Adam and I unearthed this wonder from Imbibe!, by David Wondrich. If you’re unfamiliar with this particular tome, change that immediately. It will change your life, like that Shins song, but for real.  A little more research easily found Paul Clarke’s wonderful entry at The Cocktail Chronicles.

A quoted blend of the two recipes is below below. {editor’s note: please don’t sue us}

Our thoughts are shown inside the [ ] & the links head you over to The Boston Shaker’s site in case you’re curious what this stuff is or you’re in need of the tools to make this delectable cocktail.

From Imbibe!:

“Prescription Julep
This little piece of medical humor comes from “A Winter in the South,” a serial Harper’s Monthly ran in 1857.[…]Cognac and rye whiskey are a marriage made in heaven, the cognac mellowing the rye and the rye adding spice to the cognac.

The doctor accordingly wrote out a prescription for the case, as follows:
2 tsp. sugar and 1/2 ounce water (or, a couple of teaspoons of simple or gomme/gum, to taste)” [Paul recommended Gum syrup... and after making it this way we do too.]
“1 1/2 oz. Strong Cognac
1/2 oz. Spirits of Rye
Mint Leaves” [Paul Clarke recommends 8-10]

From The Cocktail Chronicles:

“1.      In a glass or julep cup, add sugar & water and stir to mix (or add your syrup).
2.      [Using a muddler] Very gently press your mint leaves — for the love of all that is good, boozy and holy, do NOT grind them into a paste — and withdraw them if you like, or gently nestle them in the bottom of the glass.” [Thank you Paul - ABSOLUTELY right. Smashing the mint up releases chlorophyll, which is bitter.  You just want to tap, tap, tap out the oils into the sugar mixture.]
“3. Add the cognac and whiskey, give a slight stir (again avoid that impulse to smash the sh*t out of the leaves — seriously, you’ll thank me for this), then pack the glass with fine-crushed ice.” [You can crush ice using a towel and a hammer or do what the pros do and use an ice crusher or smack the junk out of it in an ice crushing bag.]
4.      “Give a few light stirs with a bar spoon to help raise the frost, add more ice, and festoon with a fresh mint sprig, for aromatics.”
5.      [As Paul mentions, a dash of Appleton Extra rum over the top of the ice is a splendid touch.  Sip from a metal straw if you have 'em, if not - trim a standard straw to about an nice above the top of the cup so you can smell the mint as you sip.]

And back to Imbibe!:

“To quote the original Harper’s Monthly - “Repeat dose three or four times a say until cold weather. - Quackenboss, M.D.”

Armed with this back-story and a little research, we set out to make a couple of these on our own. Drinks, however, are always more fun with friends, and since The Shaker is pretty much ground zero for every cocktail geek in the city, we quickly turned out two person experiment into a five person mini-event. Joined by the charming Fredrick and Andrea of Cocktail Virgin (which everyone should be reading) and C. Eslao, Bostonist correspondent and all around great person, we embarked upon our beverage journey.

While Fred, a cocktail scientist in my estimation, measured out spirits and gently muddled some mint, the rest of us crushed the hell out of some ice (Fredrick was in on this too, the man was everywhere), trimmed some straws and generally goofed off. Suddenly, the magic moment was upon us, and Prescription Juleps were ready all around.

The verdict? Sayeth Adam: “Doesn’t suck.” I tended to agree. The natural sweetness of cognac, combined  with gum syrup, might have been overwhelming, but the mintiness of the mint and spiciness of rye saved the day. It was an excellent alternative to the traditional mint julep and a really enjoyable beverage to sip while chatting with friends, laughing and having inappropriate discussions.

Furthermore, it is exciting to know that Juleps don’t have to be limited to the standard Mint. Imbibe! lists two alternatives including this one, and countless other variants exist. With a little exploration, this classic drink style easily moves out of “reserved for the Kentucky Derby” to “we should be drinking these all the time”. I believe we’ll be drinking this version all summer.

Also, on a personal note, I like that juleps are pretty much booze snow cones. A hearty thumbs up all around.

