Inspired by a visit to see Tony Conigliaro at the unnamed bar at 69 Colebrooke Row in London last fall, where Manhattans are aged in glass vessels to sublime and subtle effect, the barrel aged cocktails I’ve been serving at Clyde Common this year are a decidedly American curiosity.
The rub of aging cocktails in a glass bottle is that the whole premise is built upon subtlety, as we know that spirits aged in glass or steel do so at an unremarkable pace. Being from the United States, where – as everyone is aware – bigger equals better, I pondered the following question: what if you could prepare a large batch of a single, spirit-driven cocktail and age it in a used oak barrel?
A hundred some-odd dollars in liquor later, I was nervously pouring a gallon of pre-batched rye Manhattans into a small, used oak cask whose previous contents were a gallon Madeira wine. I plugged the barrel and sat back in anxious anticipation; if the experiment was a success I’d have a delicious cocktail to share at the bar – if it was a failure then I’d be pouring the restaurant’s money down the floor drain.
Over the next several weeks I popped open the barrel to test my little concoction until I stumbled upon the magic mark at five-to-six weeks. And there it was, lying beautifully on the the finish: a soft blend of oak, wine, caramel and char. That first batch sold out in a matter of days and I was left with a compelling need to push the process even further.
Now, three gallons of Negroni might not be practical for the home enthusiast, but the average bar or restaurant should be able to afford that sort of quantity quite easily. For those of you trying this at home, try searching the internet for one-gallon charred oak casks (stay away from the fancy lacquered kind meant for display in dens and 1980s wine bars) and be sure to let us know what you find in the comments section below.
We procured a small number of used whiskey casks from the Tuthilltown distillery and proceeded to fill them with a large batch of Negronis; and that’s when the magic of barrel aged cocktails grabbed our attention. After six weeks in the bourbon barrel, our Negroni emerged a rare beauty. The sweet vermouth so slightly oxidized, the color paler and rosier than the original, the mid-palate softly mingled with whiskey, the finish long and lingering with oak tannins. We knew we were on to something unique and immediately made plans to take the cask aging program to the next level.
Negronis are now prepared in five-gallon batches and poured into multiple bourbon barrels. Robert Hess’ ubiquitous Trident cocktail is currently resting inside single-malt barrels. The El Presidente (à laMatt Robold), Deshlers, Remember the Maines, they’re all receiving the oaked treatment in a little storage room in the basement of the restaurant that I refer to as my “office”.
Once the cocktail is aged long enough for my taste, I then drain the bottle, straining out any charred bits of wood, and bottle the contents for use by my bartenders. To order, the cocktail is then measured out and poured over ice in a mixing glass, stirred, strained into a cocktail glass, and then garnished with the appropriate garnish. It’s quick and simple, as all of the real work has already been done by the barrel.
Anyway, on to the recipes. As simple as it seems to do, I figured not everyone is going to want to do the math to get started on some of these recipes, so here are a few I’ve figured out:
Negroni
Makes Three Gallons
128 oz (approximately five 750ml bottles) dry gin
128 oz sweet vermouth
128 oz Campari
Stir ingredients together (without ice) and pour into a three-gallon oak barrel. Let rest for five to seven weeks and pour into glass bottles until ready to serve.
Manhattan
Makes Three Gallons
256 oz (approximately ten 750ml bottles) rye whiskey
128 oz (approximately five 750ml bottles) sweet vermouth
7 oz Angostura bitters
Stir ingredients together (without ice) and pour into a three-gallon oak barrel (I prefer a barrel that has previously stored sherry, Madeira, or port wine). Let rest for five to seven weeks and pour into glass bottles until ready to serve.
Trident
Makes Three Gallons
128 oz (approximately five 750ml bottles) aquavit
128 oz dry sherry
128 oz Cynar
7 oz peach bitters
Stir ingredients together (without ice) and pour into a three-gallon oak barrel (I prefer a used single malt barrel). Let rest for five to seven weeks and pour into glass bottles until ready to serve.
Feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below.
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About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the head bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. Mixing drinks has become something of a passion for me in recent years, and I strive to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
I love to cook, but sometimes after a long weekend it can feel like work to me. After a begrudged visit to the grocery store last night, I came home with a beautiful head of butter lettuce, some Oregon gorgonzola cheese, locally-grown Evonuk hazelnuts and two Tombo tuna steaks. I knew what would put a smile back on my face: a nice dinner and a glass of absinthe.
