Nick, Author at First Pour Cocktails

Mezcal Vago Elote

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Nick

Cinco de Mayo is almost upon us, and while everyone around you might be screaming for tequila, we want to remind you of the oft forgotten Mezcal. Mezcal Vago prides itself on its process. In the case of Mezcal Vago Elote, it’s made by Aquilino Garcia, the father-in-law of Mezcal Vago’s co-founder. He produces his own Mezcal in small batches from mature, ripe agaves (in this case Espadin), that are roasted, crushed under a tohana (big stone wheel pulled by a donkey), and then fermented in pine vats before being distilled. The process is honestly fascinating, and they’ve done an amazing job of demonstrating it on their website (which I encourage you to look at if just to see the donkey pulling the tohana).

With all the work that goes into making Mezcal Vago Elote, the price is understandable. Is it worth it though?

Mezcal Vago Elote

Sight: Clear.

Smell: Honeycomb, jalapenos, and fresh cut flowers waft out of the nose. Hints of herbs, smoke, and citrus run down the edges. Touches of tropical fruits join in giving a levity. There’s also a woodsy sort of perfume. as well.

Sip: The start is light, bright, and with a slight salinity. The elements of green peppers and honeycomb combine with smoke and perfume like notes. There’s not really any sweetness, but the body has a thick weight. There’s quite a bit of citrus and pepper here.

Savor: The ending is perfumed, laced with citrus, smoke, and herbal notes. There’s a touch of bitterness here that lingers.

Mezcal Vago Elote is much less smoke forward, and much more perfumed. There’s some beautiful floral and woodsy flavors that mix heavily with citrus and green herbs. The overall profile is really complex, and is enjoyable to not only sip on it’s own, but strong enough to stand up to other flavors.

In Cocktails

In our Rising Sun testing cocktail, Mezcal Vago Elote is the star of the show. The citrus, honeyed notes, and smoke all come to the forefront balancing beautifully against the richness of the maraschino spice and brightness of the lime. The grapefruit gives a punchiness and the entire experience rounds out with touches of herbs. The balance is actually perhaps better than our run with Bozal Ensamble thanks to a reduced penchant for smoke, but both end up being very good.

Rising Sun Cocktail — Toro Bravo’s Rising Sun

Mezcal Vago Elote Overall

At almost $50 a bottle, once could argue that Mezcal Vago Elote is expensive. However, considering the smoothness, the complexity, and overall sippable nature of this agave based spirit, it’s right in line with some of our top priced tequilas – like Casamigos and Siete Leguas. Unlike the tequilas, there aren’t as many down range mezcal offerings that will make as balanced a cocktail. For that reason, we recommend Mezcal Vago Elote if you’re looking for a reasonably priced mezcal that offers great value and a genuine handcrafted personality.

First Pour Cocktails’ 2021 Blanco Tequila Rankings for Cinco De Mayo

Posted on April 27, 2021April 27, 2021 by Nick

We haven’t spent as much time with tequila as we should, and it’s time for us to remedy that. So we took all our tequilas and decided to test them side by side for our 2021 Blanco Tequila Rankings for Cinco De Mayo. We put them through their paces, testing them on their own for sipping and in Margaritas. All of our Tequilas are blancos (sometimes refered to as Plata), and their price points range from $25 to $50, and most of these tequilas are widely available (depending on your state’s liquor controls).

The Tequilas

Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila
Casamigo Blanco Tequila
Gran Centenario Plata Tequila
Siete Leguas Blanco Tequila

Before We Start – Don’t Buy The Other Stuff! (Mixto / Non 100% Agave)

Prior to our round up, there was exactly one tequila on our site, a mixto. If you wanted to have a last place finisher on our round up, it’s that one.

Mixto tequilas are made up of a minimum of 51% blue agave by law. That sadly means that up to 49% of the bottle can be something else. Additives, neutral spirits, etc. The resulting products lack the depth, smoothness, and depth of flavor that exists from their 100% agave relatives. While it makes a serviceable cocktail, it’s not going to give you the special depth you’ll find with the rest of our list.

If you buy a bottle of a great tequila, you can still find other uses for your mixto. We’ve been slowly using up ours in margarita cheesecake bites and making peppers and onions for tacos.

