Alaska Cocktail

This is a long and highly errant way to go to get to Alaska, but you may nonetheless feel good about the path.

When we want to experiment with spirits, the word cocktail makes us delighted. Origin of this fancy word is not clear, but there are a number of legends associated with it. the most common story is that of a widow of an American revolutionary officer in the war of American independence BETSY FLANAGAN who stole neighbour's chicken and decorated the glasses in the bar with cockstail feathers and thus it is called "coquetel". The very first book on cocktails was written by Jerry Thomsan in 1860, who invented Martinez or dry martini and tom and jerry.

I'm not sure that you can garble English much more efficiently. But at the end comes the payoff, the Alaska Cocktail, which may have a better pedigree than you might imagine:

Alaska Cocktail

45 ml. Gin

22 ml. yellow chartreuse

several dashes orange bitter

Method- Mix all ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Again, English is suspect. For clues as to how much fluid 45 and 22 ml. might be, refer to the far sturdier cocktail db for their Alaska Cocktail. (It's 1 1/2 oz and 3/4 oz.) The Alaska Cocktail is actually a very good summer drink.

Thanks to Chander for the reminder.

Umbrella season

An article from 1999 notes that the cocktail umbrella has a function: to shade a drink from the sun.

What better way to prevent the ice cubes in a poolside mai tai from melting? What better way to keep that blended chi chi refreshingly slushy? Just as a good Panama hat, which is nothing but intelligently woven straw, can make the hottest tropical day seem pleasant, the cocktail umbrella, a little bit of split bamboo and pretty Japanese-print paper, can fight off solar radiation for a time, ensuring that the icy integrity of a good mixologist's creation remains intact. And look: it actually opens and closes like a real umbrella!--a transcendental feat which places the cocktail umbrella beyond the realm of mere appropriate technology (however brilliant) and into the realm of art alongside Frank Lloyd Wright's louvered window panels.

Which may be why they've seemed so kitsch when presented indoors.

The article was noted last Friday in a good design blog.

Drinking the Derby

Colleen at Cocktails.About.Com notes the interplanetary twine of Kentucky Derby Day falling on Cinco de Mayo, which could confuse some topers, but hopefully the experienced will rise to the challenge.

Colleen writes of the Derby's staple, the Julep:

It's common knowledge that the Mint Julep is the drink of choice for watching the Kentucky Derby. The question at hand, however, is which bottle of bourbon to use. As you can see by this list on straightbourbon.com there's a lot of bottlings to choose from, which you choose to use is a matter of personal choice. Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek and Jim Beam Black Label are a few of my personal favorites for this minty drink. However, there's no need to stick with the original recipe, you can add a little extra flavor by using other spirits in conjunction with or in place of the bourbon. Go fruity with a Pomegranate-Mint Julep by using equal parts of PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur and bourbon or a Georgia Mint Julep with equal parts of peach brandy and bourbon.

Anything but Southern Comfort, in short, which is, alas, is often what they serve at the Derby itself, although this year Early Times and Woodford Reserve also have deals with the Downs. That all reminds me of a beautiful post on the subject of Derby Day Drinks at Martini Republic from a few years back; way more informative, and destined to be referenced through the ages.

(BTW, did you see that my horse Street Sense drew post position seven yesterday?)

Of Cinco de Mayo, she says:

No matter which tequila cocktails you decide to shake up for your fiesta, do yourself a favor and pass up the cheaper bottles and go with a top shelf tequila. Don Eduardo, Voodoo Tiki and Sauza Tres Generaciones have great blancos with a light agave bouquet that is perfect for your fruitier mixed drinks and gentler tequila shots. Check out the reposado tequilas of Corazon, Cabo Wabo and Casa Noble for a Tequini, Envy or other neat cocktails. Of course, if you're the straight sipping type you'll want to look for the anejos, of which I highly recommend Tezon, Patron and (the ever satisfying) Don Julio.

Here she got a little more endorsement-y; I gotta think the utterly smooth Corralejo, the rare tequila from Guanajuato, should make the list of premiums.

There's also a fight that day, I hear. You can safely drink Bud for that.