I know that I probably don’t have much credibility when it comes to denying fratboy inclinations after I posted about the Wall-of-Flame challenge. After this weekend I may have an even harder time making the argument. But please, allow me to explain...

This weekend we had a tailgate party for the (shitty) Texas-Arkansas State game. I do not know jack about football, I couldn’t even tell you the names of all the positions or for that matter of any of the guys that play them. Except for the quarterback, because everybody knows the quarterback (especially if he’s, like, omg SO cute.) However, the Longhorns put forth a crappy enough effort that I even I was disappointed.

One of these tailgate parties is not like the others...

What I was not disappointed in, however, was the quality of our tailgate party. I had had a vision the night before of doing a local, mostly organic, free-range tailgate party as opposed to the standard processed food and cheap beer tailgate party that many of our peers were throwing this afternoon. So on Saturday morning at the farmer’s market I gathered fresh tomatoes, several pounds of grass-fed free range Thunderheart Bison, a pound of grass-fed lamb, some organic mushrooms and onions, some farmstead cheddar and Colby cheese, and some locally-baked Challah (Holla!) Hamburger buns, as a nod to the Sabbath which we were obviously not observing.

Joe cutting the cheese, the Full Quiver Farm cheese, that is

Back at home we got to work prepping the veggies and forming the patties. Joe loaded up a cooler full of locally brewed Fireman's 4 from Real Ale. Then I proceeded to make a refreshing batch of punch to put our party-goers in the right spirit. I juiced a watermelon and a cantaloupe by cutting out the meat and pushing it through a china cap. I added a few cups of Flor de Cana light and Mt. Gay Eclipse rum and about half a cup of Maraschino liqueur. Squeezed a few limes and lemons, gave her a good shake, and proceeded to the tailgating location. I wish I had measured this delightful potion so as to aid in reproduction, but alas we were in a hurry and did not have time for such luxury. The batch yielded about 1.5 gallons.

A refreshing mature libation, with nutritional and recreational value alike!

With Dave on the grill, Joe on the prep line, and me pouring the beverages, we made an awesome tailgate. We served up bison burgers and lamb burgers using almost entirely local ingredients from the farmer's market. Besides the Whore Foods lettuce (our local lettuce growers are temporarily closed while they rid their hydroponic system of some kind of pest), the only thing that came from outside of this area was the rum I used in the punch. (And one girl brought some Miller Lite, but I cannot be held responsible for the fact that some people are just not turned on by Quality!

Look at these happy, healthy line cooks! THAT's the local organic difference!

A couple of nights ago Joe made a classic Tom Collins and then started trying a few variations. It ocurred to us that it would be fun to make our own contribution to the Collins chapter of the cocktail canon. The challenge is that the Collins is in a crowded field. Besides Tom, there is also John (bourbon or geneva gin, depending on whom you ask), Juan (tequila), and Pierre (Cognac). When Joe made a Collins with grapefruit juice instead of lemon, we thought we had it--Joan Collins. Unfortunately we found out that a Joan Collins has already been created as a Brandy interpretation of the original.
We also decided we should stick with the spirit-simple-lemon format, and last night I believe we came up with a winner: Sean Collins. Basically a sparkling whiskey sour made with Irish Whiskey. This Collins, like all the others, is not a complex drink or a difficult one to make. But it is quite refreshing on a hot summer evening, and a welcome break from the ubiquitous margarita.

Sean Collins
1 1/2 oz Irish Whiskey
1 oz simple syrup
3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
Club soda
Cherry and Orange wheel for garnish
Shake first three ingredients and strain onto rocks in a collins glass. Top with club soda and stir. Garnish with cherry and orange "flag."

Well, it's finally here. Treaty Oak Platinum Rum has started popping up on liquor store shelves in Austin in the last week, after months of anticipation. We tasted it first at the beginning of the summer when we met Bruce Graham, one half of the Graham Barnes Distilling partnership, at a celebration hosted by Paula of Paula's Texas Orange fame. We were impressed at how supple and smooth the rum was, for being a non-aged product.
Then we waited.
Every once in a while we would hear a rumor that it was coming out, and we would rush to the liqour store, only to be disappointed that we had been misinformed. Then to cope with the ensuing depression we would make frivolous purchases.
Finally, I asked my friend Mitch Mooney of Twin Liqour to just call me and let me know when it was out; on Friday I got the call.