2021 Blanco Tequila Rankings for Cinco De Mayo

4. Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila

Coming in at 4th place is Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila. Despite it’s ranking, this is a great tequila for the price and our go to bottle for cocktails. While Olmeca’s isn’t quite nice enough to sip on it’s own, it does great at standing up to citrus and liqueurs. This balance allows it to convey it’s tequila characteristics to a drink without getting lost.

Tasting Notes:

Sight: Clear

Smell: Roasted pepper – with salinity. Hints of hay and lime pith. Heavy on the lime – touches of minerality.

Sip: Smooth body, mildly flavor, agave hangs out as a base. Layers of lime and earthiness come forward.

Savor: The finish is short lived, but gives a smooth agave character with a hint of vanilla and black pepper

Olmeca is smooth if perhaps a little underpowered. In a margarita, Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila gives off its earthiness, agave notes, and green layers evenly against the brightness of the lime and the sweetness of the orange. The result is a balanced and tasty margarita that meets the ideal expectations, but doesn’t highlight the tequila or add anything extraordinary.

Price: $25

Website: https://us.altostequila.com/our-tequilas/

3. Gran Centenario Plata Tequila

Gran Centenario Plata Tequila just edges out Olmecas Platas, but there’s not a lot of daylight between these Tequila. The process is somewhat different than the other tequilas on our list. Blended in oak, there’s a subtle imparting of oak character not typically found in blanco tequilas. The resulting tequila is nicely balanced, a little edgier and certainly tinted with a hint of oak.

Sight: Slightly tinted yellow, but ever so lightly.

Smell: Salinity and fruity caramel play out. Agave hides in the background with spices and lime zest.

Sip: The body is a little coarse feeling, with a bit of edginess. A darker sort of woody character leans into salted agave. There are aggressive notes of minerality, hints of ferrous, and char.

Savor: The ending is a bit more burnt wood and agave.

Although Gran Centenario Plata isn’t the most appealing tequila to sip, it does well in cocktails. Peppery and more floral in character, it brings touches of spice and minerality. There’s a hint of bitterness, and the lime stands out more prominently than orange notes. The overall experience is a little less smooth, but makes up for it by showcasing the tequila in an enjoyable way.

Price: $29

Website: https://grancentenario.com/our-tequilas/

2. Casamigos Blanco Tequila

George Clooney’s Tequila pulls up in the ‘if you’re not first, you’re last’ position on our rankings. Casamigos Blanco Tequila loses out on the top spot not for being short of delicious, but just because of how un-tequila like it is. The heavy notes of non-tropical flavors and vanilla give this tequila a character unlike many others.

Made of blue agave aged 7-9 years, their pinas are roasted for 72 hours before a longer than usual 80 hour ferment. Casamigos also claims propriety yeast blend and rests the tequila for two months.

Sight: Clear.

Smell: Smells like George Clooney’s musk (don’t ask how we know – we know a guy). Just kidding, there’s a little bit of a nuttiness, leaning into walnut /almond. There are touches of vanilla, citrus, and other fruits layered behind a moderate lime and agave note. The nose is layered and shifts slightly.

Sip: The flavor starts off – shallow – then builds into coconut and black forest cherry with agave mixed with lime and a hint of burnt vanilla sugar and cedar. The body is smooth and thinner than might be expected.

Savor: The finish is kirsch cherry and vanilla with hints of agave, citrus, and black pepper.

In a margarita, Casamigos Blanco Tequila is beautifully balanced with a natural salinity. The vanilla and fruit flavors noted in the tasting notes come forward, working harmoniously with the Cointreau’s orange and fresh lime juice. The finish is somehow almost caramel like. As margaritas go, Casamigos produces one that’s head and shoulders about the others on our list – if not the most traditional.

Price: $47

Website: https://www.casamigos.com/en-us/our-tequilas/blanco/

1. Siete Leguas Blanco

It took us seven years to find a bottle of Siete Leguas Blanco. This is ironic given the name of the product translates to seven leagues. This is commonly known as the name of General Villas horse, which according Siete Leguas’ website, would fearlessly traverse the distance. Further compounding the difficulties of locating a bottle of this tequila is the change of importer. While the box claims it’s Sazerac Company, they list no mention of Siete Leguas on their site. There’s also no English version of their site readily available.

Difficulty in finding this tequila aside, the actual tequila itself is wonderful. The nose is perfumed with spices and smooth agave notes. On the palate it dances gracefully, with touches of floral and nutty notes mixed with agave. Sipping it is quite nice, if a little spicy.

