Product Review- Wilks & Wilson - Purveyors of Fine Elixers

Today I am happy to talk about a product that I truly enjoy working with. Alot of time, I make my own syrups, cordials, etc, But a couple good friends of mine have a product line that I really enjoy using in my cocktails.

Wilks & Wilson( Greg Wilson and Zachary Wilks) produce hand crafted, organic, and mostly natural elixirs that were intended for use in Non alcoholic beverages, but they are delicious in some of the classic cocktails of yesteryear. Now the interesting story about how I came to meet these guys is interesting. 2 years ago while I was in New Orleans for Tales of The Cocktail, Some friends and I were throwing around the idea of creating a product. Bitters, Syrups, and even a carbonated cocktail came into play. So someone close to me said, "hey you should meet this guy down here named Greg, who has a line of syrups. Its looks pretty cool." So thru the magical power of twitter( its great when used correctly) we tracked each other down and when I found Greg Wilson, I planned on  just talking but he handed me a 6 pack of his product and his card and said please stay in touch. So after getting home and unpacking a whole suitcase full of booze(don't ask, just come to TOTC and you'll find out) I took a look at this product.. What struck me 1st was the pictures on the labels and the wide variety of flavors and distinctions between them. Needless to say I was intrigued. So fast forward to this past Tales of the Cocktail and not only did I run back into Greg, but I got to meet Zachary Wilks as well. Great guys with a Great product that I can stand behind and use when taking care of my events.


Now that you got some background, lets get to the meat of the story, the product!!!

The product list is as follows:

• Adelaide's Orgeat
• Genevieve's Grenadine
• Gertrude's Gomme
• Giovanna's Ginger Simple
• Millicent's Lime Mint Simple( My personal favorite)
• Rosabelles Raspberry Gomme
• Sir Teddy's Tonic

Every cocktail has some type of background and story to it and these elixirs also have one as well. All of them have a distinct character and a story behind them all. For a full breakdown of the characters and the stories behind them visit http://wilksandwilson.com/

Now some of the best cocktails in the country are being made with Wilks and Wilson as it is available in Chicago, Indiana, St. Louis, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Kansas City most notably.

As stated earlier my favorite cocktail to make with their product is the "DrinkxXx On Me Mojito" using the Lime Mint Simple.. So why not share it with all of you..  I debuted  it last year at a guest bartending shift I had. It has since become a staple.  A different take on the Mojito recipe..

DOMojito
Muddled mint
Muddled Pineapple
2oz Flor De Cana Rum
1oz Wilks and Wilson Lime Mint Simple
1oz Orange Juice
2 dashes Fee brothers Orange Bitters

Garnish with a mint sprig and pineapple wedge














Hope you all get an opportunity to try Wilks and Wilson soon and if you get a moment, try out the DOMojito and let me know what you think. As always any DrinkxXx that you want to try or make at home please tweet me at @MrMixologist or @DomBarService and use the hashtag #DrinkOneTeachOne

Until Next Time
Mr.Mixologist

New Cocktail-- Blood on the Leaves

The Blood and Sand cocktail was a classic cocktail created in the 1920s. It was a scotch cocktail with Cherry Heering, sweet vermouth, and Orange juice. It was aptly named after Rudolph Valentino's bullfighter movie Blood and Sand. Its one of my favorite cocktails, but I thought about doing a twist on it with Pama Liqueur. Pama Liqueur is a liqueur that consists of Pomegranate liqueur, vodka, and a touch of tequila. Its bottled at 34 proof so it can be an essential modifier in a wide array of cocktails

So I been playing around with it and I came up with this very tasty riff on the classic Blood and Sand....

Blood on the Leaves

Blood On the Leaves

1oz Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
.75oz Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel
.5oz Coochi Americano
.5oz Passion Fruit juice
.25oz Mint Syrup
2 dashes Bitter Truth Creole Bitters

Combine all Ingredients in a shaker, shake hard and strain into a chilled cocktial glass.

