measure of the amount of alcohol in the whiskey. Proof is double the percentage of alcohol by volume. A typical bourbon is bottled at 80 proof or 40% alcohol.

Barrel Strength or Barrel Proof- Legally, the bourbon that is poured into a bottle cannot be 2 proof less than it was when it was aging in its barrel. That makes this whiskey strong, oftentimes between 104-138 proof. Good for cocktails and spring water; too hot for most palates neat.

Distilled and Bottled By- The only phrase that denotes that the bourbon was distilled and produced by the distillery on the label and ONLY that distillery. If it is labelled with 'Selected by' or 'Bottled by' or 'Produced by' or any other such vague statement, you have no idea where you bourbon has been sourced from. The beverage mass producer Diageo is infamous for having secret sources for their Bulleit bourbon (and other liquors under their label), which has drawn the ire of many drinkers nationwide, including the boys that make Bittercube, who turned one whiskey tasting that the Lounge Lizards attended into a huge Diageo hatefest.

Single Barrel- This is a bourbon that has been aged in one and only one barrel. It has not been blended with other whiskeys to make a more uniform flavor.

Small Batch- This is bourbon from a selection of barrels that the distiller has deemed superior. There is no legal limit on how small a 'small batch' has to be. So it's basically a gimmick for you to pay more.

Limited Edition- Like 'small batch,' an expression of a particular bourbon that is limited at the distiller/producer's whim. Doesn't mean it's good or bad, just that they are claiming that they will only produce it for a limited amount of time.

Handcrafted- Meaningless. All bourbon is handcrafted by someone.

Family Reserve or Special Reserve- Fancy-sounding, but as meaningless as 'handcrafted.'

There you have it, so take this guide into the store with you on your phone and buy some of the best bourbon America has to offer. Then go to our mint julep post from the past and pour yourself one for Derby Day. Cheers!

Vanilla Mezcal Crema

One of the oldest and most infamous bottles in the Firewater Lounge is a 375 ml bottle of cheap Gusano Rojo (Red Worm) mezcal that actually had a worm in it at one time (eaten at Winterfest IX in 2002). Marish picked it up for us years ago and, although it is one of the first mezcals to be exported from Mexico, it's arguably one of the worst. That's not a slight to Marish- we asked him to get it because it had a worm in it, not knowing in our youth that good mezcals don't have worms in them.

The other thing about that bottle of Gusano Rojo is that it colored our idea of what great mezcal can be- smoky, elegant, and mysterious- as interesting as single-malt scotch or limestone spring water bourbon. Thankfully, in our old age (approaching 50!), we now know the truth about mezcal. It's really great.

The mezcal we're currently drinking is Del Maguey, made from the Espadin agave straight from Oaxaca. Del Maguey is making 'single-village' expressions from small Oaxacan hamlets that each have their own mezcal-distilling traditions. The mainstay for Del Maguey is Vida from the village of San Luis Del Rio and its tongue-blanketing sibling Crema de Mezcal.

As a fun project, we took the Crema and infused vanilla into it. Given that grade A vanilla is pricey right now, feel free to capitalize on some good grade B (cooking) beans. Here's our method.

Vanilla Mezcal Crema

12 vanilla beans, uncut, 5-7 inches
1 750 ml bottle of Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal

In a clean quart Mason jar, insert the vanilla beans. Pour in the mezcal; the spirit should reach just short of the jar's neck. Bend the beans so that they will stay under the surface of the mezcal; it may help to use two forks since the beans like to float. Lid the jar. Agitate the jar every week. Allow the vanilla to infuse for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy neat, with oranges, or in a cocktail.

Pittsburgh, Part 3

 After a night out on the town of Pittsburgh, it was time to head back to our hotel, the Omni William Penn Hotel. But that didn't mean the drinking was over! You see, we booked the William Penn for its downstairs bar, Speakeasy. Like the name implies, Speakeasy is a throwback to the Prohibition 1920s with its dark, cozy corners and classic cocktails mixed with local spirits.

Cindy started with a Michael Collins, a potent mixture of Jameson 12 year, Antique Decanter Pittsburgh Seltzer, and House Lemon-Maple-Birch Bark Sour with a Luxardo maraschino cherry on top. I went with a Peak Scotch, which is likely the only cocktail from Speakeasy that would be easy to pour at home with a suggested recipe below-

Drink: Speak Scotch
Establishment: Speakeasy
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
First Connoisseur: Holly

1 part blended scotch (Speakeasy uses Chivas)
2 parts Pimm's
Orange oil

In an iced rocks glass, combine the scotch and Pimm's. Stir gingerly to lower the temperature and add a bit of melt water to the drink. Peel a swath of fresh orange peel. Express orange oil into the drink by squeezing the swath over the drink. Rub the swath's peel on the rim of the glass. Sink the swath completely into the liquid once it has completely expressed its oil.

For our nightcaps, we decided on Old Fashioneds. Speakeasy uses local spirits in their Old Fashioneds from Wigle Whiskey Distillery which is literally just across the Allegheny from Penn Brewery. Cindy ordered a Bourbon Old Fashioned which coontained Wigle William Penn Bourbon, orange bitters, and a rock candy swizzle stick. I elected their Gin Old Fashioned, a bright combo of Wigle Genever, muddled lime, maple foam, and lime zest.