Sight: Clear

Smell: Pure vanilla extract and strong soaked cherrywood come to the forefront with hints of spice, honey, and pecan wood.

Sip: The body is moderate. It shifts gradually to a nutty and floral laced body with touches of agave. It runs slightly hot, and brings in a good about of spice and wood.

Savor: The ending lingers on the woody side, bringing in touches of cigar box and vanilla.

In a margarita Siete Leguas worked gorgeously. Cinnamon and spice leap off the page with hints of candied oranges. Touches of herbs and bell peppers gradually emerge. The end result is slightly sweeter than expected, but extraordinarily fragrant and spicy. The end result is an exceptional margarita where Siete Leguas really shines.

Price: $50

Website: https://tequilasieteleguas.com/

The Tequilas Overall and the Margarita

To be clear, even the lowest ranking tequila on our 2021 Blanco Tequila Rankings for Cinco De Mayo is good in our opinion. In fact, we happen to recommend you keep any of them on your shelf as your go to tequila as part of our recommended bottles for beginning a home bar. While there is a definite connection between price and quality here, don’t let that dissuade you from trying Olmecas or Centenario. Both offer a lot of value for the price, and are delicious in cocktails without doubling the price per cocktail.

Final Ranking:

Siete Leguas Blanco Tequila ($50)
Casamigos Blanco Tequila ($47)
Gran Centenario Plata Tequila ($29)
Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila ($25)

Don’t forget to make a margarita – click on the picture for our recipes, and have a great Cinco de Mayo!

The Classics: The Derby

Posted on April 22, 2021April 23, 2021 by Nick

The Derby is not a particularly well known cocktail, and comes from a time period where cocktails were named after champions in the horse races. The affinity of the sport and cocktails continues to the day with the prominence of the Mint Julep. If you want to reach back, and give something a little more historical a try this Derby Day, why not bet on a long shot and try The Derby?

The Derby

1 oz

Bourbon

½ oz

Sweet Vermouth

½ oz

Orange Curacao

¾ oz

Lime Juice

Mint Leaf

Combine all ingredients except mint leaf in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a mint leaf.

The Derby is a dry, yet well balanced prohibition style cocktail that highlights a diverse selection of ingredients having something of a free style jazz session. The first sip highlights the brightness from the lime and vermouth before giving way into the sweeter notes of spice and orange. The bourbon notes come in toward tail end to crank the spice just a little higher, while adding a slightly tannic finish. Overall, the drink is really well composed if a little intense.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Derby is one of the most standardized obscure cocktails I’ve run across. The general consensus follows the exact proportions we used here. The only variation I’ve seen was in the use of Grand Marnier in place of orange curacao. This could work with some of the darker profiles, but isn’t the standard recipe.

Bourbon – Any standard bourbon will work here, but you might steer away from wheated bourbons. A spicier note helps here. We used Wild Turkey 101.
Lime Juice – Use fresh squeezed as always.
Orange Curacao – Our gold standard here is Cointreau, and what we recommend.
Sweet Vermouth – Our go to is Carpano Antica, the spice notes in it will compliment well. Lighter vermouths may be over powered by the lime.
Garnish – The mint leaf should be fresh, and adds a nice freshness to the nose. Slap it before placing it in the cocktail.
Glassware – I recommend a chilled coupe here.

Wild Turkey 101

Posted on April 19, 2021April 18, 2021 by Nick

Finding good bourbon can be such a chore. If you’re seeking a rare bottle, you could be doing anything from paying 5-10x market price or chasing trucks to deliveries. While many of these bourbons are incredible, you don’t need a 10 year old bottle of Pappy to make a great drink. In fact, one of the best cocktail / sipping bourbons is probably sitting on you liquor store shelf waiting for you to take it home – since even before the taters went nuts. The one, the only, Wild Turkey 101.

Wild Turkey 101

Sight: Primarily russet in color, but leaning into tawny.

Smell: Notes of brown sugar, toasted oak, and spice waft out of the glass. Touches of vanilla and toffee mixed with nuts join in. They’re followed by touches of polished leather, a hint of heat, and a touch of cereal. The nose is well layered and rotates the notes adding complexity.

Sip: There’s a prickle of heat that builds as you go, but the start is very smooth and full bodied. Elements of spice begin to build, adding in toasted oak and caramelized sugar. Hints of char and light caramel join in with a touch of tobacco. The full experience is spicy, woody, and layered.