So next time you get yourself a bottle of Pama, try this cocktail out and let me know what you think...

Until Next Time
Mr.Mixologist

Mixing it up Monday's --- introducing the Sorel Iced Tea

I'm bringing back Mixing it up Mondays on my blog, because well, I want to.. Lol But seriously, most( if not all) weekends I am about town and mixing up cocktails at Various events. This weekend was no different but with a twist. With my new position at Sorel, I was about to get the product out to the masses at 2 separate occasions. Both events were a hit and the cocktail I created was literally sucked down by everyone in attendance, even someone who doesn't partake in spirits loved the product and the cocktail.

What is Sorel you may be asking? Sorel is a magnificent blend of Brazilian Clove,  Indonesian Cassia, Nigerian ginger, Indonesian nutmeg, and Moroccan Hibiscus. All of those exciting botanical s, Pure Cane sugar and Grain alcohol make honestly an AMAZING liqueur. This can be sipped by itself, or used as one hell of a modifier to re create many of the classic cocktails. Think spice, think islands, think GREAT TASTE.. So that brings us to today's cocktail. The Sorel Iced Tea. I was bartending an event held out on a patio yesterday. Smooth music, older crowd, laid back environment, so I thought refreshing, summertime cocktail. A blend of Bitters to accentuate the spice in the clove, and ginger, a little tea to give it a soft feel, and some fresh citrus to tickle your palette.. So here it is.....

Sorel Iced Tea

Sorel
Earl Grey Tea
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Ginger Syrup
Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. shake hard and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

1 word.... Delicious!!! Perfect sipper for a warm summer day! Be on the Lookout for many many more Sorel cocktails in the near future...


Until Next Time
Mr.Mixologist

Cocktail Thought of the Day-- National Rum Day

I pity them greatly, but I must be mum, for how could we do without Sugar and Rum"- William Cowper, English Poet 

Its Friday, Its Payday, and its NATIONAL RUM DAY!!! What a great day this is. Rum is one of my favorite spirits to drink, and also to mix with. So today's blog post is going to kill 2 birds with one stone. I am going to give you the cocktail thought of the day, with some cool Rum facts, AND leave you with a couple of my own Rum cocktails for your pleasure and to try at home.

Cocktail Thought of the Day

What is Rum?

Rum is a distilled spirit that is made from Sugar Cane byproducts, such as molasses or directly from sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. Light Rums are commonly used in cocktails, where as "golden" or "dark" rums are generally consumed individually( i.e. "neat") or in some cases used in cooking, and now with the classic cocktail coming back and being popular, now are being used more in cocktails. Ultra Premium Rums are also available and used more so for sipping. Where Rum is made has 1 major thing in common, ITS HOT!!! Every major Island group boasts its own Rum. From Barbados, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad to name a few. Brazil boasts another type of light rum called Cachaca. But we will cover Cachaca real soon in another post.


So now that leads me to my favorite part of my posts, its sharing with you some of my cocktails. Now don't get me wrong there is a myriad of rums that i enjoy, including Chairman's Reserve, Zacapa, Shellback, Bacardi, but I do have a favorite and its from the Serralles USA portfolio and Its Don Q. Don Q RUm is a Puerto Rican rum and is the #1 selling Rum in Puerto Rico. If you've been to or booked me for events, you know this is usually my go to rum of choice for cocktails, punch, etc.. So the 1st cocktail i give you for National Rum day has Don Q Cristal as the base....

1.5oz Don Q Cristal
1oz Triple Sec(Cointreau preferred)
.50z Lemon Juice
.50oz Pineapple Juice
.25oz Strawberry Puree
Garnish with a Strawberry Slice









My next cocktail is one that I was asked to do for Koloa Rum company. They are a company based out of Hawaii that produces an award winning single batch rum at their distillery near Kalaheo. I was asked to come up with something a little different from your  go to cocktails like a Daiquiri or a Dark and Stormy. So this is what I give you all,...

