- Mixology: January 2008 -

Jamie Boudreau, over at Spirits and Cocktails, recently posted his experiments with the Waldorf, specifically testing the new-to-market absinthe, Taboo. His review of Taboo was interesting, but I was more interested in a cocktail that uses a full ounce of absinthe!

For those who don't know, absinthe is quickly regaining use amongst mixologists, and is even legally back on the market in many countries, including the US. The only absinthe legend that remains true is that it's a quality and complex spirit. It's a bulldog, though -- easily the most strongly-flavored spirit on anyone's shelf -- and is usually only used in dashes. Even in dashes, it tends to dominate a cocktail over ounces of other spirits. To see an ounce listed in a cocktail is akin to seeing "pour yourself a shot of absinthe and cancel your appointments for the evening."

Much to my surprise, this cocktail manages the absinthe better than expected. I've never tried Taboo, so perhaps, with it, Jamie's proportions are balanced. To my taste, the absinthe is still too dominant. I decided to try different proportions, and was pleased with the result.

Waldorf

• 1½ oz Bourbon
• ½ oz Absinthe
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into cocktail glass.

This is a bit more balanced while maintaining a strong absinthe focus. Even so, with a less powerful bourbon than Stagg, which I used, I might consider tapering off even more on the absinthe. This might also be due to the strong, traditional absinthe I use, Jade 1901. A lighter absinthe might well work better with Jamie's proportions, I don't know. I do know this is the perfect cocktail for someone who loves absinthe.

Ted Haigh's novelty-sized book, Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, is required reading for any mixologist. Although many of its cocktails aren't quite forgotten to the hobbyist, his writeups are informative and his tweaks to the recipes are balanced. I've mixed about half the cocktails, so far, and have found none so exciting as the Twentieth Century. This cocktail balances its far-disparate flavors almost by magic.

Twentieth Century

• 1½ oz Gin
• ¾ oz Lillet Blanc
• ¾ oz Creme de Cacao (white)
• ¾ oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with lemon twist.

This cocktail was invented and named back when the twentieth century was something to boast about. Actually, it was named after that marvel of engineering, the Twentieth Century Limited. Ted Haigh says this cocktail tastes like Art Deco. I agree. My favorite cocktails are time machines to the past. This cocktail is a steam-powered time machine with gentle curves.

The creme de cacoa is what interested me, upon first reading the recipe. I can count the number of good cocktails using cacoa on one hand. I can count the number of great cocktails using cacoa on one finger: this cocktail. The chocolate is just a subtle afterthought. It tastes like opening your grandmother's spice cupboard and getting a whiff of her baking chocolate amongst the other smells.

On that note, I mixed my latest Twentieth Century using Aviation gin. Aviation is a quality gin, but its flavor profile is difficult to mix with. Its coriander and cardamom notes are almost overpowering in many cocktails, including gin's signature Martini. Aviation works beautifully in this cocktail, however. My only regret is having to use Hiram Walker creme de cacoa. It's deuced hard to find good creme-style mixers, in the US. Please let me know if you have any tips.

Another year, another Lunar Policy. Except this time it was two years. This one, however, is inspired not just by the desire to fiddle with a new web design, but by a seemingly-enduring new hobby of mine: mixology. The problem with past Lunar Policies was their subject matter: me, personally. I'd usually rather type that stuff up to amuse a friend in an email than post it depersonalized. For that reason, while there will be some, you won't see a lot of personal posts on this Lunar Policy. You'll see mixology.

What's mixology? Mixology is the art and history of the culinary cocktail. You see, cocktails used to be an artform on par with the culinary. These days, they're junkfood-inspired, one-dimensional, and sickly-sweet. They're candy for adults who never matured. A sophisticated adult prefers a cocktail with a subtle, often difficult, but always balanced flavor profile. These are what mixologists pursue through the rediscovery and application of past techniques. To do so, they must collect or concoct many old and uncommon spirits, liqueurs, and bitters. The hobby, then, is a pleasant mixture of research, collection, experimentation, and, of course, the enjoyment of a well-mixed cocktail. Cheers!