The running total of my drinks in Pittsburgh-

-A Penn Pilsner
-A Penn Sour Stout
-A Japanese Garden
-A Manhattan Noir
-A Speak Scotch
-A Gin Old Fashioned

Pittsburgh, Part 2

COVID wasn't kind to hotels and their classy wine bars. Masks and social distancing is not conducive to the mingling of old men with money and middle-aged women that we saw chatting each other up at the Fairmont's wine and jazz abode named Andy's in pre-COVID times. The Fairmont, a Four Diamond, 185-room hotel in Pittsburg's downtown cultural district, shares a contemporary art and industry design theme with its downstairs bar. Although the Fairmont has reopened, Andy's has remained closed since COVID struck; it claims, though, like Douglas MacArthur, that is shall return!

When we visited, Andy's was awash in the sounds of piano jazz and the murmurs of the crowd in its expansive glass and industrial walled space. The cocktails smacked of over-the-top swank. We won't recreated them for you, because the Lounge Lizards cannot abide the pretension or time required for these pinky-in-the-air draughts. Cindy selected one of Andy's 'simplest' cocktails, a Smoked Caipirinha which consisted of cachaca, lime, and smoked cilantro syrup. I ordered up a Japanese Garden, an overwrought combination of dill-infused Tanqueray Ten, cucumber-infused sake, maraschino, and fresh-squeezed lime. And while the cocktails were good, we decided to move on to a different atmosphere.

We walked a couple of blocks closer to the confluence of the three rivers to Market Square and wandered into the champagne bar Perlé (now the Metropolitan Club), a wannabe club/wedding venue that was crazily schizophrenic enough to have $500 bottles of classy champagne but also served the cheaper stuff on tap!

Cindy and I scored seats on the back sofa and ordered our champagne concoctions- the classic Bellini for her (peach puree and champagne) and a Manhattan Noir for me- a combo of Dickel, cherry juice and champagne. The Noir is not complicated and gives you that excuse to buy that bottle of Dickel you know you wanted. Here's the recipe-

Drink: Manhattan Noir
Establishment: Perlé
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
First Connoisseur: Holly

1/2 ounce Dickel 12
1/2 ounce chilled cherry juice
Champagne

Prior to making the drink, chill your Dickel in the freezer and your Champagne and cherry juice in the fridge. In a large Champagne flute, add the Dickel and cherry juice. Top with Champagne.

Pittsburgh, Part 1

If you asked us for a surprising American city that's a great location to drink, we wouldn't think twice before offering up Pittsburgh. For the Wisconsinite Lounge Lizard, Pittsburgh's vibe isn't (spiritually) far from the comfortable confines of Milwaukee, quintessentially a Midwestern suds-drinkers paradise, replete with German beer halls and their patrons spilling out to river overlooks.

One of these halls that you should not miss when you stop in Pittsburgh is Penn Brewery. Nestled on the plateau of the Troy Hill neighborhood in North Pittsburgh, the red-bricked Penn Brewery presents a dramatic view over the Allegheny River to the Steel City's downtown. Inside, German fare abounds, from wurst to schnitzel to the ubiquitous pierogi, while the beer styles are dominated by brews adhering to the strict quality standards of the 16th century Bavarian Reinheitsgebot purity laws.

We didn't hesitate to order a round of pierogi and our first two beers, a Penn Pilsner for me and a Penn Gold for Cindy. The Pilsner is the brewery's flagship beer, an amber-colored draught with a bready nose and a toasty toffee finish. The Penn Gold is their easy-drinking pale lager which filled the crowded tables of nearby pub crawlers.

After devouring our meals, we decided to grab two more brews- I elected for a Sour Stout and Cindy (of course) went straight to dessert with the Penn Chocolate Meltdown. The Sour Stout was as sour as advertised. The Meltdown is a milk stout married with the confections of Pittsburg's own 1938 chocolatier Betsy Ann. The Meltdown was as sweet as the Sour was sour; both beers were a one-time tipple.

Although Pittsburgh rivals Milwaukee for their brews, we ventured out to see what downtown Pittsburgh had to offer by way of cocktails. We will tell you what we found in the next post...

New Year, New Cocktail Bars

Our last two Christmas posts were sad, I admit, but with the advances in the science surrounding COVID, it's look better than ever that we are rounding the corner of this pandemic. And while it is good to remember the great cocktail clubs we have lost, we have to look forward to those that are on the horizon.

I was just surprised that we found one so soon. Late this fall, we happened upon the startup bookstore/cafe/bar near the UW-Madison Campus named Leopold's. Sharing an entry with a Rocky Rococo's on Regent Street, the quaint and cozy Leopold's opens up to shelves of texts for sale from around the world. Past the books, the back opens up to a marble-topped custom bar with a large espresso maker at its center. A trio of friendly barkeeps tended to the clientele with a variety of cocktails, wine, tea, and coffee.

The first drink I ordered was a modern classic made famous by Madison barman-turned-NY-mixologist-author Jim Meehan known as a Newark (which was on Leopold's menu) and Cindy grabbed one of her favorites, a expresso martini. Both drinks were well-balanced and granished smartly. Our coffee night caps were just as good. I ordered a Cappuccino Con L'Arancia, an orange and ginger warmer with Grand Marnier; Cindy preferred the Cappuccino Brancha Mocha, a minty dark chocolate tipple spiked with Fernet Branca Menta.

Here's to hoping Leopold's and other new cocktail clubs can start a second cocktail movement in the 2020s. In the meantime, let's show you how to pour Meehan's Newark, Leopold's-style.

Newark

2 ounces Laird's apple brandy
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce Fernet Branca
1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
Dash Angostura bitters

Combine all the ingredients into an iced mixing glass. Stir and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a dried apple slice.