David and Joe with Amanda Hesser
It was a sold-out crowd for the Essential New York Times Cookbook launch event at Rainlily Farm, sponsored by Edible Austin as part of the Texas Book Festival. The book harvests recipes from the history of the Times, and has a healthy selection (40 pages) of cocktails. We had the pleasure of presenting the drinks for this event, and we chose a selection from across the history of the Times: Rum Punch, the Astoria Cocktail, and the Delft Blue cocktail, excerpted below.
The event was full of local luminaries from the food and beverage scene: Paula and Paul from Paula's Texas Spirits; Dorsey Barger and Susan Hausman from Eastside Cafe/Hausbar Farms; Rebecca Rather from Rather Sweet in Fredericksburg; Gina Burchenal from Movable Feast; Kevin Stewart from Blue Javelina in Marfa. And many many more.
Joe Pours an Astoria while Zach makes a funny face. Thanks to Bacardi for providing the Bombay Gin and Noilly Prat vermouth for this cocktail.
Astoria Cocktail (p.18)
1 ounce gin
2 ounces dry vermouth, preferably French
2 dashes orange bitters
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add all the ingredients, and stir. Strain into a martini glass or similar glass.
OCTOBER 23, 1946: “NEWS OF FOOD: CLUB AND HOTEL COCKTAIL RECIPES SHOW AMERICANS’ PREDILECTION FOR MIXED DRINKS,” BY JANE NICKERSON. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM THE WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL IN NEW YORK CITY.
—1946
Joe is wearing a hat that once belonged to my grandfather, who drank more vodka than gin. He was a Swede so I've never held this against him.
Thanks to Bols for supplying the Genever for this cocktail; and thanks to Paula's Texas Spirits for the Limoncello
Delft Blue Cocktail (p.43)
For the Syrup
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 grinds black pepper
For the Cocktails
8 ounces genever (Holland gin), chilled
2 ounces limoncello (I recommend using Paula's Texas Lemon)
Angostura bitters
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
4 lemon twists
1. To make the syrup, combine the blueberries, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the berries collapse and release their juices, about 5 minutes. Force through a sieve into a metal bowl. Place the metal bowl in a bowl of ice and water to chill the mixture. This makes enough syrup for 4 drinks.
2. For each single drink, place 2 ounces genever in a cocktail shaker and add 2 tablespoons of the blueberry syrup, 1 tablespoon limoncello, a dash of bitters, and a few drops of lemon juice. Add ice, shake, and pour into a cocktail glass—serve straight up or on the rocks, with a twist.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2008: “MALTY AND COMPLEX, THE ORIGINAL GIN IS MAKING A COMEBACK,” BY FLORENCE FABRICANT.
—2008
Thanks to Bacardi for providing the rum for this cocktail
Rum Punch (p.24)
2 ounces medium-dark rum
Juice of 1⁄2 small lime
1 teaspoon raw sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw or Demerara)
Pour the rum, lime juice, and sugar over an ice cube in a tumbler. Stir to dissolve the sugar. (Note: instead of a tumbler, we used a big ass silver punch bowl!)