Savor: The finish carries through notes of caramelized malt and cereal layered with peppery spices. The finish lingers well, giving a hint of oak and vanilla as it extends.

Wild Turkey 101 is well balanced, full flavored, and layered in it’s complexity. The start is smooth, toasted and caramelized without being sweet. The elements of spice, nuts, and subtle cigar box notes build as it opens up. The finish carries this though, keeping it’s smooth character and building in a toffee-oaked combination that makes it inviting.

In Cocktails

One of the tricks you can use to help bring up the flavor of a cocktail is to use a higher proof spirit. If you use too much, and you risk overwhelming the drink. Wild Turkey 101 sits in the perfect spot where you can use the full amount of Wild Turkey and not worry about the drink becoming to spiritous or losing any of the elements. In a Manhattan, it is a rock star, giving spicy and toffee like notes that compliment the fruitiness and sweet notes of the vermouth. It works just as well for crafting or in simple drinks like an Old Fashioned – lending flavor without overwhelming the other elements.

Wild Turkey 101 Overall

Wild Turkey 101 is absolutely stellar. The additional proof gives it the body to stand up beautifully in cocktails. The juice itself is well balanced, not overwhelming, smooth, and loaded with flavor. When you throw in the price point and availability, Wild Turkey is an absolute steal. For all these reasons, we’ve add Wild Turkey 101 to our list of Recommended Bottles for Starting a Home Bar.

Looking for a drink to make with Wild Turkey 101? Check out our Cocktail List for Originals and Classics.

Absolut Vodka

Posted on April 16, 2021April 6, 2021 by Nick

Few vodkas are as ubiquitous as Absolut Vodka. Launched in 1970’s, Absolut was a bit of a marketing gimmick thanks to it’s transparent bottle. While this has become more commonplace, the actual product inside still depends on the use of Swedish wheat, water, and process to make. While we know their upper end Absolut Elyx is excellent, does their base product merit attention?

Absolut Vodka

Sight: Clear.

Smell: There’s a nice touch of vanillin and grain notes that starts out, before pulling in a bit of ethanol. The nose is a little more yeasty than one might expect.

Sip: A moderate to heavy mouthfeel, it’s just short of coating in it’s character. It’s a little short of smooth as well, hinging into prickly without feeling hot. The notes of grain lead off, adding in a bit of alcohol and grain mash notes. The smallest hint of vanillin can be noticed peaking around the edges.

Savor: The end is again, mildly evaporative and prickly, leaving a slightly dried character and notes of grain on the finish.

Absolut Vodka is completely fine. Not great, not bad, just fine. That’s ok though, it doesn’t need to be exceptional on it’s own. In this price point, there aren’t a lot of vodkas that you’re going to want to sit back and enjoy neat or with an ice cube. Absolut Vodka would probably be fine that way, but it’s better in a cocktail.

In Cocktails

Absolut is priced and flavored in a way that makes us happy to utilize it our vodka cocktails. The reason has more to do with the lack of flavors and more to do with the texture. The moderate to heavy mouthfeel is useful in building drinks without adding more alcohol, and it doesn’t change the finished product. Unlike a rice or rye based vodka, there’s very little in the way of additional characteristics to interfere. The dilution and cold helps with the rougher edges, and in all but the most spiritous cocktails, it’s hard to notice. Bear in mind, it’s not bad, but we are inclined to splurge and step up the ladder for Absolut Elyx for spirit forward drinks like the Martini and Vesper where there is very little to hide behind.

Absolut Vodka Overall

We go with Absolut Vodka as our bar’s standard vodka based on the affordability, clean flavor, and the perceived mouthfeel elements. Absolut works very well in most cocktails, and is part of our recommended bottles for starting a home bar. That said, if you wanted to splurge a little, consider Absolut’s higher end offering Absolut Elyx for a smoother, more refined choice.

The Classics: Bobby Burns No.2

Posted on April 12, 2021July 25, 2022 by Nick

Although purportedly named for the Scottish poet Robert Burns, the Bobby Burns has undergone several revisions in it’s history to make that hard to see. Originally made with Benedictine and Irish Whiskey, the recipe gradually evolved, substituting the two for scotch and Drambuie. This resulting combination makes the Bobby Burns No. 2 a must try for any lover of a Manhattan.

To differentiate these two variations (as well as a purported third that included Maraschino Liqueur), we’ve labeled this variation as Bobby Burns No. 2.