Tonight’s Menu:
Pan-Seared Tombo Tuna with Wasabi Cream
Butterleaf Salad with Oregonzola Dressing and Roasted Hazelnuts
Lucid Absinthe in the Traditional Preparation
Absinthe has a nice way of pairing well with a wide variety of foods. It has enough acidity to cut through the fats in my dressing, yet it provides a nice, clean palate on which to balance a piece of tuna crusted in black peppercorns. All this magic in one glass, yet in order to make absinthe truly sing, you need to pay attention to preparation.
Properly-prepared absinthe is cold, a little sweet, and bitter enough to stand up to some hearty flavors. It is never consumed straight, and there is never a burning cube of molten sugar involved. So I set about filling a small pitcher with ice water, and let it rest to ensure it was nice and cold. Next I poured an ounce of absinthe into a glass, and capped the mouth of the glass with a slotted spoon upon which rested a single cube of sugar.
Patience is key here, but I knew that the payoff would be worth my time as I slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y, dripped ice cold water over the sugar cube and into the waiting shot of absinthe. The liquid gradually formed an opalescent louche (the milkiness that is the hallmark of proper absinthe) and once the glass was half-full I knew I was ready.
Gorgonzola Dressing
If you’ve never made a veined-cheese salad dressing from scratch before, you’ll be amazed at how little effort it takes.
¼ cup buttermilk ¼ cup sour cream ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 1 tsp black pepper pinch salt
Whisk ingredients together until combined and dressing is smooth.
The tanginess of the vinegar and Gorgonzola flirted with sweetness of the drink, and the cold from the ice water tamed the heat rising from the black peppercorn crust. Wormwood’s bitterness teased the wasabi into revealing its sweeter side, and the lush savory aromas of fennel mingled with the roasted hazelnuts for a flavor that lingered well after it was gone.
I’ve tried pairing absinthe with everything from rare hamburgers to grilled pizzettas with caramelized onions and smoked trout, and I’m constantly amazed at how well it works with the curve-balls I throw at it. What foods have you tried with absinthe? Fresh country-style pork ribs, anyone?
Photos and text by Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Thanks for reading.
Comments
20 Responses to “Food Pairings: Dinner and Absinthe”
27 May 2008 at 10:22 am 1. Lance J. Mayhew
Thanks for making me hungry this morning. We’re going to have to get together and cook sometime soon.
Have you tried St. George Absinthe, from St. George spirits in Alameda, California? I prefer it to Lucid as it has more powerful herbal notes and is a bit less sweet.
27 May 2008 at 11:30 am 3. Nick
Beautiful pictures, and delicious sounding menu, too! One thing to be aware of; tombo (aka albacore) tuna typically contains very high levels of methylmercury. You can google around for varieties of fish, including other tuna species, that are healthier to eat.
Also here’s a bit of trivia for you..the Louche was apparently designed into the drink – this was to prevent your servants from drinking your absinthe and then adding water to get the level back up.
28 May 2008 at 11:22 am 10. ND
Hokay, I live in a land where restaurants cook fish for 15–25 minutes on average. Please could you walk us through the steps to get those tuna steaks so beautifully pink inside?
I second Erksine’s request! Beautiful photos. Next time you’re in Portland, come visit at MASU East. I ordered in Lucid last week. Now I just need a louche.
Aimee, sweetie, I really hate to see you fall in with the wrong crowd, that Erskine character is trouble with a capital “T”. Trust me ;)
However, I will say that the simple difference between absinthe and the commercial product named Absente is the absence of grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), which is one of the primary flavoring agents in absinthe.
Absente uses southern wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum), which may yield a similar flavor, but it’s just not the same.
Oh, and for ND, it’s simple. Use a very hot pan with a tiny bit of oil, sear for about a minute and a half on each side, and call it quits.
Hey Jeffrey – this pairing opened my eyes! I never thought about pairing absinthe (or any other anisseed based liquors), as the flavors are so overwhelming! I’ll definitely give it another try as soon as I find a bottle of decent Absithe in Dubai!
The spelling of absinthe is a point which is really confusing: Absenta is Spanish for absinthe, absinth is normally the spelling of Czech products and absenthe is of my knowledge just the brand name of a commercial product which is not really absinthe…
Cheers!
02 Jun 2008 at 7:49 am 14. ND
Pretty cool! I usually like my steaks so rare, as we say over here, that a good vet would be able to bring them back from the other side, so this tuna will probably go down real well (although the missus is a bit squeamish—guess I’ll have to blindfold her…).
I remember reading one of your articles about a guy who just drank Lemon Drops the whole night, and you commented on people not understanding the aperitif/digestif value of drinks. Which drinks do you recommend for this kind of purpose please?
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27 May 2008 at 10:22 am 1. Lance J. Mayhew
Thanks for making me hungry this morning. We’re going to have to get together and cook sometime soon.
