The Wonderful World of Whiskey in One Inforgraphic!

For the last few years, I have been appreciating the different styles and tastes that whiskey brings to the table.  There are many different styles of whiskey.  The ingredients of whiskey can vary from style to style.  There are numerous brands of whiskey.  It can be bit overwhelming.  Recently, I found an interesting infographic that showcases most of the whiskey that you can find in the world.  Enjoy!!  For a closer look: check out http://www.rsvlts.com/2014/12/23/whiskey-infographic/

Morning Paradise

Imagine sitting on the beach, and the sun is slowly coming over the horizon.  The day is slowly beginning.  That is the image that I am trying to provoke with the Morning Paradise.

The Morning Paradise is sweet creamy cocktail that combines coconut, spiced rum, and coffee.  In the morning, coffee is a necessity.  However if I am sitting on a sandy beach on vacation, I would like to have my coffee spiked with something.  When thinking of paradise, images of the tropics and beaches keep on flooding my mind.

                                          Morning Paradise 

45ml of Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

2 bar spoons of coconut cream powder

2 dashes of vanilla oil

10 ml of agave syrup

25 ml of coffee

25 ml of cream

Pour the ingredients in a mixing tin.

Fill with ice.

Shake.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with coconut cream powder and cinnamon.

Enjoy!

How grand is the Grand Kirin??

Recently, Kirin Brewing has been releasing new beers in its Grand Kirin series of beers.  The Grand Kirin is the premium offering from Kirin.  It utilizes the exclusive "dip hop" process that Kirin developed specifically for this beer.  Grand Kirin is in direct competition with Suntory's Premium Malts, Sapporo's Yebisu, and Asahi's Super Dry Premium (a recent release from Asahi).  In a time in which beer sales have been on a recent decline in Japan, is it the right time for a push for a premium beer?  Kirin Brewery is world renowned for its Ichiban beer.  Also, many older Japanese people are nostalgic for Kirin's lager and Classic beers.  So, it is time for a review of the Grand Kirin beers.  Are they worth purchasing and drinking?  This review will cover the six beers in the Grand Kirin line: The Aroma, Browny, Hop Fruity, Mild Rich, and the Original Grand Kirin.  Cheers! (乾杯！）

Grand Kirin The Aroma                                                     Style: Golden Ale

                                                                                       ABV: 5.5%

                                                                                       Bravo Hops

Color:  golden yellow with a white head

Nose:  floral with a slight hint of citrus

Taste:  malty and somewhat bitter hoppy taste

Grand Kirin The Aroma is a decent beer that is readily available at most convenient stores in Japan.  It is a smooth dry beer with a somewhat bitter hoppy flavor.  It is a premium version of the mainstay Kirin Ichiban.  The slight citrus notes are noticeable with drinking this beer.

Grand Kirin Browny                                               Style: Amber Ale

                                                                            ABV: 6.5%

                                                                             Czech Hops

                                                                            Roasted Caramel Malt

Color:  a light copper brown with an off-white head

Nose:  slight caramel notes

Taste:  smooth, slight caramel malty taste

Grand Kirin Browny is a decent attempt at a brown ale from a macro brewery.  It is a light smooth beer with roasted caramel notes found throughout the beer.  This is a trying to be a traditional Japanese brown ale in that the flavors are not completely overpowering but are noticeable. 

Grand Kirin Hop Fruity                                           Style:  American Pale Ale

                                                                             ABV:   5.5%

                                                                             Nelson Sauvin Hops

Color:  pale orange yellow with a white head that dissipates quickly

Nose:  slight citrus and vegetal notes

Taste:  slight hop flavor coming the Nelson Sauvin Hops

        smooth yet sweet flavors coming from the malt

Grand Kirin Hop Fruity is the latest release in the Grand Kirin line.  As of this review, it is an exclusive at Family Mart.  This beer tries to be an American pale ale, but it misses the mark.  However coming from a macro brewery, it a decent major label beer that is trying to be different.  The hops need to be a little more pronounced in it, and this will help to counteract the sweetness from the malts.

Grand Kirin Mild Rich                                    Style: Wheat Ale (Weizen)

                                                                   ABV: 5.5%

                                                                   Galaxy Hops

Color:  Pale golden color with a white head

Nose:   Fruity citrus notes with an orange and wheat presence

Taste:  Creamy bready slight medium carbonated body with some hops

        popping in the background

Grand Kirin Mild Rich is an exclusive beer that can be found in Lawsons.  They also have a special twin pack with Grand Kirin (the original) and Grand Kirin Mild Rich.  The Mild Rich is good attempt at a wheat beer.  The classic characteristics of orange and wheat that are typically found in wheat beers are found here, but they have a underwhelming presence.  This is a smooth medium body beer with citrus notes in the background.

