We wrapped up our Summer Series with a brief survey of Brunch Cocktails, a completely un-opinionated selection made by yours truly. The list of drinks that I would have done if left to my own devices could have gone on for days--you will see no Death in the Afternoon, for example, though that seems like a lovely way to wash down some corned beef hash.
We started off with the St Germain Cocktail—The signature cocktail of St. Germain liqueur, created in 2006 by Simon Difford, or at least that's what I read on the internets. This is one of my favorite simple champagne cocktails and I love to show it off when discussing "brunch" drinks because it is so much better than Her Tiredness, the Mimosa. I hate her ass almost as much as I love the St. G. And especially since they started producing the St G carafe, which spells out how to make the cocktail, so anybody can do it. I rounded up a carafe for each of the participants in tonight's class and sent them out into the world to spread the good word.
Irish Coffee—one of the most misunderstood drinks in the book, that I have already elaborated on here, so I will only touch briefly on it. This is a cocktail that is fabulous when made properly, and a truckstop trick nightmare when done improperly, which is how I feel it is most often done. Hot coffee, rich simple syrup, Irish whiskey, and thickened heavy cream. That's all it gets--no Bailey's, no Creme de Menthe, and no Readi Whip.
Ramos Gin Fizz--created in New Orleans in the 1880's and was popular until Prohibition...and never seen on a menu these days because nobody wants to shake that sh!t as long as you have to shake it to make it right. Some colleagues of mine have reportedly devised a plan to help alleviate this: they add a dollar to the price for every subsequent order for the drink after the first one on any given shift. For example, the first Ramos is $10. The 5th one is $16, and so on. I don't know if this is rumor or fact but I sure do like it
Bloody Mary—the history of this drink is debatable and frankly I have never been a huge fan of it. Two things that are important to me when discussing this drink: 1) when the drink was first brought to the US in the early decades of the twentieth century, it was made as a gin drink called the Red Snapper due to the unavailability of vodka in the US at the time--can you imagine such a glorious era when a vodka shortage led to gin drinking? 2) As with all cocktails, the commercial mixes available at the grocery store are not the way to go. Make or buy tomato juice and season it yourself.
Brandy Milk Punch—this is a famous cocktail in New Orleans, where they make it with whole milk, brandy or cognac, and a little sugar, sometimes a little vanilla and/or nutmeg. We decided to replicate the Green Pastures version, because it is basically a boozy milkshake and who wouldn’t want one of those?
What we did not make tonight: The Mimosa, may she rest in peace
