The Pumpkin Pie...

Here is a nice little holiday cocktail that I came up with a while back. Its perfect for those of us that prefer to drink their dessert instead of going through the trouble of dealing with a knife and fork.

The Pumpkin Pie

2oz Cognac
.75oz lemon juice
.5oz simple syrup
.5oz egg white
Heaping spoon of pumpkin butter
3 dashes of Fee Aromatic Bitters

Directions:

Shake vigorously without ice to build up a good froth.
Add ice and shake.
Strain into a chilled coupe.
Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg.

Holiday Punch is Making a Comeback...

Here is great article in the Houston Chronicle on how the lost art of punch is making a comeback across the country. It is so great to see that people are finally catching on to the fact that a bowl of punch can be well-crafted with fresh juices and quality booze.

How to Make a Champagne Holiday Punch

This is a really fun video that I made with the folks over at Chow. Hopefully, you are not committing any of these punch sins, but if so this video will give you some pointers that should help you step up your game. 

A Fresh push for American Apple Brandy

Here is a great piece by Paul Clarke on the resurgence of apple brandy in the cocktail scene. Also, it features a cocktail that we currently have on the menu at Rickhouse. Its a play on the Brandy Milk Punch and I find it perfect for the holidays.

Scottish Breakfast
1 1/2 ounces Scotch
1/2 ounce Apple Brandy
1 ounce cream
1/2 ounce Grade B Maple Syrup
1 dash Simple Syrup

Combine all ingredients, except cinnamon, in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass. Garnish with Fresh-grated cinnamon.

East Meets West: NYC Bartender Does Beretta

Here's a great interview by Jordan McKay with PDT bartender, John Deragon, about differences between SF & NYC bartending. It always showcases the trend of guest-bartending, which I am a big fan of. 

Ginger Beer Gives a Buck More Bang

Here is an informative article on the revival that is occurring with ginger beer in drinks. The buck is making a strong comeback and after tasting it in a craft cocktail it is easy to see why. It also features a recipe of mine called, The Kentucky Buck, which is a mixture of ginger, bourbon & strawberry.

The Laphroaig Project...

We here at Bourbon and Branch like to think that every drink we send out is noteworthy in itself. We take great care in putting together balanced and delicious recipes that are guaranteed to sooth the lips of the thirsty.

However, every now and then we stumble across a recipe that resonates even more profoundly with our clientele. A perfect example of this is our Laphroaig Project, which was created by B&B’s own Owen Westman. The Laphroaig Project is just one of those drinks that is much more than the sum of its parts.

It is a scotch-based cocktail that is both tropical and refreshing, which in itself is intriguing to say the least. It has been described in the past as simultaneously deeply intellectual, yet wickedly visceral, and we couldn’t agree more.

That being said, guests continuously ask us for the recipe to this cooling masterpiece and now we are printing it here for your drinking pleasure.

The Laphroaig Project:
1oz Green Chartreuse
.5oz Laphroaig Quarter Cask
.5oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
.25oz Yellow Chartreuse
1oz Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Dashes Fee Peach Btters

Combine all ingredients into mixing tin and shake vigorously. Double-strain over the rocks into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy.

The Rickhouse...

For those of you who still have not heard the news, everyone here at Bourbon and Branch has been hard at work these last few months on our latest project.

Not only have we been as obsessive as ever, about maintaining our immaculate standards here at B&B, but we have also been meticulously planning and working diligently on a new bar that we will be opening very soon.

The Rickhouse, on Kearny and Sutter, is going to be dedicated to the very same quality of cocktail that you have come to expect from Bourbon and Branch, except in the heart of the Financial District. The focus is going to be modern-takes on vintage and obscure classics with an emphasis on a diverse option of choices.

The Rickhouse, which is the name given to warehouses where America’s finest whiskeys are sent for aging, will offer everything from cobblers to daisies and crustas to swizzles on our menu, and we cannot wait for you folks to come out and give them a try. So, the next time you are in the area, do not forget to stop by and give us a look.

Fork in the Road: Cocktail Revival is All About Using Fresh, Local Fruits & Produce

"Seasonal cocktails menus are on the rise, and in a city so passionate about its food sourcing, that means a growing number of cocktails based around herbs, florals and fruit grown on nearby family farms."

Bartenders Swap Places...

This a great piece that highlights the practice of bartenders guest-bartending at bars across the country. I am a strong proponent of the trend and believe it is a great way to spread knowledge about the craft between cities, which in the end only helps the momentum. 

Scott Beattie @ Bourbon & Branch This Week...

As many of you may have already heard, in celebration of San Francisco Cocktail Week, Bourbon & Branch is going to be hosting Scott Beattie for both Thursday 5/14 and Friday 5/15.

For anybody who has been living in a cave and hidden away from the cocktail world, Mr. Beattie is the author of Artisanal Cocktails, and he and his book have been featured in everything from Gourmet Magazine to The New York Times to The Wall Street Journal.

For a little more info on his book, and a quick tutorial from the man himself, feel free to click the link below.

Kentucky Bucks in Austin...

For all of our Bourbon & Branch fans who reside in the Lone Star State, and have been craving some west coast cocktails, you don't have to wait too much longer. I am going to be guest-bartending for a one-time engagement at Peche in Austin, so you better believe that the Revolvers and Kentucky Bucks will be flowing all night long.

I will be working mainly off of the Peche cocktail program, but feel free to come by and have me whip something up for you on the fly. It all happens Wednesday, May 6th, from 6pm-12am. Till then take care and hopefully, I will see you there.