-Out.

photo care of: C. Fernsebner
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Every month or so, Adam of The Boston Shaker and Tony of dTws will put their slightly muddled heads together to bring you a cocktail you may never have had, relevant to the time they manage to release it. With Adam’s encyclodpedic knowledge of cocktails and Tony’s blind drunk enthusiasm, this serial should manage to educate and entertain, while also getting you liquored up.

Asked why tequila, Tony replies, “because tequila gets a bad rap!” He continues, adding “tequila has the reputation of being only a mixing spirit when, at the high end it is complex, nuanced and delicate.  A tasting like the one at Redbones will give people a new appreciation for this centuries old spirit.”

Tony describes tequilas as siblings.  The youngest, blanco, is the least mature and has the most intense flavor of the blue Agave - tequila’s dominant ingredient; it is typically used in mixed drinks like the ever popular Margarita.  Reposado is the middle child, aged in wood barrels for a minimum of 2 months and perfect for sipping.  The oldest and most mature, anejo, rests in barrels for at least a year becoming dark, smooth and complex.  All three types will be served on July 20 and tasters can discover their favorites.  In addition to commenting on taste and flavor, Tony will discuss Mexican regulations covering tequila production including ingredients and manufacturing regions.

Tastings with Tony - Tequila
Date & Time:  Monday, July 20, 5 - 7 pm.  Tasting starts at 5:30 pm.
Blanco: Herraduro, Milagro
Reposado: Cazadores, Chamucos, Lunazul, Milagro
Anejo: Cazadores, Milagro

At Redbones, spirits tastings complement the bar offerings. In the case of tequila, there are nine margaritas on the drinks list, including a special dubbed Celt’s Go Green, and six shot selections.  “Our Tastings with Tony allow patrons to broaden their beverage knowledge by focusing on one spirit,”   says GM, Nick Gregory,  “and, based on attendance at the bourbon tasting, this is a supremely popular idea!”

Information at www.redbones.com and 617.628.2200.

The Negroni is a rare event: a sequel that is greater than the original.  The Negroni was derived from the Americano in the early 1900s in Florence, Italy. As the story is told, Count Camillo Negroni, a member of the Florentine aristocracy, was a fan of the Americano, but needed something with a little more kick.  His wise bartender tossed out the one non-alcoholic ingredient of the Americano and added gin. In that moment, the Count had a new favorite cocktail, and a modern classic was born.  The Negroni, obviously named for the Count,  has endured from that moment on, and it can live on in your home with very little effort. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 oz. Campari
1 oz. gin
1 oz. sweet vermouth

Traditionally, this cocktail is shaken with ice, poured into an ice filled old fashioned glass and garnished with an orange twist. The more modern and American style has it poured into a chilled cocktail glass, but retains the orange garnish.  Either way, this is the sort of drink you can while away any number of warm afternoons with.  I myself am going to acquire a hammock and see if Lupec wants to spend some quality time relaxing in the sun and sipping this icy classic.

-Out.

Somewhere in the realm on two decades ago, a youth named Jörg Rupf, hailing from a long line of Black Forest distillers,  arrived in the Bay Area of California.  Loving the area, he quickly began distilling eaux de vie and showing Americans exactly how it could be done.  Sourcing his fruit from up and down the West Coast, Mr. Rupf is able to ensure he is always getting the highest quality ingredients year after year. With a line of products that include vodka, whiskey and a few liqueurs in addition to the eaux de vies, St. George Spirits is one of the best American distilleries out there.  Their framboise liqueur is no exception to their standard of excellence.

This liqueur pours a bit viscous, and a particularly dark red.  The nose is crazy with raspberries and maybe just a hint of grape.  All it takes is one sip to see what’s going on here.  It’s essentially an explosion of raspberry juice in your mouth.  Sweet, but not sticky, and dry, but not bone dry.  The finish is long and smooth, with no alcohol burn to speak of, even though this particular bottle is a respectable 40 proof.

It goes without saying that if you’re eating chocolate and want to pair a liqueur, this is the way to go.  I would also advise pouring it over ice cream, waffles or anything else that generally has a syrup added to it.  You may also wish to add this spirit to your list of seduction materials, because pouring this  on any date is going to increase your chance of closing the deal significantly. Aqua Perfecta is a playful drink for serious drinkers my friends.  Don’t miss out on it.