Grand Kirin (the original)                                   Style: Premium Lager

                                                                       ABV: 6%

                                                

Color:  golden amber with a white head that dissipates quickly

Nose:  sweet malty aroma

Taste:  sweet malt taste with a light crisp body

This is the first beer that Kirin released in its Grand Kirin line.  Its is a light crispy malty lager.  There is a lot of carbonation found in this beer.  Compared with the Kirin Lager, the Grand Kirin is smoother and less dry.  It is a decent lager but nothing worthwhile. 

For more information on the Grand Kirin line, check out http://www.kirin.co.jp/products/beer/grandkirin/

Japanese Craft Beer Series: Visiting Monster Island with Kaibutsu-jima Beer (かいぶつ島ビール)!

 Ever want to visit to an island full of monsters without leaving your house or the bar?  Tsurumi Brewing (鶴見酒造) from Tsushima, Aichi, Japan has the answer for you with their Kaibutsu-shima Beer (かいぶつ島ビール).  Tsurumi Brewing has been operating since 1873 as primarily as a rice wine (日本酒 nihonshu or sake to those people living outside of Japan) brewer.  In the recent years, this brewer has been branching out with different products such as this beer, shochu, mirin (sweet rice wine that is used primarily for cooking). 

On a recent trip to my local liquor store near my work, I was looking for something to get the night start on the right foot.  When looking through the beer case, I found this beer.  I was intrigued by it at first because I have never seen before.  Then, I looked at the label to find out where this beer was from.  I was surprised to learn that the beer was brewed in Tsushima.  I did not even know that Tsushima had a brewery.  I was very curious to find out how this beer tasted.  So, I decided to buy it.  I am always looking for a new beer to try especially from the local area. 

When I got home, I took out my favorite beer glass and proceed to open this beer into my glass.  I discovered the following things.  The nose of this beer is malty and full of bread and slight caramel notes. The head of the bread is a thick tan colored head.  The beer has a dark brown color to it.  This beer is very malty in taste.  If you are fan of vintage or strong ales, this beer would perfect for you.  I noticed that some local beers tend to be the same style.  It is easy to drink.  Typically malty beverages have a strong taste.  Initially, the beer follows the same characteristics of a malt beverage, but it quickly fades away.  This is not your typically Japanese beer like Sapporo or Asahi.

I give a lot of credit to Tsurumi Brewing for releasing this beer to the public.  I am always trying to find beers from small breweries as opposed to those released from the major breweries.  If you can find this beer, give it a try.  It is a decent beer. 

For more information regarding Tsurumi Brewing, check out http://www.tsurumi-jp.com/index.html

Drink like the Monarchy with the Zaza aka Dubonnet Cocktail!

Have you ever wanted to drink like a monarch?  Here is your chance.  The Zaza aka Dubonnet Cocktail was the favorite tipple for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.  Queen Elizabeth like to enjoy this drink before having lunch.  There are countless number of photographs of Queen Elizabeth enjoying this drink.  She liked to enjoyed this drink on the rocks as opposed to a cocktail glass like you would see in bars nowadays.

Why does this cocktail have two names: the Dubonnet cocktail and the Zaza cocktail?  If this drink is served up rather then being on the rocks, the name of the drink becomes the Zaza.  The name Zaza comes from the name of a popular French play which was a hit on the verge of the 20th century.  The play was later made into movies and musicals.  Zaza is also a diminutive of Isabelle.   However there is nothing diminutive of the Zaza.

Dubonnet is the key ingredient in this drink.  There is no substitution for the Dubonnet.  Dubonnet is a fortified wine made from wine, herbs, and spices (including quinine).  Dubonnet was created in 1846 France.  The French needed something to give their French Legionnaires who were fighting in North Africa at the time.  Quinine is a popular remedy to fight malaria.  However, it is very bitter.  So, Dubonnet was created.  It's also the same reason for the creation of the classically popular Gin and Tonic.

Gin is the other major ingredient in this drink.  The botanicals in the gin compliment the Dubonnet. The addition of the orange bitters gives the drink a complex citrus bite and fragance to the drink.  The drink becomes a refreshing drink when served on the rocks.  When served up, the cocktail becomes an elegant aperitif.  Either way the Zaza is great way to drink like a monarch.

Zaza aka Dubonnet Cocktail

1 1/2 oz of gin

3/4 oz of Dubonnet Rogue

2 dashes of orange bitters

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass.

Fill the mixing glass with glass.

Stir for mixture for about 15 to 30 minutes to achieve proper chillness and to dilute the drink.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Enjoy 

Cheers

Celebrating Spring Time and the Kentucky Derby: Mint Julep!

