New Year's Eve and the nosetickler

On the day before New Year's Eve my mind cannot stop straying to the allure of the bubbles. Thus far in this blog I have been following Playboy's New Host and Bar Book as it was written in 1971 but I could not stop myself from skipping far ahead to Champagne. Here I must quote Thomas Mario and his illustrious description of bubbly wine: "If ever a single symbol immediately and unmistakably meant luxurious living, it's the scintillant wine known as nosetickler, gigglewater, fizz, bubbly, and sometimes even champagne. One would not drink gin out of a ladies slipper or christen a ship with a bottle of Scotch; occasions that call for gaity and celebration require a special drink, a brilliant drink, a bravura drink." This description makes me want to put down the espresso and immediately trade it in for a flute!

As with other good things anticipation can be a good bit of the pleasure. So while anticipating a fun New Year's celebration here are a few tips to help choose and serve the gigglewater.

• Bubbles can and should be enjoyed more often than just special occasions!!!
• Champagne or sparkling wine should be served between 40-50 degrees F. Stick the bottle in the fridge or in an ice bucket with ice water to chill. The important thing is to get the wine cold but not freezing. Also, don't shake the hell out of it and jostle it all around unless you are having a Playboy style party and want to douse your date in it.
• To open the bottle: Take off the foil, cover the top with a linen or napkin, undo the wire cage, grip the bottle with your left hand and put your thumb over the top of the cork, twist the bottle with your right hand until the cork eases out. Ideally the cork should "whisper" and not pop. If you are throwing a house party I say let them pop. There is nothing that can liven a room like the popping of corks! 
• Flutes are the best glasses for the bubbles.
• Champagne is only called "champagne" when it comes from the Champagne region or France. Don't let the name, or lack thereof, discourage you from trying other sparkling wines. There are some awesome bubblers from all around the world.
• Most people I know like a brut, a.k.a. dry. Here is the vocab lesson for the rest of it: Doux-I don't see these often but these are the sweetest of the champagnes. Sec-means dry in French but it really means that this is a semi-sweet wine. Extra dry- a little dry but still with a bit of sweetness. Brut- very dry. This is what most champagne lovers drink and is generally the easiest to find. Naturel-This is super duper dry. I have been in the restaurant and bar business for a long time and I have never had one of these wines.

Now that the basics have been covered here are a few of my favorites:

The Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve is one of my favorite wines of all time. It is beautifully made. It comes from an old and impressive Champagne house. It hasn't been marketed to deal like Moet. As far as I know it has never been in a rap video. This wine is classy, sexy and complex. It is also remarkably food friendly. If you are looking to impress choose this wine. As champagne goes it isn't terribly expensive. It retails in the $70 range. If you are really looking for a panty dropper try the NV Billecart-Salmon Rose!

My next choice is a Prosecco from Veneto, Italy. This wine is made in the champagne tradition (versus many proseccos and other sparkling wines that have their secondary fermentation done in large tanks rather than in the bottle). If you are a score keeper it got a 91 in the Wine Enthusiast. This chardonnay based sparkling wine  is rich with hints of apple, almond and yeasty goodness. This may be a little hard to find and retails for around $35.

Kluge is a winery in Virginia that makes fantastic wine at really good prices. This is also a chardonnay bases sparkler that has some bright citrus and minerality. It is less creamy than the Perle. This retails for around $30. I am snatching this up because with the economic disaster status at this vineyard no one knows which direction the wine making will take.

                                                                        

My 2 bargain picks are Adami Prosecco           and                    Cristalino, Cava extra dry

retails around $10                                                                       retails from $6-$9

Both of these sparkling wines are totally palatable and are crowd pleasers. They are also fantastic if you are doing cocktails with bubbles!

Happy New Year and enjoy the nosetickler!

  

Keep your spirits up

The 1971 Playboy's New Host & Bar book is still surprisingly current in it's recommendations on how to stock your home bar. The price estimates are laughable now! Thomas Mario estimates that buying the 23 most necessary bottles for your home bar will set you back $140. Ha! Times have changed.

Necessary Spirits according to Playboy:
     3 Vodka
     2 Bourbon
     2 Blended whiskey, U.S.
     2 Scotch
     1 Canadian Whiskey
     2 Gin
     2 Rum
     2 Tequila
     1 Dry Vermouth
     1 Sweet Vermouth
     1 Brandy
     3 Assorted liqueurs (fruit, coffee, creme de menthe, etc.)
     1 Aperitif (Campari, Dubonnet, etc.)
For the most part I think that this is an excellent start to a home bar. It is however, 23 bottles and if you are starting from scratch it can be pretty pricey. So... here is my recommendation for what to buy when starting your home bar.
     Vodka- soap box moment: I know that there are differences between different vodkas. However, vodka is supposed to be a neutral spirit. You don't have to buy the most expensive or best marketed vodka to have a clean, smooth vodka. My 2 favorite vodkas to purchase for home are Smirnoff and Tito's. If I am mixing the vodka I buy Smirnoff (even though it is great by itself too) and if I am making martinis I buy Tito's because I love the slightly sweet flavor. Both products are very reasonably priced! Tito's runs around $17.50 for a 750ml. Smirnoff runs around $12 for a 750ml. I also generally dislike flavored vodka. I think it is out of fashion and sticky sweet flavors are best left to teenagers and those without access to fresh fruit. Maybe if I was craving a drink that tasted like my old Strawberry Shortcake doll.
                