Bobby Burns No. 2

2 oz

Scotch

¾ oz

Sweet Vermouth

¼ oz

Drambuie

Dash

Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a Nick & Nora Glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Bobby Burns No. 2 is clearly a Manhattan cousin, but many of the spicy oak elements are replaced with floral and nutty scotch elements as well as hints of orange and honey from the Drambuie. While the vermouth provides a similar underpinning (and works well), the scotch takes the lead here, giving a nice elegance to the drink. Fans of scotch and manhattans should give this a try, as it splits the difference in a wonderful way.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Bobby Burns No.2 is a Manhattan cousin in everyway, almost down to the proportions. Replacing 1/4 ounce of the vermouth with Drambuie gives you the formula. Having tasted both this, and the original Bobby Burns, I come down on the side of this rendition, finding the scotch base in Drambuie is more in sync with the general feel of the drink.

Scotch: You could go all out here and buy a crazy elegant single malt. In all likelihood, you’ll want to stay somewhere in the balanced blend to low end single malts for this drink. We used Glenlivet 12 here, but Chivas Regal, Dewars, or Johnnie Walker Red (Black will likely be too smoky) will all work here.
Sweet Vermouth: Spice isn’t as important here, so while Carpano Antica is what we used (and recommend), Cocchi di Torino will work here equally as well – emphasizing some of the caramelized notes.
Drambuie: I wish I could tell you there’s a substitute for this delightful liqueur, but I haven’t found it. On the consolation side of things, if you’re a big scotch fan this is a necessity for Rusty Nails and goes beautifully with many scotches.
Bitters: Angostura is the recommendation, but feel free to experiment – these will help give you a twist.
Garnish: A lemon twist is recommended, however this is a generally forgiving template. Orange will compliment the Drambuie, and if you must, slip some cherries in for funsies.
Glassware: The original glass is a Martini glass – but bollocks on that – use a Nick & Nora or Coupe and save yourself the hassle.

The Glenlivet 12

Posted on April 9, 2021April 20, 2021 by Nick

While there are a healthy number of cocktails that call for Scotch, there aren’t quite enough of them to earn Scotch a place in our best bottles for beginning a home bar list. That doesn’t mean that Scotch might not be one of the first bottles you add to that list though. Used in Rob Roys, Blood and Sands, Whisk(e)y Highballs, Pencillins, and the Bobby Burns, Scotch is very much a great next step if you find your self in love with Manhattans, bourbon, or Anejo tequilas or Mezcal. And perhaps few are known better than The Glenlivet 12.

The Glenlivet 12

The Glenlivet distillery has been operating since 1824 (only closing for World War II), and produces almost 6 million annual liters of whiskey. The distillery is owned by Pernod-Ricard. While the majority of the production become The Glenlivet, the distillery also produces the blended Chivas Regal.

Sight: A bright gold with a consistent edge.

Smell: There’s a beautiful start of gentle vanilla that is slowly joined by various fruity elements. The fruits are diverse, with notes of apple, kumquat, pineapple, dried mango, and more. A subtle flaky pastry or cookie like note hangs around as well.

Sip: The body is smooth and rich, and maintains its character without bringing in significant heat. The palate opens up into notes of vanilla, stone fruit, pineapple, with touches of heather, toasted hazelnuts, and toasted oak.

Savor: The ending has just the slightest hint of heat, but brings a nice rich nutty character on the finish with hints of minerality.

The Glenlivet 12 has a nice, rich, round offering that demonstrates the initial complexity single malt scotch can offer without breaking the bank. The blend is by no means the deepest or most pensive, but it is easy going, welcoming, and quite tasty for the price. The flavors of tropical fruits and vanilla are well balanced, and the nuttiness on the end offers a compelling reason to sip it. Overall, there’s nothing wrong with a simple dram of this on it’s own.

In Cocktails

The Glenlivet 12 adds a smooth character and richness to cocktails. In a Bobby Burns, it wonderfully compliments both the Drambuie and sweet vermouth while adding in hints of nuttiness and floral touches. Within a highball, the nuttiness comes through, but the richness cut from the club soda tempers some of the tropical notes, giving way to more touches of oak and heather. The whiskey is the star here, but is remains subtle in its character.

