Our whiskey has been barreling for nearly one month, so we decided to taste it and toast to Valentine’s Day. The logic being that we made the whiskey so it’s like, our baby or something. This whiskey-baby thing we created together. And it’s been maturing in its wooden barrel-womb for almost a month, which makes it dangerously premature. Ok, we know this analogy is total crap. We get it. We know—total crap. Also, creepy. Also, Valentine’s was two days ago. You can probably already tell, but we’re totally on top of our shit.

Anyways, we poured ourselves a couple shots from the barrel-womb and were immediately smacked in the face by oak smell. “Smells like barrel,” I said to Christian. From its clear beginnings, the whiskey’s tanned to a less-embarrassing golden-auburn color. The initial taste was bright and oaky and the finish warm, rich, and almost nutty. The middle was…whateves. All things considered, a thrilling preview of what’s to come.

Happy Valentine’s Day, fellow Enthusiasts. We wanted to show how much we love you, so we got you the greatest gift of all: A red-hot pictorial with Sam. What says “love” better than a sexy chick in a corset—with a bottle of bourbon?

Hometown: Close enough to San Francisco to be better than your hometown…
Enthusiastic since: 2004
First drink: Four shots of a peach-flavored mystery elixir, courtesy of a bartender in Salamanca
Drinks of choice: Maker’s Manhattan and tequila, straight
Shot of choice: Whatever you’re buying
Drinks recently tried for the first time: The good? La Louisiane with Rye and Sweet Vermouth, Absinthe and Benedictine. The bad? Ouzo from the bottle in an Athenian grocery store
Hangover remedy: A spicy Bloody Mary and bacon, bacon, bacon
Bitch drink I won’t apologize for ordering: Chupacabra (Curious? Come to Tahoe and find out)
What you can’t see in the photos: That it was February in the Sierras…And I was freezing my ass off. Now that’s enthusiasm! 

Do you have what it takes to be our next Enthusiast Hottie of the Week? Send your sexiest, booziest photos to submit@thealcoholenthusiast.com and you could be the next half-naked drunk to appear on this blog.

Fashionably late to the “shit [insert demographic here] says” meme-wagon…

It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and while your humble Enthusiasts are not particularly big football fans, we are huge fans of day drinking. And the Big Game provides a good excuse for the citizens of the United States to knock a few back while the sun is still out (it is here in San Francisco, anyways…) Note: Super Bowl Sunday is also the highest DUI day of the year—so careful out there!

Sadly, our local fair-weather favorite team, the 49ers, didn’t make it all the way. So while our pageantry will be somewhat less fervent, there’s still going to be plenty of boozing. And since Christian heralds originally from Vermont, we have some vested interest in this year’s matchup—at least the decision of who to vote for (that’s the correct term, right?) was easy.

To ensure that we all have to crawl home tonight, we’ve devised a drinking game that will make even those people who only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials pay attention to what’s going down on the gridiron. So plop down on a couch next a cooler full of suds (preferably Anchor Steam), tape a bottle of whiskey to your hand, and get ready to drink.

 
Official rules for the Alcohol Enthusiast’s Super Bowl XLVI drinking game

– At the coin toss, if it’s heads take a shot of bourbon. Tails, a shot of tequila.

– Take a drink for every first down.

– Take a shot of your choice for every touchdown.

– Drink beer whenever a timeout is called. (We recommend a regionally-appropriate brand to the team who called the timeout.)

– Every time Eli Manning gets sacked, take a pull off your bottle of bourbon (or whatever hard stuff’s handy). If his jersey gets ripped, make that two pulls.

– Take a shot any time the ball is fumbled. Take a another shot if it’s a turnover.

– Every time Gronkowski catches a pass, drink.

– Take a shot whenever a flag is thrown. Saber a bottle of bubbly and down a glass or two if the flag is for “excessive celebration.”

– Take a shot of vodka at the 2 minute mark.

– If Madonna looks old, drink a glass of Chardonnay with ice cubes.

– If LMFAO removes their shirts, start shotgunning beers like a good bro. Keep ‘em coming until that single they’ve released like 5 times now under 5 different names starts to sound like music (get ready for a long night).