Bourbon. Oh how I love thee. Besides vodka for it's sheer versatility and the ability to please most, Bourbon and Gin compete for top spot in my home bar. Because it is winter Bourbon is currently in the lead. I have a bunch of different Bourbon at home but I am a cocktail geek. If I was just starting my home bar I would pick one brand and go with that. Be adventurous and skip the average bar brand. Currently my favorite bourbon on the market is Eagle Rare. $28 or so will get you this fantastic bourbon and it is worth every penny! This is about $10 more than you would pay for something like Jim Beam. A great bourbon like this will definately be a good conversation starter.

Blended Whiskey: I usually like an Irish blended, in particular Jameson. My husband is a Crown guy so we have both in the house. These whiskeys are consistent because they are basically a house blend of several different batches of whiskey and often a neutral spirit. They are excellent for simple highballs or for a particularly hard day. A 750 ml. of Jameson or Crown is about $20.
                                                      

Scotch: Out of all the spirits scotch seems to be the one that people have the most passionate brand loyalty. My recommendation is to get a blended such as Dewer's and a single malt. Dewer's is light and is perfect for the scotch and soda set. A 750 ml. of white label is about $20.

 Single malts are usaully much richer. My favorite single malt is Lagavalin 16 yr. It is caramelly with hints of sherry and is absolutely delicious! This is not a budget bottle. it runs about $80. You don't have to pay this much for a respectable bottle of single malt. Ask your liquor store purveyor what he or she recommends. If money isn't an object than the Lagavalin is actually a mid priced bottle.

Canadian whiskey: Get some if you want but I have never had it in my bar and don't feel like I have missed anything.

Gin: My spring and summer favorite! Today gin is not all about the overly juniper, pine tree smelling, foul tasting, nasty stuff that the old man down the street used to drink with his bulbous red nose. Gin has gone through a recent renaissance period thanks to good mixologists and craft distillers.
The gin I use at the house the most- perfect in tonics and has a lovely clean flavor and orange peel aroma is also one of the least expensive in the store. Score! New Amsterdam is around $12 a 750 ml. Note: this is not the gin you want if you like a piny gin.
 
For the juniper lover, my favorite is Blue Coat. It has intense juniper and earthy components but it also has balance. That and I love the bottle. I am sometimes a sucker for packaging. Blue Coat will run you around $30.

I recommend that you have both the lighter, citrussy gin and a heavier juniper influenced gin in your well appointed home bar. There are also some beautiful cucumber heavy gins on the market that I love. Specifically, Hendrick's and Miller's. I don't normally stock these in my home though because I drink them too fast. I will buy some before a planned party but I know there won't be any left at the end. Expect to pay between $35-$40 for these brands.

Rum: I find that I need 3 types of rum for most of the cocktail recipes out there: light, dark and spiced. I tend to buy the big names because most of the rum drinks that I make are juiced up or mixed with falernum. I say go for whatever is on sale at the time. Myers, Bacardi, Captain Morgan's, Sailer Jerry...all good.

Tequila: I have some beautiful aged tequilas behind my home bar but the basics are blanco and anejo. There is a lot of great tequila out there but I always have Don Julio in my home. I like all of the Don Julio products. I currently have the Reposado wich is made from 100% blue agave and aged in small barrels. It runs between $35-$40.
 

Vermouth: I don't care what brand of vermouth you have in your home bar but for Pete sake put it in the refrigerator! This is a fortified wine product and has an expiration date. The reason people think that vermouth is nasty is because they have had the stuff from behind a bar that has been open and sitting out in the heat and light since the 1971 Playboy's New Host & Bar Book was being written. Gross. Vermouth is actually a lovely product. Monks came up with it and when have they ever been wrong about booze? Champagne, abbey ales... So when it is time for new vermouth cook with the stuff, have it as a light aperitif just don't sit on it for years.

Brandy: I keep E&J Brandy for cooking and making sangria and punches. I keep one bottle of good cognac for winter nights for the fire. I love Kelt vsop. It is around $55 but it lasts me all winter. One snifter and I am golden.
 

Assorted liquors: This is totally up to what your favorite flavors are. I usually recommend something creamy like Bailey's, something with a cassis or berry flavor such as Chambord or Creme Yvette and something floral like St. Germaine. Some of these finer cordials are rather expensive but you will use them sparingly in cocktails so splurge and get the best. A splash of St. Germaine can make even the most ho hum Prosecco taste great.