27 May 2008 at 11:06 am 2. Sku
Have you tried St. George Absinthe, from St. George spirits in Alameda, California? I prefer it to Lucid as it has more powerful herbal notes and is a bit less sweet.
27 May 2008 at 11:30 am 3. Nick
Beautiful pictures, and delicious sounding menu, too! One thing to be aware of; tombo (aka albacore) tuna typically contains very high levels of methylmercury. You can google around for varieties of fish, including other tuna species, that are healthier to eat.
I’m going to try the Gorgonzola dressing tonight!
27 May 2008 at 12:01 pm 4. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Thanks, guys!
Sku, I haven’t had the opportunity to try the St. George yet, as it hasn’t arrived in Oregon.
Nick, thanks for that. I know it’s not the best thing in the world for me, but does it ever taste so good…
27 May 2008 at 12:29 pm 5. erik_flannestad
Looks great, Jeff. Nice creative use of depth of field in the photos. I am now officially ravenous.
Is the wasabi cream dairy or mayonnaise based?
27 May 2008 at 12:42 pm 6. Mark Morgenthaler
That wouldn’t be a Canon EOS camera you using by any chance?
27 May 2008 at 8:01 pm 7. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Erik – The wasabi cream is just creme fraiche with a little wasabi paste added. It’s a snap!
And yes, Dad, that would be a Canon camera I’m using. Someone had to learn how to use it!
28 May 2008 at 5:33 am 8. Kevin Erskine
Jeffrey, could you please clear up the difference between Absinthe & Absenthe/Absente?
I’m tired of people telling me how they tried Absenthe and I have to burst their bubble that they haven’t really tried Absinthe.
28 May 2008 at 5:37 am 9. Kevin Erskine
Also here’s a bit of trivia for you..the Louche was apparently designed into the drink – this was to prevent your servants from drinking your absinthe and then adding water to get the level back up.
28 May 2008 at 11:22 am 10. ND
Hokay, I live in a land where restaurants cook fish for 15–25 minutes on average. Please could you walk us through the steps to get those tuna steaks so beautifully pink inside?
29 May 2008 at 8:21 am 11. Aimee Scarlett
I second Erksine’s request! Beautiful photos. Next time you’re in Portland, come visit at MASU East. I ordered in Lucid last week. Now I just need a louche.
29 May 2008 at 1:47 pm 12. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Aimee, sweetie, I really hate to see you fall in with the wrong crowd, that Erskine character is trouble with a capital “T”. Trust me ;)
However, I will say that the simple difference between absinthe and the commercial product named Absente is the absence of grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), which is one of the primary flavoring agents in absinthe.
Absente uses southern wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum), which may yield a similar flavor, but it’s just not the same.
Oh, and for ND, it’s simple. Use a very hot pan with a tiny bit of oil, sear for about a minute and a half on each side, and call it quits.
Hope this helps, everyone.
02 Jun 2008 at 7:39 am 13. Dominik MJ - opinionated alchemist
Hey Jeffrey – this pairing opened my eyes! I never thought about pairing absinthe (or any other anisseed based liquors), as the flavors are so overwhelming! I’ll definitely give it another try as soon as I find a bottle of decent Absithe in Dubai!
The spelling of absinthe is a point which is really confusing: Absenta is Spanish for absinthe, absinth is normally the spelling of Czech products and absenthe is of my knowledge just the brand name of a commercial product which is not really absinthe…
Cheers!
02 Jun 2008 at 7:49 am 14. ND
Pretty cool! I usually like my steaks so rare, as we say over here, that a good vet would be able to bring them back from the other side, so this tuna will probably go down real well (although the missus is a bit squeamish—guess I’ll have to blindfold her…).
I remember reading one of your articles about a guy who just drank Lemon Drops the whole night, and you commented on people not understanding the aperitif/digestif value of drinks. Which drinks do you recommend for this kind of purpose please?
03 Jun 2008 at 10:21 am 15. Alan
Good post you prick.
23 Jun 2008 at 6:45 am 16. Alan Moss
Hi Jeffrey,
I agree that absinthe has a lot of potential with food, especially with fish dishes where the fennel content of some absinthes works really well.
09 Jul 2008 at 7:03 am 17. Mata
Yummy! Going to try that gorgonzola dressing soon! Wish you’d cook for me!
14 Jul 2008 at 8:27 am 18. Dw
I made this (minus the absinthe). It was really good! Thanks for posting.
15 Feb 2009 at 10:27 pm 19. Absinthe
I am very happy that I found your blog. Keep up the good work.
02 Jul 2009 at 2:18 pm 20. DrewCrew
What about with a dessert course, I was thinking:
a Mochi Rice Cake or Roasted Pinapple, what are your thoughts….