– When Cee Lo Green takes the stage, drink a 7 and 7.

– Should Madonna, M.I.A., or Nicki Minaj tear the head off any of the football players, stop eating so much LSD before noon and make yourself a Long Island. (And please grow some better taste in YouTube trash.)

– If Madonna feigns a half-assed lesbian make-out sesh with M.I.A. and/or Nicki Minaj, channel your inner sorority girl (dudes: you are not exempt) and do a body shot of Cuervo off the drunkest blond in the room. Make sure to “wooo-hooo” right before you puke it back up.

– If the crowd does “the wave,” take a pull off the flask you snuck in to the stadium.

– When the Golden Retriever puppy steals the football-shaped chew toy from what appears to be a Chihuahua mixed with something else, lap a bottle of red wine out of a bowl off the floor. That’s right, bitch.

– If the Patriots win, celebrate by taking a shot of Fernet chased with an Anchor Steam. If the Giants, win drink away the pain with an Anchor Steam chasing a big shot of Fernet. Next year we’ll get there, Local Sports Team!

Last night, Christian and I tried barreling for the first time.

No, not like that you pervs. That’s for our other blog.

As we discussed in our first whiskey-aging post, we finally accomplished something at Costco even more important than eating thrice our recommended daily sodium intake in samples of Tostino’s pizza rolls and bites of Aidells’s chicken apple sausage. We purchased (!!) our very own all-in-one home whiskey barreling kit, made by the Woodinville Whiskey Company, a small-batch distillery in Washington state.

Per the kit instructions, we first filled the wood barrel with hot water and left it alone to leak—and eventually expand so it would stop leaking—for several days. After this and a good hot water rinse, we were ready to funnel in the white whiskey. OMG, not that kind of funneling.

In addition to the barrel, and the white dog strong enough to withstand a good barreling, the kit also came with two tasting glasses—can you guess what we did with those? The white dog had a nice, sweet and sour aroma and on the front of the palate, a hint of corn. But in the words of Ralph Wiggum: it tasted like burning.

I’m looking forward to tasting our whiskey again after it’s spent some time chilling the fuck out in it’s barrel. Check back with us in 3-6 months. In the meantime, I’ll try to keep Christian from downing the whole thing in a wasted stupor before it’s ready.

Friend, coworker and fellow enthusiast Avery Williams published her first book The Alchemy of Forever this month. A release party and reading was held at The Tip and your humble writer was asked to mix a cocktail in honor of the occasion.

Me at work.

The book is classified Young Adult, although the content and writing work for an older fantasy audience just as well. In the book, the villain, Cyrus, has a mysterious burning elixir that when ingested, makes you immortal. The only hitch is, your soul needs to find a new body every ten years or so after the old one wears out. The consistent sacrifice of innocent hosts wears on the heart of the heroine, Seraphina, to the point where she decides she must escape Cyrus’ coven and allow herself to die.

With this premise in mind I set out to develop a drink with intense and magical qualities. Absinthe, of course, came to mind. In looking through Kate Simon’s Absinthe Cocktails, I discovered that Crème de Violette is regularly mixed with absinthe—with visually arresting results. Knowing that the anise flavor can be a little much for some people, I was drawn to the Corpse Reviver no. 2 as it only includes a few drops of the stuff (also adding a nice allusion to the pivotal plot point).

Droppers of absinthe.

Using the classic recipe for C.R. no. 2 as a base, I experimented with adding the Violette. In the end I swapped out the Cointreau, added a dash of Peychaud’s to help balance it out and drastically reduced the lemon—as it was overpowering the more delicate flavors. A few drops of absinthe floating on the top gives off a nice aroma and cuts the sweetness.

Cyrus’ Curse.

The result is a delightfully purple drink that is richly botanical, with a complex and slightly sweet flavor. An orange-red rose petal garnish provides a nice color contrast. See the full recipe here.

Special thanks to Faye and Roni for the bartending photos.

Like absinthe? Check out our interview with Absinthia.

We recently purchased the Woodinville Age Your Own Whiskey Kit. Shockingly well priced at $40 at Costco ($150 online), we would have been crazy not to purchase this product.