Looking for a cocktail? Try it in a Bobby Burns or Bobby Burns No. 2

Bobby Burns Cocktail - Image — Bobby Burns

The Glenlivet 12 Overall

The Glenlivet 12 is a a nice, easy going, enjoyable single malt scotch that plays nice in cocktails without breaking the banking. To a certain extent, it’s very much a gateway scotch, something to open the door to what scotch can be, but not becoming the star itself. Furthermore, it’s widely known and widely available These characteristics add up to make it a great choice to use in a home bar for a cocktail, and earn it a recommendation from us.

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

Posted on April 6, 2021April 6, 2021 by Nick

Allspice or Pimento is a dried unripe berry that is the fruit of the Pimenta Dioica plant in many warm Caribbean climates. Upon arriving to the new world, and discovering this berry, the explorers concluded it was basically every spice rolled into one. As a result, the name Allspice kind of stuck. Given the area’s thriving rum industry, its unsurprising that eventually it was turned into a rum liqueur. While it was initially a viable product commercially and used in many classic cocktails, it eventually died off in the 80s before being revived by those exploring classic cocktails. Among the renditions available is St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram.

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

Sight: A deeply caramelized woody brown with a lighter orange hue around the edges. Moderate opacity.

Smell: For lack of a better descriptor, the nose starts with complex heady notes of allspice. There is a certain amount of caramelized sugar and rum ester, but these are dominated by the smell of allspice. Complete with the gamut of clove, cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg notes.

Sip: The sip is sweet and thick to start, the flavors of all-spice begin to creep in quickly, leading with the more clove like notes before breaking into cinnamon and nutmeg. These add a very mild component of bitterness. Touches of peppercorns and caramelized sugar join in, as well as a general anesthetizing sensation.

Savor: The ending maintains the clove, cinnamon, allspice character, but adds a subtle numbing and fruity character.

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram is delightfully laced with spice and character plus some gentle rum notes. What it nails in spades is the flavor of Allspice, which is loaded into the bottle. While the overall final liqueur is too powerful to enjoy straight, but perfectly balanced for cocktails.

In Cocktails:

Thanks to the strong flavor of baking spices, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram is a very versatile ingredient when used in small quantities. It finds a home in a number of Tiki classics (including some of the classics like Montego Bay, Rum Barrel, and Three Dots & a Dash) as well as their contemporary inspirations. We’ve also found it works fantastically adding fall flavors to darker liquors include bourbon and applejack cocktails. Bear in mind, even a bar spoon of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram is extremely pungent, so don’t expect to go through a bottle quickly.

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram Overall

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram is one of a few choices on the market for Pimento Dram / Allspice Liqueur. However, they cut no corners in making a solid product that really emphasizes the allspice berry. The fact that it blends so seamlessly into cocktails is an added bonus. While a bottle is in the mid $20 range, you can expect to use it slowly. For anyone expanding into Tiki Cocktails, this is a soon rather than later add to your bar.

The Pussy Willow

Posted on April 3, 2021April 2, 2021 by Nick

Part of the tradition of Dyngus Day is for boys to throw water on girls and spank them with pussy willows. The tradition dates back almost a thousand years (as best historians can tell), and the pussy willow ended up being used in place of the palm, which was not obtainable in Poland. These would instead be blessed by priests, and used in this post lent celebration as sacred charms – thought to do everything from prevent lightning strikes to bringing good health and fortune.. To celebrate these lovely catkins, and the tradition of Dyngus Day, we thought it only apt to name our drink The Pussy Willow.

The Pussy Willow

1 oz

Krupnik

2 oz

Orange Juice

5 oz

Prosecco

Chill ingredients prior to building. In flute, pour the Krupnik and orange juice. Top with 5 oz of Club Soda. No garnish.

The Pussy Willow has a beautiful orange nose with touches of honey and cinnamon. A taste gives a pop of beautiful brightness from the fresh orange, quickly followed by notes of baked strudel covered in honey. The sweetness is balanced and the bubbles give a nice palate refreshing character. Thanks to the low A.B.V. it also won’t put you out of commission before you enjoy too many pierogis!

Drink Notes & Recommendations

We made two versions of the Pussy Willow, one with fresh squeezed orange juice and one with bottled. There’s no comparison. The fresh orange is beautiful, adding a fresh dimension that elevates the drink to the next level. You can smell it wafting out of the glass. By contrast, you smell honey from the bottled version. The orange is there, but it isn’t harmonious with the spices or honey, instead just showing up from time to.

In summary, tl:dr; use fresh orange juice.