Whenever you mention the Kentucky Derby to someone, three images will pop into their mind: big hats, horses, and mint juleps.  According the official Kentucky Derby website, the Mint Julep is the official drink of the Derby.  Mint juleps at the Derby are a serious matter.  You can buy a mint julep at the Derby for one thousand dollars all in the name of charity.  It's very interesting to note that main spirit in the officially recognized Mint Julep is made with Early Times.  Early Times is a Kentucky whiskey not a bourbon whiskey, which are more commonly found in mint juleps.

The mint julep has a long storied history in the annals of American drinking history.  There are references of the mint julep being made in the 1700's around Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.  The first time that the mint julep was seen in print happened in 1803.  A British author penned the mint julep as "a dram of spiritous liquor that has mint in it taken by Virginians in the morning".  In fact, the mint julep was referred to as a type of medicine.  The French word "julep" is derived from the Persian "gulab", a sweet concoction that may have been a vehicle for medicine.  It is also to important that the first mint juleps were not made with bourbon whiskey.  Instead, there were commonly made with rum or rye whiskeys.

For a long time, Kentucky bourbon whiskey was not commonly distributed until later in the 19th century.  The first mention of a mint julep in Kentucky was written in 1816 in the Kentucky Gazette.  The article mentioned that the mint julep cups were offered as prizes at horse race events.  We do not know when Kentucky bourbon was first used in a mint julep, but nowadays bourbon whiskey is the common spirit for a mint julep.  Legend has it that the mint was grown outside the the club house of Church Hill Downs in Louisville so that it can be used in mint juleps at the first Kentucky Derby in 1875.

When making the mint juleps, there are some essential things to remember.  Use fresh mint when making the drink because when mint gets old and stale, it loses it flavor and becomes bitter.  Also, crushed ice is essential when making this drink.  The mint julep is meant to be sipped over time.  The crushed ice allows the drink to keep cold and refreshing.  If you were using cracked ice or ice cubes, the drink will become warm over a period of time.  The other thing to consider when making a mint julep is the vessel that the drink will be served in.  At the Kentucky Derby, mint juleps are drunk from silver cups.  The silver cup tends to keep the drink colder.  However, most people do not silver cups at home.  So, use an Old-fashioned glass. 

Mint juleps are ideal to drink on Derby Day (May 4th) or anytime for that matter.  Mint juleps are becoming recently unpopular due to changing tastes and many bars and restaurants do not know how to make a proper one.  Personally, I enjoy the sweetness of the mint and sugar with the strong smooth taste of the whiskey.

Mint Julep

2 oz of bourbon whiskey 

2oz of simple syrup

10 sprigs of mint

Crushed ice

At the bottom of the glass, place at least 7 sprigs of mint, simple syrup, and the bourbon whiskey.  Muddle the mixture.  DO NOT over muddle or the mint will become bruised and bitter.  Fill the glass halfway with crushed ice.  Mix the mixture and the mixture.  Top with more crushed ice until it comes up to the rim of the glass.  Served with a straw and few mint sprigs.  Before garnishing the glass, grab the mint and slap the mint with hands in order to bring the essential oils that are found in the mint.  Enjoy

Cheers

An Offer You Can't Refuse: the Godfather!

Are you looking for a new pre-dinner drink?  Craving a nightcap?  Then, I have an offer you can't refuse.

The Godfather combines the bittersweet Italian almond liqueur Amaretto and the smoky complex bite of scotch whiskey.  This drink was created in the 1970's in the USA.  According to the popular amaretto maker, Disaronno, the Godfather was one of Marlon Brando's favorite drinks.  Marlon Brando is world renowned for his role in the Italian mobster movie, The Godfather.

The Godfather is a popular drink for those who are looking for something strong yet sweet.  The amaretto plays a major role in the drink because it tends to soften the bite of the whiskey.  Scotch whiskey for some people tend to rather strong in flavor.  The bittersweet character of the amaretto plays well with whiskey while giving the drink a distinct nose.  The nose of the Godfather is sweet, nutty, woody, and a little smoky.  For the scotch whiskey, I would recommend using a blended scotch as opposed to a single malt.  The depth of flavor that tends to be found in single malts would get lost in the mix.  I am using Ballatine's in this drink, but please feel free to use your favorite blended scotch.

It's perfect on those long nights relaxing at home or for an aperitif.  It's a relaxing yet elegant drink.
 

Godfather

35 ml of scotch whiskey

35 ml of amaretto 

Fill an Old-fashioned glass with ice.  

Pour the scotch and the amaretto over the ice.  

Stir to combine the ingredients.  

Enjoy!