Woodinville Whiskey Company is a small-batch distillery out of Washington state producing bourbon (with a rye on the way), white dog, and surprisingly enough, vodka. They also offer what I believe is the first all-in-one home barreling kit. Included are a 2L chard oak barrel; two fifths of 110 proof, barreling strength bourbon mash white whiskey; a funnel and two tasting glasses. It also came with a handy little booklet that explains the whole process.

Step one: preparing the barrel
The barrel comes dry and will leak. The first thing you do is fill the barrel with hot water and let it sit for a couple days. Periodically top it off to replace what has dripped out. This causes the wood to swell, filling any tiny gaps.

Here you can see our barrel (sitting in a cooler to catch the spillage).

Very soon this little guy will be ready to fill with whiskey! Be sure to check back later this week for our tasting notes on the un-aged, 110 proof white dog.

Sazerac Bar—Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans

The Sazerac is one of the oldest cocktails still commonly consumed today. Invented around 1830 in New Orleans (where all the classics seem to have come from) by a Creole apothecary from the West Indies named Antoine Amadie Peychaud, the drink’s original recipe called for cognac, bitters, sugar and a dash of water. Incidentally, this concoction was pretty much the only cocktail recipe back in those days—something now referred to as the Old Fashioned.

Antoine’s particular approach and proprietary bitters were so popular that bars (or “Exchanges”) all over NOLA started serving it. Legend has it that a man named Sewell Taylor, owner of Merchants Exchange Coffeehouse, was serving the drink at his bar when he became the sole importer of Sazerac-du-Forge et fils Cognac. Shortly thereafter Aaron Bird took over the Merchant’s Exchange from Taylor, who had gone full-time into importing, and changed the name to Sazerac House after the liquor in their signature drink. And the first branded cocktail was born.

It wasn’t until the 1870’s that the bar ended up in the hands of Thomas Handy who changed the recipe to include rye—both in reaction to Americans’ taste for whiskey and on account of the phyloxxera outbreak in Europe (which killed off most of the Cognac grapes). At some point his bar also started rinsing the glass with Absinthe, bringing us to the modern incarnation you’ll find today:

1 sugar cube or 1/4oz simple syrup
3-4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 small dash Angostura bitters (optional)
2pts. rye whiskey (I really like Bulleit)
Absinthe rinse
Lemon twist

The ritual of making a Sazerac is time-honored and taken very seriously. In playing around with it, I’ve found that following these guidelines does make for a better-balanced drink.

Start with two Old Fashioned glasses (or one O.F. glass and a mixing glass). Cram one Old Fashioned glass with ice (and maybe a little water) to cool it down. Also, you’re going to want a thin layer of water in there for the Absinthe rinsing. Next muddle the sugar cube and the bitters (or mix with the simple syrup) in the other glass until combined. Then add the whiskey and an ice cube or two. Mix for a bit until the drink has cooled, but don’t let too much ice melt or it’ll come out thin.

Dump the ice out of your old fashioned glass and add a few drops of Absinthe (I bought a little dropper and use three solid squirts per-glass). Coat the sides of your glass with Absinthe. Strain the whiskey mixture into the glass. Cut a lemon strand and twist over the glass to get the citrus oils in there. Then rub the rind on the rim. Purists will say that the twist should not actually enter the cocktail, so consider hanging it off the side of the glass, rather than dropping it in.

Finally, sip slowly and enjoy the robust, complex flavors as the whiskey warms and delights. The drink will change slightly as it sits, so it’s nice to take your time and experience the full range it has to offer.

The Sazerac

This amazing drink seems to be experiencing a resurgence in the recent cocktail revolution. In part, I imagine, because of the re-legalization of Absinthe—although Herbsaint was long used as a substitute. I first came across it at a wonderful San Francisco bar named Mr. Lew’s Win Win Sazerac Emporium. Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds (although recent renovations have detracted from the you-have-to-be-in-the-know feel of the place.) After a number of attempts (and asking the Win Win girl how she makes hers) I think I’ve gotten the hang of the drink. Including a nifty trick of throwing the glass in the air to do the Absinthe coating.

