61.0F Forecast »

March 17, 2010

Summer Classics

Just when you thought the Mojito had taken over the world, someone remembers the backyard party, the cocktail shaker, the hi-fi. Next come the cocktails: tall, cool drinks that were all the rage in the ’50s, which hipsters like to refer to as “mid-century” these days. These classic cocktails have stood the test of time, and they just happen to be enjoying renewed interest from bar-goers.

Jacques Bezuidenhout—head mixologist for Kimpton Hotels and the inspiration behind the cocktail menu at Miami’s Area 31 at the new Epic Hotel—has seen the surge in interest in classic cocktails over the past few years.

“Some [drinks] are ordered because people are used to their simplicity,” he says, talking about a Tom Collins, “but I think anything retro is cool again. And people’s taste buds have changed. Their palates have grown up.”

It helps, adds Bezuidenhout, that a whole new batch of nicely distilled gins (and vodkas and tequilas, for that matter) has hit the market. The quality is there, the marketing is there, and people are intrigued.

Bezuidenhout has a fun—if monumental—task before him as head mixologist. He has to keep ties to the classics, to the things people always ask for, as well as forge ahead making new drinks to please the palates of today’s trendy lounge lizards. “I always do two things [in designing a menu]: I like to include a few classics because it’s important to show your customers that you can keep a historical line. I also like to add a twist to the old. I’ve done a twist on a Manhattan, sweetening it with maple syrup, a taste people are already familiar with.”

Here are five classics with Bezuidenhout’s 21st century twists on each.

Tom Collins
Serves 1

2 ounces gin
1 ounce lemon juice
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
3 ounces club soda
1 maraschino cherry
1 slice orange

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into glass filled with ice and top with club soda. Garnish with cherry and orange slice.
Modern Twist: Make a seasonal Tom Collins: Add fresh watermelon juice or fresh, muddled ginger for some spice.

Daiquiri
Serves 1

1 1/2 ounces light rum
1 ounce lime juice
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with cherry.
MODERN TWIST Always use fresh lime juice and vary your rums. Try a splash of St. Germain elderflower liqueur to give this classic a floral twist.

Old Fashioned
Serves 1

1 sugar cube
2 dashes bitters
1 slice orange
2 ounces bourbon
1 slice lemon
1 maraschino cherry

Place sugar cube in bottom of old fashioned tumbler. Soak cube with bitters. Place orange slice over all and muddle with spoon or muddler. Fill glass with ice. Pour in bourbon. Stir gently but well. Garnish with lemon slice and cherry.
Modern Twist: The old fashioned is a wonderful classic made using bourbon or rye whisky. Mix it up with some other oaky spirits like aged tequila or aged rum.

Gimlet
Serves 1

Bezuidenhout says the gimlet has a history born of necessity on British ships: Sailors had their gin rations, and they used limes to fight scurvy. Combine the two, and you’ve got a gimlet … sans scurvy.

2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Rose’s lime juice cordial
Lime slice for garnish

Pour gin and Rose’s into glass with ice. Stir well, and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime slice.
Modern Twist: Gin always adds depth to this cocktail over vodka. Experiment with different gins for varied effects.

Classic Gin Martini
Serves 1

2 ounces gin
1/3 ounce vermouth
Olives or lemon twist

Stir gin with ice. Pour vermouth into chilled martini glass and swirl around glass. Pour chilled gin into glass; garnish with olives on pick or lemon twist.
Modern Twist: Vermouth in the gin martini is making a comeback with quality brands like Noilly Pratt. Try your next martini with a higher level of vermouth-—you just may be surprised.

Munchies

Enjoy these simple snacks with cocktails, the sale encourages drinking, so beware.

Spiced Nuts
Toss 1 cup pecan halves with 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (chopped) and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Cheese Straws
Thaw 1 sheet frozen puff pastry. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Use rolling pin to press cheese into dough. Cut into strips. Twist each and place on sheet, pressing ends to sheet. Bake at 425 degrees until golden, about 12 minutes.

Savory Shortbreads
Mix 1 part cold butter and 2 parts flour. Add grated cheese, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Roll into logs, wrap in plastic and chill. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds and bake in 350-degree oven until just starting to turn gold, about 15 minutes.

 

Do you like what you read? Subscribe to Florida Table Magazine »