The Apple Fritter
1.5oz Koloa White Rum
1oz Lairds AppleJack
.50oz Spiced Simple Syrup
.50oz Fresh lime juice
2 dashes homemade Apple Bitters
Garnish with an apple slice or Cinnamon Stick



I hope you ALL enjoy National Rum Day today! I know I will.

Cheers,

Mr Mixologist

Cocktail Thought for the Day 8-8-2013

In this last year I had the opportunity to head up a new program with Courvoisier USA as one of 8 Courvoisier "Courvoisiologists" from across the nation. We we in charge of executing events, new cocktails for the brand, and education. It was a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of the iconic brand and share it with many others. It all culminated with the Courvoisier lab event here in Chicago on June 5th. Cocktails, cocktails, and more cocktails. I was the featured mixologist and had 6 of my own created cocktails being featured at the event. But with that came the responsibility to really dig deep into the brand and learn about who I was representing. So with that the cocktail thought of the day today is all about Courvoisier Cognac. Anyone who knows me knows, I enjoy a finely distilled grape spirit, namely Cognac. Its a beautiful spirit and very very unique in its taste. So here is a little history about this iconic brand...

Cocktail Thought of the Day

Background and Present day Facts about Courvoisier

The origin of Courvoisier goes all the way back to the 19th with Emmanuel Courvoisier and his associate Louis Gallois running a wine and spirit company. In 1811 Napoleon Bonaparte visited their warehouse in Bercy. The rumor is that Napoleon took several barrels of Cognac with him to St. Helena, which in turn, the ships officers began naming it, "The Cognac Of Napoleon." Courvoisier was also served at the 1889 opening of the Eiffel Tower. As far as the aging process of this fine cognac, the Vs is aged up to 8 years with the majority of it being Fins Bois grapes, the VSOP is aged up to 10 years with a little of 50% of it being Grande Champagne Grapes, and the XO Imperial being a blend of up to 40 different Cognacs. 

So now to present day. Not only does Courvoisier have just Cognac but they introduced a New Blend of Cognac and 2 liqueurs to add to the portfolio. C by Courvoisier, Courvoiser Rose', and Courvosier Gold. 

C by Courvoisier is a small batch Cognac blend selected from 50 different Wine Growers and is double barreled for a completely different type of experience. Rose' is a blend of Courvoisier and Premium red wine grapes, and Gold is truly a one of a kind blend of Courvoisier and Moscato grapes. So for the 1st time in a long time I'll leave this blog post with some of my own recipes with each expression for all of you. Feel free to try these at home, as I took a BYOB( Be your own Bartender) approach to make quality cocktails but also ones easy enough for the at home bartender.. 

The Spoken Word

C By Courvoisier

Tripe Sec

Maraschino Liqueur

Lemon juice

Angostura Bitters

Top with Club Soda

Lemon Peel Garnish

A Rose Grew from Concrete

Courvoisier Rose

Lemon Juice

Lime Juice

Blackberry Liqueur

Angostura Bitters

Top with Ginger Beer

The Golden Sangria

Couvoisier Gold

Courvoisier VS

Moscato Wine

Blood Orange Juice

Lemons

Limes

Apples

Strawberries

White Peaches

Hopefully you enjoy the cocktails, and let me know if you try them by tweeting me at @MrMixologist with the hash tag #DrinkOneTeachOne

Until Next Time

MrMixologist

Cocktail Thought of the Day 8-7-2013

On my Instagram pages I started this little thing called the cocktail thought of the day. It was a fun way for me to communicate with everyone and also give out some information about cocktails that alot of the consumers on my side of town might not have been aware of. So on a bigger scale, why not share it with my blog friends and get even more of a way to get out and help educate the general consumer that isn't in the spirit world, but still enjoys cocktails and the cocktail world. So each day I'll pose a random thought and give some insight on it. Since my mantra is Drink One Teach One why not share things with the masses.