In conclusion, you have to give this wonderful cocktail a try. I’m sure it will delight you and anyone you serve it to.

Sazerac Bar image courtesy of MookieLuv, flickr

To kick 2012 off right we’re giving you twice the sexiness: Our first ever Hottie Couple of the Week. With Zada “The Zadinator” and Matt “Harpstar” (life)guarding the pool hall, you’ll never again fear drowning after you finally sink that 8. And because they’re true Enthusiasts, you’ll never have to worry about sobering up mid-game again, either—if you can convince them to share.

Enthusiastic since: BIRTH
First drink: Him: Long Island Her: Pink Wine
Drink you recently tried for the first time: Him: Apple infused brandy Her: Portlandia (rye whiskey and fruit liqueur )
Drink of choice: Him: Vodka Soda Her: Rye & Ginger
Shot of choice: We both love Tequila! with wheels!
Favorite drinking game: Beirut
Favorite drunchies: Him: at least $50 worth of frozen food from Safeway (mostly pizza) Her: whatever he gets
Hangover remedy: BEER and Mac & cheese
Bitch drink I won’t apologize for ordering: Him: Cosmotini Her: Appletini
Drinks on the plane: Him: rum & Coke Her: Bloody Mary
Favorite writer who was drunk when he wrote: Him: Shakespeare Her: William S. Burroughs
Favorite drunk sexual position: any and all until the moisture’s gone!

Do you have what it takes to be our next Enthusiast Hottie of the Week? Send your sexiest, booziest photos to submit@thealcoholenthusiast.com and you could be the next half-naked drunk to appear on this blog.

Just as everyone who drinks has a drunk personality type, those of us who drink to excess also experience our drunk personality’s bloated and dehydrated evil sister-in-law—the hungover personality type.

In Part I we looked at The Teetotaler, The Hypochondriac, and Misery Loves Company. Here are three more:

The Strategist. Between the cases of coconut water she gets delivered to her apartment, the multiple bottles of liver- and energy-restoring vitamins and ibuprofen perpetually stocked in her medicine cabinet, the extra-large aloe juice in the fridge and the raw apple cider vinegar on the counter—it’s obvious this isn’t her first rodeo. Well, that plus she’s still standing after half a bottle of Laphraoig and five Maker’s, neat. Plus whatever she’s got in those two purse flasks. She drinks a glass of water for every 2 ounces of booze, eats carbs before she hits the hay, and whips up eggs and a banana for breakfast the next morning. At the bar she passes out packets of Emergen-C and drinkwel vitamins like an aspiring college drug dealer who wants desperately to be popular gives out Molly at a keg party. Call her in the morning when you’re dealing with the worst hangover of your life—mama knows what’s up. Then please grow a pair and deal with it like a grown-up.

The Catholic. The last thing he remembers was thinking—knowing—it was The Best Idea, Ever to call (or was it text?) someone. Someone… The ex. The boss. The grandmother. He’ll find evidence of 22 minute-plus calls and misspelled, emoticon-filled texts. His repentance takes the form of the Mass Text to Everyone From Last Night’s Party to apologize for whatever he might have said or done or thought and (with quivering voice) beg stories—oh god, did I remember to tip the bartender? Did I projectile vomit on the bar? Did I stab you with my house keys? And how the fuck did I get home, anyways? His afternoon is ordering flowers for his significant other—I’m sorry I got up in the middle of the night and peed in your lingerie drawer. And of course poor grandma, who’d never heard such “sailor’s speech” peppered in before with so many loud proclamations of familial adoration. Don’t bother inviting him to brunch, he’s too busy self-flagellating and signing up to foster blind elderly cats to contemplate food.

The Machine. After the after-party there’s the after-after party. And after the after-after party there’s the after-after-after party. And after that—there’s the Machine. This isn’t a hungover personality type as much as a continuation of the drunk personality type by the same name. And The Machine may be the only one who has all the answers—after all, it’s impossible to be hungover if you never stop drinking.

Strategist image courtesy of ex.libris, flickr.
Catholic image courtesy of Robby McKee, flickr.
Machine image courtesy of me.