P77: Summer Cocktail Week 16 (Adam & Michelle)

P77

There was some pressure to wrap up the Summer Cocktail series with a winner and it all came together with the assistance (again) of cocktail sounding board Derek (co-host of his own incredibly informative beer blog at Wild Turkey Beer Club).  Our recent postings feel a little vodka/rum heavy and whiskey deserves another turn.  Even Michelle who isn't normally a whiskey drinker poured the Seagram's 7 heavier to balance out the flavors of this tasty, refreshing cocktail.  It's good enough to enjoy on a regular basis and simple enough to whip up in a minute.

Ingredients:
Whiskey (used Seagram's 7)
7-Up
PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

Fill a highball glass with ice.  Add 1.5 oz whiskey (1 jigger), 1 oz PAMA and top off with 7-Up.  Give it a stir (the 3 ingredients actually create a pretty cool layered effect when poured, so could be served that way for presentation but I would include a stir stick to maximize the taste).  Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Food Pairing: Whiskey & PAMA Glazed Pork Ribs

I had been eyeing a bourbon-glazed rib recipe for a while and this cocktail lent itself perfectly to cooking up a nice rack.  I swapped in Seagram's 7 instead of bourbon and substituted 1 oz PAMA for the plum sauce, but otherwise followed this highly recommended recipe at epicurious.com: Glazed Baby Back Ribs.  They were super tender and the sauce was fantastic.  I prefer my usual cooking technique, which is 100% on the grill as I like the texture of the ribs and spending a few hours on the patio downing a drink or two while keeping on eye on the grill.  However, I will absolutely pair this glaze and cocktail again.

FemBossi: Summer Cocktail Week 16 (Amie & Bonnie)

FemBossi, coming soon!

Mari Jane: Summer Cocktail Week 15 (Anonymous Contributors)

Anyone who knows someone from Eugene probably thinks 1 of 2 things: (1) You must be a Duck fan! or (2) You must be a stoned Duck fan!  True, Eugene is known as a haven for Deadheads, hippies and a generally laid-back culture, perhaps due to the fact that in 1972, the State of Oregon was the first state in the United States to pass cannabis decriminalization legislation.  If you live in Eugene, you essentially fall into 1 of 3 categories: you carry a Medicinal Marijuana card, are licensed to grow for a dispensary, or have a friend who does at least one of those.  For those who have smoked and eaten their fair share of ganja, infusing for a beverage remains the final weed frontier.  Needless to say, our Tribute to Our City Week is as much about the beverage as it is the theme-related munchies food pairings.

My BFF was kind enough to contribute to our summer's blogging activities by infusing a 1/4 oz of home-grown bud into 10 oz vodka.  Since Oregon also gets credit for developing the blackberry's cousin, Marionberry, we also infused a pint of these into 8 oz vodka (note: in a blackberry vs marionberry infusion taste test, the marionberry was sweeter and much tastier and, like our previous strawberry infusion, was delicious enough to enjoy as a sipping treat).  Unsure of the potency or resulting effects, we rolling this week's recipe using tsp and Tbs.  We've also included a bonus cocktail in case you don't live in Eugene.  :-)

Mari Jane

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp MaryJane Infusion
1 Tbs Marionberry Infusion
1/2 Tbs Black Raspberry Soda (used HOTLIPS Soda from Portland)
1/2 tsp Kraken
1 drop Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters

Shake with ice and serve in aperitif glassware.

Meri Kraken Berry

Ingredients (makes 2-4 drinks):
3/4 cup Peach-Infused Dark Rum
2 oz Marionberry-Infused Vodka
2 oz Kraken Black Spiced Rum
1 oz Patron Orange Liquor
6 oz Americana Black Cherry Soda

Puree in a blender with the peaches from infusion.  Add ice and blend until crushed.

Locally Made Munchies
Chinook Salmon (Oregon)
Tillamook Cheese (Tillamook on the coast)
Kettle Brand Chips (Salem)
Hazelnut Hummus (Eugene)
Marionberry Coated Hazelnuts (Aurora)
Dagoba Organic Chocolates (Ashland)

Theme-Related Munchies
Stoned Wheat Thins
Garden Herb Triscuits
Rainbow Mini Bell Peppers (b/c every munchie fest needs something "healthy")

Song Pairing
'Allison' by Frank Black of The Pixies (who spends much time in Eugene)
'Hey Eugene' by Pink Martini (a Portland-based orchestral and concert group--think Arcade Fire meets PDX Cello Project)

Game Day: Summer Cocktail Week 15 (Adam & Michelle)

Game Day

"Red beer" might be a new concept to some, but if you've ever tailgated in Lincoln or happened to grow up in a handful of select regions like rural Nebraska (wait, isn't all of Nebraska rural?) then it's likely you've tried a red beer.  The classic red beer is comprised of cheap beer and tomato juice and some in my extended family even add a dash of salt for good measure.  Yes, it's hilarious that I married a dietitian and my family salts their beverages.

Unfortunately, I hate tomato juice so have been on a quest to create a red beer sans tomato.  With some help from cocktail experts Derek and Eric (I generally only talk to people with rhyming names) I finally pieced together a really good red beer accentuated with nature's perfect food...bacon.

Ingredients:
Cheap Beer (used Coors Light)
Cran-Cherry Juice (used Diet Ocean Spray)
Tabasco
Maple Bacon

In your favorite pint glass combine 30% cran-cherry juice with 70% light beer.  Add 2 dashes of Tabasco and garnish with crispy fried maple bacon.  The taste is similar to a fruity wheat beer and I love the finish from the Tabasco.

While experimenting to find the perfect garnish we tried plain bacon, maple bacon, maple bacon brushed with maple syrup and maple bacon sprinkled with brown sugar.  The syrup and sugar bacons were both deliciously decadent, but the simple hint of sweetness in the maple bacon won out.  The bacon I used wasn't tall enough to stand alone in the glass, so I cut a small diagonal slit in the side to hook it over the edge.  Mmmm...bacon.