So here we go.....

Cocktail thought of the day--

What are Cocktail Bitters?

Bitters are a variety of herbs, fruits, spices, and roots distilled in a base spirit. Bitters were a staple in the early cocktail days, and have seen a resurgence since classic cocktails have made a resurgence in the last few years. Bitters can also be used in cooking, and once upon a time, Orange bitters were favored over aromatics. Some of my favorite brands of bitters are Angostura(Iconic brand), Peychaud's, Fee Brothers, Bittermans & Bitter Truth, and of course my good friend Gary Reagan's Orange Bitters No. 6. But my absolute new favorite thing to play around with in Cocktails is Dale DeGroff's Pimento Bitters. First of all anything made by " King Cocktail" is always worth a try. But his Pimento Bitters are handcrafted by the man himself and are a blend of Allspice berries., anise, and several other herbs. These bitters enhance the taste but they dont change it so much that all you are tasting is the bitters. I put 2 dashes of these in a Daiquiri at an event a couple weeks ago, and needless to say it was a HIT!!! I suggest all bartenders try the out and give it a try as well!! So hopefully for those who didn't know about bitters, this gave you an introduction to them! Stay tuned for many more cocktail thoughts of the day each day!

Cheers


Until next time
Mr Mixologist

Mixing It Up Mondays

The second installment of Mixing it up Monday features a brand new cocktail that I created for Koloa Rum Company. I was hanging out in Binny's Beverage Depot and stumbled across a brand new Rum company to hit the shelves here in Chicago.. Bought a bottle and actually enjoyed the spirit. So a few weeks later via my twitter profile, the same company reached out to me to create a cocktail for the website. I jumped on the opportunity and here is what I came up with...

Apple Fritter
1.5oz Kaua'i White
1oz Lairds Apple Jack
.5 Spiced Simple Syrup
.5 Fresh Lime Juice
2 dashes homemade Apple Bitters
Garish with an Apple Slice or Cinnamon stick
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and the slice of an apple.

Below is the recipes for the simple syrup and the Apple bitters... Cheers and Happy Mixing. Be on the lookout for this recipe on Koloa Rum's website soon...

Until next time
Mr. Mixologist



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Spiced Simple Syrup--
Equal parts sugar to water.(I use 2 to 1 myself) Add Allspice berries, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and anise pods.. Bring mixture to a boil, until sugar is dissolved and let steep for 5 minutes. Cool and bottle. Usually lasts a week while refrigerated.

Apple Bitters
(Recipe from the book- Bitters A Spirited History of the classic cure all by Brad Thomas Parsons) 

Peels from 6 medium to large (preferably organic) apples

Zest of half a lemon, cut into strips

2 Cinnamon sticks

.5 tsp Allspice berries

.25 tsp Coriander

.5 tsp Cassia chips

.5 tsp Cinchona bark

 4 Cloves

 2 cups High-proof bourbon

1 cup Water

2 tbsp Rich simple syrup (two parts sugar, one part water)

Place the apple peels, lemon zest, cinnamon, allspice, coriander, cassia, cinchona bark and cloves in a 1-quart Mason jar or other glass container with a lid. Add the bourbon, making sure all the ingredients are covered. (Add more bourbon if needed.) Seal, and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 2 weeks, shaking once a day. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a clean 1-quart jar, squeezing the cheesecloth to release any excess liquid. Seal the jar and set aside.

Transfer the solids to a small saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Add the contents of the saucepan to another 1-quart Mason jar, seal and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight, for 1 week, shaking once a day. Strain through cheesecloth until all solids have been removed and add the liquid to the bourbon mixture. Add the rich simple syrup and shake to combine. Let stand for 3 days and strain through cheesecloth again to remove any debris. The bitters will last indefinitely, but for best flavor use within 1 year.