Month: July 2018

Recreating the best cocktails of Tales ’17

~ DBCouper ~ Leave a comment

Heading into Tales of the Cocktail 2018 next week, I find myself thinking back to my top five cocktails of last year’s Tales. Some may prove continually elusive: will I ever have that many Rutte flavors before me ever again? Do I trust myself to experiment with chicken essence? Will I ever find the patience to make my own vanilla grapefruit shrub or track down a commercial version? Unlikely.

But I have attempted to recreate two of those top five.

IMG_20170720_124104397_HDRMequignon’s Pandanuze at TotC’s Do You Suze? 2017 Continue reading →

The joys and inconsistencies of aquafaba

~ DBCouper ~ Leave a comment

Aquafaba has been pinging cocktail radars for years now, but I still don’t see it on as many cocktail menus as I’d forecasted.

Seriously, what’s not to love? It’s less perishable than egg whites, avoids the unpleasant smell of egg whites, suits vegan cocktails, has savory and sweet applications, and its byproduct is (practically) delicious hummus.

Dirty Habit SF uses aquafaba to create a foam sturdy enough to hold a charcoal garnish.

In San Diego, Volcano Rabbit serves up an after-school treat of grown-up chocolate milk:  aquafaba, almond milk, coffee-infused tequila and chocolate coconut milk.

At Dosa in Oakland (or, to follow their style guide, dosa by DOSA), the Chickpea Sour offers fennel candy and revelations:  Continue reading →

I’ve come here to drink Genepy des Alpes and kick ass… and I’m all out of Genepy des Alpes.

~ DBCouper ~ 3 Comments
TheLastGenepydesAlpes
Maybe the last bottle of Genepy des Alpes in the East Bay.

Wither Génépy des Alpes?

“Where’s the Genepy des Alpes?”
“On the counter. Right in front of you.”
“It isn’t. This is… something else.”

It began with a standard trip. “I’m at Total Wine,” my partner texted. “What couldn’t we find at Bevmo recently?” “Genepy des Alpes,” I sent, and the bottle that arrived was very like des Alpes.

But it was not the same.

Continue reading →