Krupnik – As mentioned before, some commercially available Krupnik’s are on the market. In our recipe, we use our homemade version which can be found here.
Orange Juice – We greatly recommend fresh squeezed here. You can strain it through a conical strainer if you don’t like pulp. You could also use bottled if you have to – but expect a much more tart experience.
Club Soda – You could by super duper fancy club soda, but your regular grocery store generic brand is going to work, but leave the drink feeling flat.
Glassware – Flutes are the preferred vessel here to mimic the long length of a pussy willow. You should not spank people with your flute.

Krupnik Fizz

Posted on April 2, 2021April 2, 2021 by Nick

Dyngus Day doesn’t have a lot of cocktails associated with, and we wanted to use Krupnik to make a special drink in celebration. When we first tasted the sweetness of Krupnik, we quickly realized that it needed an acidic counterpoint to help with the sweetness. While most cocktails will call for citrus here, it’s worth remembering that wines contain a decent amount of acidity. If you make that wine sparkling, you get the added benefit of texture. These two elements of sparkling wine make it the perfect counterbalance to the luxurious sweetness and richness of Krupnik. Put them together, and enter the Krupnik Fizz.

Krupnik Fizz

1 oz

Krupnik

5 oz

Prosecco

Chill ingredients prior to building. In flute, pour the Krupnik. Top with 5 oz of Prosecco. No garnish.

The nose is a bit like Christmas, with plenty of honey, citrus, and spice. It opens warmly and richly on the palate, with notes of honey, vanilla laden pastry, baking spices, and bright lemon. Thanks to the sweetness, the baking spices verge into brown sugar and touches of cinnamon and allspice are quite open. The richness of the Krupnik and size of the bubbles end up producing an almost creamy mouthfeel.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Krupnik Fizz is a built drink, so please make sure you chill your ingredients prior to building. By starting with the Krupnik you can ensure the Prosecco can mix well with the Krupnik (instead of having the Krupnik sink through). Be aware it will foam heavily due to the sugar when you add it. Slow down your pour and top up as it recedes.

Finally, if you find the drink too sweet, feel free to add more Prosecco or reduce the Krupnik.

Krupnik – Our recipe for Krupnik was easy to make, and could be customized to your preference. If you’re looking for alternatives, I’m aware of some commercially bottled Krupnik, but sadly I’ve never seen one in Ohio. I therefore can’t recommend a particular brand.
Prosecco – We used Kirkland’s Asti here, which retails for about $7 a bottle. You could reasonably use any Cava or Prosecco so long as they’re dry. Adding more sweetness (sometimes labeled Sec or Ice) will only make this drink cloying.
Glassware – Use a flute for the classiest presentation and the ability to concentrate the nose.

Sobieski Vodka

Posted on April 1, 2021March 31, 2021 by Nick

One of the first things I did in college, after I turned 21, was run an insanely nerdy Design of Experiment with my engineering friends tasting vodka. We went out and purchased a whole host, ranging from Svedka to Grey Goose to Zyr, and several others. After imbibing more than we should, we tallied up the numbers and analyzed our findings. The surprise, a Polish vodka called Sobieski Vodka was one of our favorite values in the group.

Sobieski Vodka

Made from 100% Rye, Sobieski is named for a Polish king, and is connected to Marie Brizard.

Sight: Clear

Smell: A bit of heat and spice leads off the nose. Touches of ethanol and like vanillin work around the edges. The nose is remarkably clean and subtle, with just the slightest hint of wet rock.

Sip: Sobieski starts of clean and smooth with hints of the spicy character of rye and touches vanillin. The flavor gradually becomes more ethanol with a touch of sweetness before reducing to a clean, if slightly hot alcohol flavor.

Savor: The ending is again, slightly boozy with just a little bitter-spicy rye component.

Sobieski is undoubtedly a rye vodka, and has the hallmark flits of spiciness around the edges. The thing about Sobieski is it’s fairly mild in it’s flavor, not being so obtrusive that you’d notice it. That is, unless you’re trying to notice it. When observed up close, there is a touch of heat and lacks of flavor that leaves it less than pleasant to enjoy on it’s own. For the price, this makes it one of our favorite choices to use for infusions and cocktails.

In Cocktails

Sobieski works delightfully in most cocktails, hiding in plain sight. It does especially well hiding in cocktails with some degree of acidity, using the light spice and clean character to blend in. The exception to this amongst cleaner flavor profiles, such as Martinis and Vespers, where it does well, but not as well as softer wheat offerings.