In honor of the arrival of Treaty Oak Rum, a nice bouquet of zinnias and some tired limes

We began mixing tonight with the Treaty Oak. The boys who created it suggested that it can be sipped straight or mixed, and at $30 for a 750 they are aiming high. Perhaps they will find that small portion of the drinking market who drink premium spirits neat or on the rocks. I for one don't spend much time sipping spirits unless it is a good whiskey or scotch, or aged tequila. With rum I like to mix, and so tonight we made a classic Papa Doble, the Hemingway Daiquiri supposedly made the way the man himself ordered it at his beloved Floridita Bar in Havana, except he liked it frozen and we made it shaken and strained into a chilled cocktail glass. The Papa Doble is like a traditional daiquiri with the addition of a bit of grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur.

This is not the usual color of a papa doble, not that you can tell the color in my crappy photo. It is yellowish because instead of simple syrup we usted Steen's 100% Pure Cane Syrup, which has a light molassesy color and flavor. We knew it would affect the flavor of the drink, and we thought it did so pleasantly. Actually I thought the drink tasted interestingly like apple cider.

Though "closing down the bar" isn't really my style ( I prefer to be already seated in a particular late-nite eatery when last call comes) I have been known to shut the place down from time-to-time. However, I can't remember the last time I did so literally. The Sunday before last, one of my favorite hangouts had a closing party. Halcyon coffee shop/bar is not actually closing permanently, they are just closing down for significant remodelling. But they were giving away the house last weekend in a fashion that I am not acustomeded to. Eric the bartender had been instructed to pour for friends and family until the bottles ran out; once something was empty a new bottle would not be opened. The owner had stashed away a few select single malts but left a rather generous selection behind the bar.

We had a beer, a few Tres Generaciones margaritas (liberally portioned in appropriate closing night generosity), and some water for good behavior. We actually had some work to do since I am their coffee supplier and had been asked to be on location to unhook all the coffee equipment once the bar closed. We had been noticing that the selection of available offerings had been diminishing, and had been thinking about what our ultimate cocktail for the evening would be.Not wanting to give the impression that we were simply schnorrers taking advantage of closing night generosity, we excercised restraint in our tippling. However we became caught up in the spirit of the evening and when Eric called "Last Call," we knew what we wanted: Hennessy VSOP Sidecars, with Grand Marnier. Eric filled a shaker with ice, poured the Cognac, then the Grand Marnier, and then looked around and seemed surprised when he said,
"oops, there's no simple syrup...well, and there's no lemon juice...here's your Sidecars!" And he gave us the Cognac & Grandma on the rocks.
And damn was it good.
We were expecting a bitchin super Sidecar, and got something we weren't even expecting.
For several days I thought about it, and finally I succumbed to the weakness and went to the liqour store last Friday to procure the ingredients. I went to Fino with friends for drinks and we were unanimously underwhelmed with our first round of $10 cocktails, so we went back to the house to mix. (I will comment more on Fino's drinks after I have had a chance to go try them at happy hour prices; they have put some creativity into the menu and I have heard good things, but the drinks we had were not memorable.) I remembered that I had these two ingredients in my car, and a memory on my palette. So we set about mixing what my friend Jenny has dubbed The Sun King, after Cognac the booze of Kings, and Grandma, with her sun-kissed flavor and image.

The Sun King
1 1/2 oz. Hennessy V.S.O.P.
3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
Stir with ice to chill. Strain over one giant rock in a cute 60's mod thrift store glass. Garnish with a flamed lemon peel (a la Dale Degroff), or twist a lemon curl over the drink to express the oil, but don't drop. Toast the Sun King with this deconstructed postmodern Sidecar.