For more info, visit http://PecheAustin.com or call (512) 495-9669.

Peche
208 W 4th St
Austin, TX 78701

San Francisco Cocktail Week...

In case you haven't been fortunate enough to hear the news yet, May 11th - May18th, is San Francisco Cocktail Week.

San Francisco Cocktail Week is a week-long celebration of the cocktail, and it will be taking place at bars and restaurants all over the city.

To celebrate, Bourbon & Branch is going to be pulling out all the stops and paying tribute to the cocktail in every way we can. We will be rolling out a special limited-time cocktail menu especially for the week, and it will feature some of our favorite cocktails that we have been developing as of late.

Also, we will be featuring some very special guests and events for all of our dedicated San Francisco cocktail enthusiasts. For more information, don't forget to check back here, and also, over at www.SFCocktailWeek.com

Cocktails 102 Coming Soon...

For all of our loyal Bourbon & Branch: Beverage Academy graduates that finished Cocktails: 101 long ago, and are now faced with nowhere to go, please take heart in knowing that Cocktails: 102 is coming soon.

The course curriculum is currently going through the final stages and should be polished and ready to roll before the end of Spring. The class material, which is being developed by Bourbon & Branch alumni Jon Santer, will be geared toward those who are already well-skilled in their home bar, and are now ready to take it to the next level.

Stay tuned here, and over at www.BeverageAcademy.com for further developments.

The Improved Sunrise...

This past week, we ran a market cocktail called the Improved Sunrise, and since than I have received several requests and emails asking for the recipe.

For those of you that haven't tried it, it is important to note that just as the name implies, the cocktail was directly inspired by the Tequila Sunrise.

I have long felt that although the Tequila Sunrise had an interesting flavor profile, it always fell far short of becoming memorable due to such such shoddy ingredients.

What all too often passes for grenedine these days is simply high-fructose corn syrup with a little red #5 food coloring thrown in for good measure, and what most bars use for orange juice tends to be a flash pasteurized concentrate that was picked from a tree several years prior.

Taking that in mind, I decided to go to work and deconstruct the Tequila Sunrise into a proud cocktail. That being said, here is the recipe for your enjoyment.

The Improved Sunrise:
1.5oz Chinaco Blanco Tequila
.5oz Lecompte Calvados
.75oz Fresh Orange Juice
.5oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.75oz Housemade Grenadine

For those of you looking for a little more froth and texture, please feel free to add a little egg white, if your heart so desires.

A Little Bit of Bourbon & Branch in Seattle...

In case some of our loyal friends and cocktail enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest are interested, I am going to be guest-bartending at the world-renowned cocktail bar, Vessel, in Seattle.

Over the last few months, we have been lucky enough to have a couple of their amazing barmen work here at Bourbon and Branch a couple of nights, and now in return, I am going to be blessed with the opportunity to make some cocktails for some of Seattles most sophisticated paletes.

So, this Monday April 13th, starting at 4pm, I will be bringing a little bit of San Francisco with me to Seattle. Below, is a sample of the drinks that will be featured that night. Thanks again, and hopefully, I will see you there.

The Capricorn:
Pompero Anniversario, Batavia Arack, Falernum, Fresh Lime Juice and Small Hands Pineapple Gomme

The Kentucky Buck:
Four Roses Bourbon Infused with Organic Monterrey Bay Strawberries, Ginger Beer, Fresh Lemon Juice and Angostura Bitters

The Dutch Honey:
Bols Genever, Organic Wildflower Honey, Yellow Chartreuse, Fresh Lemon Juice and Bitters

The Agave Cocktail:
El Jimador Anejo, Agave Nectar, Water, Angostura Bitters, and Freshly Grated Indonesian Cinnamon

Blame It On Rio:
Cachaca, Rothman & Winter Apricot Brandy, Fresh Lemon Juice, Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters and a Dash of Turbinado

Rye Maple Fizz:
Rittenhouse 100, Organic Maple Syrup, Free Range Egg White, Fresh Lemon Juice, Soda and Angostura Bitters

The Statesman:
Gin, Rothman & Winter Orchard Pear, Green Chartreuse and Orange Bitters

All Recipes Created and Developed by
Erick Castro of Bourbon and Branch, San Francisco

The Agave Cocktail...

"Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters--it is vulgarly called a bittered sling and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head."
Balance and Columbian Repository, May 13, 1806

In the modern-era, the term cocktail is pretty much an umbrella term used to classify just about any drink that is a mixture of any combination of juices, spirits, cordials, etc. However, at one time in history, the word cocktail referred to a specific type of drink in particular.

If you'll notice by the definition provided above, the original cocktail was a very bare-bones affair. There is no mention of any muddled fruit, nor any expensive imported liqueurs. It was no-frills and to the point, much as one would expect from a drink being consumed over 200 years ago.

This frame of mind is what brought me to come up with one of our latest market cocktails at Bourbon and Branch: The Agave Cocktail.

The Agave Cocktail is a throwback to a style of drink that is not as common as it once was, but is still every bit as delicious and vibrant as it was back in the 1800s.

The Agave Cocktail:
2oz El Jimador Anejo
.25oz Agave Syrup*
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine ingredients in mixing glass and stir well.

Strain over the rocks.

Garnish with freshly-grated organic Indonesian Cinnamon.

*To make Agave Syrup, mix one part Agave Nectar to one part warm water and mix well.