It also works particularly well in infusions, where I’ve used it to make fruit flavored vodkas and recently to make our Krupnik for Dyngus day.

Sobieski Vodka Overall

At $17 for a handle (1.75L) and an awful bluetooth speaker, Sobieski Vodka remains as stellar value with or without the trinkets. What it does well is provide a neutral, inoffensive, relatively smooth base to craft from. While it’s no over ice sipper, there’s nothing here to detract from other ingredients. Based on this, Sobieski is a top candidate to make our Recommended Bottles for Beginning a Home Bar list, and deserves consideration on your shelf.

Krupnik: A Polish Honey Liqueur

Posted on March 31, 2021April 4, 2021 by Nick

Every year in Cleveland, there is an annual celebration of Dyngus Day featuring a parade and plenty of polka. In addition, the traditions of crowning of Miss Dyngus, the tradition of throwing water on girls and spanking each other with pussywillows remains alive and well. The celebration is frequently accompanied by delicious Polish food and drinks. In digging into the traditions, I uncovered another traditional Polish drink, Krupnik.

Sadly, Ohio is a state controlled liquor authority, and with no readily available Krupnik for purchase, so I decided to make my own.

Krupnik

The Polish Housewife provided the basic template for this recipe, and I consulted other sources to modify it to our taste. We ended up increasing the vanilla to round out the profile and added a little more allspice to keep it lively. While we stuck with lemon, orange appears to also be acceptable. The template for Krupnik is very much a personal choice, but this is our recipe going forward for cocktails.

Ingredients:

500 g Honey
500 g Vodka
½ Vanilla Bean – Split and Scraped
5 g Cinnamon Stick (approx. 1 medium stick)
2 Allspice Berries (lightly crushed)
2 Whole Cloves
½ a Lemon of zest removed in strips with a vegetable peeler.
Over Proof Neutral Grain Spirit (optional)

Equipment:

Medium sauce pan
Spoon
Vegetable Peeler
Coffee Filter
Chinois
Funnel (Optional)

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine honey, vanilla bean, cinnamon, all spice berries, cloves, and lemon zest. Over low heat, bring the honey gently to a simmer, stirring occasional.
Simmer for 10 minutes, removing from heat if the honey begins to foam excessively. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
Remove from heat and add vodka while stirring. The vodka will steam and begin to boil off.
Allow to steep for 2 hours.
Before filtering, ensure you sanitize the bottle. Rinse with over proof neutral grain spirit. boil the bottle, or use a food grade sanitizer.
Using a chinois and coffee filter, strain the steeped liqueur into a clean bottle. Depending on the size of your filter, it may take multiple batches. A funnel will also help improve this experience.
Serve warm or cover and refrigerate.

The resulting liqueur is, unsurprisingly, incredibly sweet. That sweetness provides a richness of alluring honey, baking spices, perfumed vanilla pastry, and touches of citrus. The spicing with this mix, and slight bitterness of the lemon makes the end product decidedly tea-like. As a result, it pairs particularly well with orange.

Krupnik Liqueur Notes:

Krupnik is fairly simple to make, and you shouldn’t experience too many issues. In general, the most challenging points are heating the honey, where you should avoid heating quickly or at high heat. The other difficulty you’re like to experience is straining through the coffee filter. If the filter clogs, you can always use another to help speed up the process.

In terms of Krupnik itself, be aware – it is sweet. Very sweet. Like syrupy sweet. Despite the high sweetness, the flavors are extraordinarily well balanced. The infusion of the spices in the warmed honey produces an almost baklava like character to finished liqueur. The spice ends up being almost tea like.

You can also adjust the sweetness by switching out a portion of the honey with water. Please note that all of the cocktail specifications we use are based off this recipe.

Vodka selection is only semi important here. Pick a vodka you like, but given the amount of honey, don’t feel obligated to use the most prestigious or expensive bottle you can find. We used Sobieski for ours (which is Polish!) and found it worked excellently.

A final notes on storage. While there is no set time frame on how long Krupnik will remain good for, it’s worth noting that the amount of sugar is almost 1:1 with the alcohol. The net result would be more than 50% sugar (thanks to the evaporation of the alcohol), and have a relatively high proof (most likely somewhere in the ballpark of 15-20%). Expect the Krupnik to keep fairly well while refrigerated, but dispose of it if you see any mold or clouding develops.