-Out.

The Zombie, according to legend, was created in the late 1930’s, by one Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gannt, known in popular culture as “Donn Beach”.  The story goes that he put one of these together for a friend of his before he took of for San Francisco. The friend proceeded to pound three of them, and, upon his return, stated he felt like a zombie his entire trip.  And a star is born.

The zombie really hit it’s stride during the days of the American Tiki craze.  Several variants of the original cocktail appeared, as Donn Beach was terribly secretive about his cocktail creations.  After the death of Tiki in popular culture, one of the only ways to find this drink was to guzzle as many as you could get your hands on during Mardi Gras.  These days it’s a little easier, especially if you live in our neck of the woods.  Eastern Standard is known to have the Zombie on it’s menu, with a strict limit of two per customer.  Take a look at the ingredient list and you’ll see why.

2 oz dark rum
2 oz light rum
1 oz 151 (or any over-proof rum)
1 oz triple sec
1 teaspoon Pernod
1 oz lime juice
1 oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz guava nectar
1 tablespoon Grenadine
1 tablespoon Orgeat (almond) syrup

You can serve this one of two ways, depending on how you like your drinks.  The first method involves tossing all the ingredients into a blender with a bunch of cracked ice and blending until smooth.  Pour your slurry into a Collins glass and garnish with a pineapple spear and a cherry and you’re ready to get rocked.

If you’re not into blender drinks, simply substitute a shaker for the blender and leave out the 151.  Give the concoction a good shake and pour that into a glass.  Float the 151 on top and garnish.  The cool part is that if you’re up to it, you can always light the 151 on fire and serve it that way.  I’m more of a blender guy, but Lupec loves it when I mix up some flaming drinks, and with the ladies I aim to please.

You can find any number of alternate ways to mix this up online, so go nuts. Seriously though, this is going to get you smashed, so be careful.  If you’re not careful though, send me an email with your horror story.  I would love to hear them.

-Out.

Whitley Neill is a relatively young gin, having only first hit the scene in 2 double aught 4.  Inspired by the botanicals of South Africa (you may have read my review of Amarula Cream, also South African in origin), it is a traditional London Dry.  London Drys, instead of being what are essentially juniper flavored vodkas, are distilled using various botanicals for aroma and flavor. Whitley Neill adds the essential oils from nine separate botanicals to their copper pot still during the distillation process to give the product it’s unique flavor. I had thought the list would be difficult to unearth, but a little searching led me to the following list: baobab fruit, cape gooseberries, juniper berries, coriander seeds, lemon peel, orange peel, angelica root, cassia bark and orris root powder. These various ingredients are drawn from the world over to produce what we’re drinking today.

Whitley Neill presents a lot of juniper and citrus in the nose, not presenting a lot of alcohol. The flavor profile follows suit, with an even more pronounced citrus taste with a generous taste of juniper in the back end.  The finish is smooth, with no real alcohol burn to speak of.  Speaking from experience, I will tell you that Whitley Neill makes a serious gin and tonic. I personally believe that this could be the next big gin, following in the foot steps of Hendricks’s. You know what, I’m calling it now.  You heard it here first.  Whitley Neill is going to be huge.  Buy it and try it.  You’ll see.

-Out.

Soyer Au Champagne, for you non-French readers out there, means “Silk With Champagne”.  That’s really about all I was able to find out in regards to it’s history.  So, in lieu of an exciting back story or even a personal anecdote, I’ll just have to leave you with the recipe and let you create your own fabulous tale.

1/4 teaspoon cognac
1/4 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
1/4 teaspoon triple sec
2 heaping tablespoons vanilla ice cream
Champagne (Jeff suggests the Henriot)

What you’re going to want to do to start is chill down a wine glass.  Once you’ve got that done, mix all the hard stuff with the ice cream, and then fill it up with champagne.  The amount of champagne is variable depending on how large a wine glass you use.  The ones I rock at home turn a bottle of wine into a three glass enterprise, as opposed to a five.  Anyway, give your cocktail a gentle stir, top if off with a maraschino cherry and enjoy.  Have some company on a steamy July evening and wow them with this.  People will think you’re a genius, especially if you pour enough drinks down their throats. Personally, I’m going to buy Lupec one of these instead of an ice cream cone next time we go out.

