Off the Grid: Manhattan for Spoleto

We've been having such a great Spoleto!  DP's sister and brother-in-law came to town, and we've been making the rounds of restaurants and events. The Macintosh isn't offering their Machattan right now (it's seasonal, I suppose), so it's a good thing that we made our own before hitting the town.

Off the Grid: Manhattan

DP's sister and brother-in-law were the ones who made us their outstanding Manhattans last summer, so we had a lot to live up to. DP did the honors with Old Overholt and Carpano Antica

Ingredients:

2 parts Rye Whiskey
1 part Sweet Vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry (the Luxardo maraschino cherry is ideal)

Directions:

Stir liquid ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with the maraschino cherry.

As for Spoleto? 

 

The opening ceremonies were the coolest I can remember, and it's fun to be able to say that we were at the American premiere of the Phillip Glass opera Kepler.

 

Charleston Photo in Place of a Cocktail

Spoleto! Hurrah!

Charleston Photo in Place of a Cocktail - 

Spoleto Sign on the Charleston Civic Design Center

We have family coming to visit, and Spoleto events to see! I think there will be a lot of Off the Grid posting coming up soon.

Off the Grid: Cabbage Rolls and Tovarich Cocktails

It's time for a CSA Challenge!  What do you do with the worlds largest cabbage when it appears in your weekly farm delivery?

If you're DP, you reach back into the mists of time and recreate your Grandmother Herta's Cabbage Rolls.

Herta's Cabbage Rolls

DP has fond childhood memories of his grandmother's visits, when she would sit on the other side of the kitchen counter, glass in hand, instructing him as he carefully prepared and wrapped the rolls. (DP has other fond memories of his grandmother instructing him on how to fill the glass that she held in her hand, but that's a cocktail story for another time).

In keeping with the Eastern European theme, DP did some research and found the Tovarich Cocktail. Which uses Kümmel. Which we just so happen to have on hand.

Off the Grid: Tovarich Cocktail

The Guide called for Kümmel in one of the first cocktails we attempted, the Allies Cocktail, but try as we might we couldn't find a bottle anywhere in town. DP ended up (very successfully) making his own. 

Then we made a Christmas visit to his folks' local liquor store, the amazing Beltramo's, and brought a bottle home. Where it's been waiting for the right moment for the past year and a half. 

And now, at long last, we finally have a reason to put the powerful caraway taste of Kümmel to good use!

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Vodka

.75 oz Kümmel 

Juice of  half a Lime

Directions:

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

This makes a strong drink - you can taste that vodka coming from a mile away - but the lime juice / Kümmel combination works really well. There's something about the tart citrus that brings out the best from the caraway and cumin flavors in the liquor.

Yes, I would definitely have this one again. And I may have to. It's a big bottle of Kümmel, after all.

Embassy Royal

Ooooh, this is a good one.

Bourbon, Drambuie, Sweet Vermouth, Orange Juice, Orange Twist

It has a lot of that smokey honeyed sweetness from the Drambuie (because it uses a lot of Drambuie, I suppose) and the caramel from the bourbon (we're still working our way through the jug of Jim Beam we used for the Artillery Punch at our friends Snappy and Grey's party), beautifully balanced by the Christmas pudding flavors of the sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica) and a tiny citrus snap from the fresh orange juice. 

Not too sweet, not too smokey.  Perfect!

Ingredients:

2 parts Bourbon

2 parts Drambuie

1 part Sweet Vermouth

2 dashes Orange Juice

Directions:

Shake ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

I'm calling this one Top Shelf.

Side Note: there's finally some information online about Mike Lata's new venture, The Ordinary, a "classic oyster bar and seafood hall". Well, not a lot of information, but something!