Cocktail Confessions

On Christmas Eve I was introduced to a very nice bottle of bourbon by my parents.  My mom and dad know I enjoy a good whisky and these last few years they occasionally prurchase me a nice bottle on special occasions.  Which now that I think about it is very weird because I can’t even begin to guess how many times I was grilled when I was a teenager and even of legal drinking age of the dangers and ills of drinking.  I can vividly remember having to pass breath tests when I came home late at night when I was still living with my parents, and now today they are bringing over high end bottles of booze.  Mixed message anyone?

Anyway, I was introduced to a 750 of Bulleit Bourbon, which averages about $20-25.  All I can tell you it was very clean and smooth as I sampled it ‘neat’, not mixing it with anything, and I’d easily buy this again in the future.  The flavor profile is as such: hints of oak and spice, crisp, clean flavor that isn’t harsh in the throat along with notes of vanilla and honey.

I came across this blurb on the net and thought I’d share it with you, unedited, because it’s an interesting story:

Tom Bulleit is a Southern gentleman in the truest sense of the word, but his considerable charm and family pedigree are only part of the story. He is a former Marine, a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, a successful Lexington attorney and the founder of Bulleit Bourbon, a brand he created based on a family recipe dating back nearly 200 years.

Bulleit’s great-great-grandfather Augustus emigrated from France to New Orleans around 1800, eventually following the commerce of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Louisville, where he became a tavern keeper. Of French heritage, he relied on his knowledge of brandy-making to create small batches of Kentucky bourbon in the mid-1800s. Soon his product was traveling with the tide of pioneers headed westward. Business was good, but in 1860 Augustus disappeared while transporting whiskey to New Orleans. One family story said he was killed by his business partner. Another said he disappeared into the sumptuous life of the French Quarter. In any case, his bourbon died with him. Until Tom Bulleit came along.

Tom Bulleit was raised in Louisville and worked in distilleries before joining the Marine Corps in 1968. Later he went to law school. During his law career, Bulleit was active in the campaign for a Vietnam Veteran’s memorial in Washington, D.C.

But Bulleit couldn’t get bourbon out of his blood. In 1987, venturing into a new frontier, he created Bulleit Bourbon from the original recipe.

“I always loved the business,” Bulleit said. “My father couldn’t understand why I would leave a successful law practice, but I was attracted to the creative and entrepreneurial challenges of making this brand of bourbon and doing it right. I guess you could say it became my passion, and it still is. We are creating one of the definitive styles of bourbon currently distilled in this country. It is one of the most distinctive mash bills out there. The high rye content, absence of phenol alcohol and at least six years of aging produces something really special.”

Bulleit Bourbon was awarded the Brown Spirits Gold Medal at the 2004 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The Bulleit legacy is a compelling chapter in the story of Kentucky bourbon, that most American of spirits. Bulleit resurrected a whiskey that was not only a lost piece of his family’s history, but of an American era. He is one only a few remaining scions of a Kentucky bourbon-making family whose name is on the bottle.

Now, onto the fun part…(you knew it was coming you cheeky little monkey’s, didn’t you?)

BLT

• 1 1/3oz Bulliet Bourbon
• Lemon wedge
• Tonic

Preperation: Serve over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with generous wedge of lemon.

Bulleit Mint Julep (serves 12)

• 15 oz Bulleit Bourbon
• 30-40 fresh mintleaves
• Simple syrup (1 cup sugar disolved in 1 cup water)

Preparation: Wash mint leaves, pat dry and place them in small mixing bowl.  Cover with 3 oz of Bulleit Bourbon and let soak for 15 minutes.  Remove mint, then place in a clean cotton cloth and wring over bowl thus bruising the leaves.  Dip back into bourbon and wirng again.  Repeat this process several times to create mint extract.  You can put leaves back in for an hour for a more concentrated mint flavor.  Combine mint extract (leaves included, if preferred) with symple syrup in a covered glass container or jar and refrigerate overnight.  Fill julep cups with crushed or shaved ice and insert a fresh mint spring.  Add 1 oz of Bulleit to each cup and then add marinated julep mixture to taste.

The 4th of July is just around the corner and I just noted I haven’t put up a new cocktail recipe in some time.  After doing a little digging, I found an interesting recipe that ties in nicely with our U.S. history and our nations 234th birthday.  But before I delve into the ‘Artillery Punch’ cocktail, I thought I’d share a bit of trivia as well.  All you wordsmiths out there, or those that like to play Jeopardy or read the Oxford Dictionary in your spare time, you might enjoy this:

The word “cocktail” was believed to be first used in New York as a way to describe a combination of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters somewhere in the early 1800′s.  It is most likely the word referred to a particular beverage that included a variety of spirits in the mix, depending on what was available at the moment.  Over the years, the definition expanded to include almost any combination of spirits and other ingredients.  As a side note, however, most alcohol historians (how do you get that job by the way?) agree that the first “cocktail party” took place in Missouri.  I couldn’t find any additional information on this….perhaps the attendees were too drunk to remember themselves and write it down.

So the recipe I have for you today isn’t a singular drink mixed for one or two people.  It’s more suited for your family reunion or block party.  You may want to mix in a very large Gatorade decanter like the kind you see on the sidelines at a football game.  If those aren’t readily available, go buy yourself a large RubberMaid trashcan at the hardware store (but remember to rinse out ahead of time).

It is said that Artillery Punch originated in Savannah, GA with the Chtanham Artillery, and was actually served to one Admiral Winfield Scott Schley during his visit to the city just after the Spanish-American War.  Reports at the time state the punch had a much more dramatic effect on the Admiral than the Spanish guns ever did.  It’s a sweet drink with a sweet tea base and strong citrus overtones (thanks to the gin, lemons, and oranges no doubt) that helps mask the massive amount of liquor hidden within.  Talk about ‘shock and awe’, be careful with this one folks, it’ll sneak up on you in a big way.  Great for summer BBQ’s and gatherings.

Artillery Punch:

• 1.5 gallons (yes, gallons) of Catawba wine (a red wine produced from a regional grape on the north-eastern seaboard and midwest)
• 1.5 quarts of rye.
• 1/2 gallon of rum (choose a rum with caramel tones if you can).
• 1/2 pint of Benedictine.
• 1 quart gin
• 1 quart Brandy.
• 1.5 gallons of strong tea (fresh brewed is always better and worth the effort).
• 2.5 pounds brown sugar
• Juice of 1/2 dozen oranges (or use real boxed orange juice as a sub)
• Juice of 1/2 dozen lemons.

Place all these ingredients in your container and mix well enough (have a clean oar or paddle nearby?) so that the 2.5 pounds of brown sugar dissolves evenly and nicely.  Serve over large glasses of ice, and keep an eye on your guests lest you really do want them to re-enact the Spanish-American War in your backyard.