-Out.

From DrinkBoston: “Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis Square, Somerville, has fairly recently expanded the “spirits” part of its name with hard-to-find bourbons, liqueurs, rums, etc. It also has the best combination website/blog of any liquor store in greater Boston. And they have regular tastings.”

If you don’t know this site, you really should, especially if you have any interest whatsoever in the wide and wonderful world of… well, drinking (and if you don’t have any interest in that world, you should probably ask yourself a couple questions re: why you’re hanging around our site). Founded, written, maintained and all that by Lauren Clark (check out her impressive resume), DrinkBoston contains all manner of 411 on the whole spectrum of booze, ranging from booze to booze accessories to booze events. Plus, she’s compiled lists of the area’s best bars and - this part might be the coolest bit - best bartenders. It’s about time somebody gave that fantastic class of people a little bit of love.

Seriously, check ‘em out.

dJp

oh, also: Scroll on down and dig on my response to Lauren’s guilty pleasure article

I guess we’ll go 2nd then (or, 47th really, since there’s a whole bunch of comments on the article by now).

Tony and I used to have these theme days, wherein we’d get down with a bunch of drinks revolving around (can you guess?) a particular theme. Our favorite theme? “Girly drinks,” after which we decided that the phrase “girly drinks,” aside from being wildly sexist, is unfair and inaccurate to both women and booze. It takes the most masculine of men to order a Cosmo in a crowded bar. And y’know, frankly, some of our favorite cocktails are fruity and funny colors. That’s just how we go about things. In point of fact, Tony just read over this post so far and told me, “My favorite cocktail color is bright blue.” Then he thought for a second. “Or bourbon-brown.” Sounds about right.

So, anyway… I refuse to talk about guilty pleasures. The cocktails we used to drink? Used to and still do… and I’m damn proud of it. Say it with me now…

But wait! there’s more! Lauren goes on to shout-out her pre-Sapph. days, AKA the days when she wanted to booze but not actually taste booze, AKA the dairy cocktail days, AKA the White Russian and Mudslide days. She calls them boozey milkshakes, which we can dig; another of our themes was, in fact, boozey milkshakes. Real milkshakes. If you’re ever looking for a cocktail for the summer afternoons, get at Tony for our Faretti milkshake recipe, Faretti being an Italian biscotti liqueur. Yeah, biscotti, as in, the cookie.

Just don’t overdo ‘em - we had stomachaches for days.

dJp

oh, also: I just got my own stupid little pun up in the post heading.

In the early 1870’s a pair of brothers set sail from Spain to Cuba to establish a rum distillery.  Utilizing a closely guarded recipe in combination with the Solera system of blending, Benjamin and Eduardo Camp partnered with Evaristo Álvarez to create the Matusalem brand in 1872.  They derived the name from the Spanish proverb ” Esto es mas viejo que Matusalem”, which translates to “It’s older than Methuselah.”

Over the next nintey years, the Matusalem brand grew as Cuban rum gained popularity throughout the world.  However, in the early 1960’s, after the family was forced to flee Cuba, the brand began to fragment and stagnate. It wasn’t until the mid 90’s, after a furious legal battle, that the current head of the family, Dr. Claudio Álvarez Salazar, was able to begin re-establishing Matusalem as both a quality spirit and worldwide brand.  Today, from the Dominican, using the old Cuban recipe, they are once again putting out fantastic rum.

After all that rambling, I will talk about the Matusalem 15 year Gran Reserva.

Matusalem 15 is aged in French oak casks and blended using the Spanish Solera system.  It pours a lovely honey color, with notes of molasses, vanilla and caramel in the nose.  The taste is incredibly mellow, bringing more of the vanilla and caramel to the table, with nearly no burn on the backend.  A perfect sipping rum, Matusalem also makes the best Dark & Stormy you will ever taste.  This is one of the best examples of a high end rum I have ever encountered, easily being in the head of the pack of the sipping rum world. As rum continues to garner respect in the spirits community, Matusalem will almost certainly be at the forefront of the movement.

-Out.