Don't expect to only spend the 1971 price of $140 to stock your bar. Don't be daunted however, gradually accumulating for a well appointed home bar is fun. There are also lots of ways around fully stocking for each and every party.

glassware

Glassware can be sexy. I am personally not that concerned with the shape of the breast of the woman that inspired the champagne glass but glassware none the less can be sexy. There are a plethora of different glassware options on the market but I personally only stock a few at my home bar and have never had a problem while entertaining. The 1971 Playboy's New Host and bar book feels dated here. My personal recommendation is that one should stock an all purpose wine glass, a highball or double old fashioned glass, some sort of glass that one could put a beer in or other "tall" drink. Currently I have been using stemless wine glasses for nearly everything. They are great for wine, cocktails and punches. With a fun beverage napkin I have also used them for mulled wine. I don't stock separate Irish coffee cups because I like the feel and look of the coffee cups in my regular dish set. I also feel it is crucial to have dishwasher safe glassware. Purists may bock at this but I even put my stemless Riedels in the dish. Sue me. The last thing a host wants to do at the end of a party is stand around hand wash dishes.

Au Revoir

The true host also knows how to have a graceful end to the evening. We have all (I hope) been to parties that lasted all night. While all night parties can be fun; as a frequent entertainer this is not the goal, or at least not always. Mario wraps up "The Code of Conviviality" with polite ways to get the people out of your house. Not a city dweller myself I find it clever that a suggestion be made to tip your door man in advance so that he will hail a taxi for your guests. As a suburbanite I would recommend having the name and number of a reputable cab company in your area. My favorite cabbie, Tony, will upon request come out to the burbs for me even though it isn't his territory. I have a long and slightly colorful relationship with Tony as he has driven me home to the burbs countless times "from work." Behind Bars your cabbie can be your ace in the whole. While entertaining guests at my bar and unwinding from doing such at neighboring watering holes it is easy to have enough to warrant a drive home.

 I digress here but; always develop relationships with the following people: your favorite cab driver, your bartender (naturally), the most knowledgeable person at your favorite liquor store, the valet at your favorite restaurant (they know all of the good gossip. Trust me.) and your butcher and/ or fish monger. These people make your entertaining a lot easier! I once wore a short skirt to my local grocery store every time I shopped for going on 2 years because the fish monger there had a bit of a crush on me. I never ever paid full price for fish!

So the quote of the day from the 1971 Playboy's New Host and Bar Book is: "bachelors as well as non bachelors- are getting away from the stodgy notion that parties attended must be parties repaid, like meeting a bank note on a certain date. The whole idea isn't to load your guests down with both liquor and the obligation to return the liquor, but simply to share fun and friendship."  Hmmm. Does a good host and party thrower not expect to be invited around for drinks? The whole social world even now- almost 2011- is based on the barter system. Isn't it?

When the revelers arrive

Thomas Mario lays out some very keen advise for making sure, as the host of a party one should be prepared. As a frequent host of small gatherings I have skimmed through these pages with the word "duh" floating through my mind. Right. But, we have all been to those get togethers in which no seeming preparations have been made and the host is figuratively caught with his/her pants down. As the guest in this situation I always feel like either an intruder or I want to take over and help. Not ideal scenario for a party goer.

The words of advise for the Playboy host is as follows:  "When the revelers arrive, remind yourself that no matter how busy the whirl, everyone appreciates a congenial word of welcome at the door." Reading this book puts in mind the now defunct series Swingtown. The pool party rages, half naked party goers everywhere, the stunned neighbors at the door greeted by a smiling host and the offer of a cold libation. Ahhh... good host manners. Are they a thing of the past? Did they die before I was born? Or can they be revived? Or does a good host now just facebook the new arrival and tweet his hot date for a rendezvous at the hot tub?

The Code of Conviviality

I recently ran across a very cool cocktail book at my local used book store. Since then, I have become rather obsessed with it. This combined with the fact that I have more than a passing obsession with 1) booze of all types (this is how I have made my living) and  2) entertaining people I have decided to follow one of my favorite movies and do a Julie and Julia inspired blog. Only with booze and not butter. I might not be as strict as Julie was either. We are talking about booze. And...Playboy!

That's right. I have procured a 1971 copy of Playboy's New Host and Bar Book by Thomas Mario. Unlike Julia Child I had no idea who Thomas Mario was before I purchased this encyclopedic cocktail shrine of a book. According to the book jacket Thomas Mario was the food and drink editor of Playboy magazine as well as writing the manual and other food and drink publications. Mario was also incredibly well traveled. Truly a playboy? Don't know. I do however have the utmost regard for Heffner. I also love the class and brass of early Playboy.

Mario starts by naming His first chapter "The Code of Conviviality" According to Webster convivial means : relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company. Hell yes! Any host however knows that this is truly an art! Mario says "Vital to every prearranged drinking session calls for two kinds of alchemy: the first is mixing potables; the second, mixing people." This statement is the foreshadowing for the fabulous insight this book has people, cocktails and hosting good times in style!