Louis XIII

Former cellar master George Clot said, “When you discover Louis XIII, you become a different man,” and in my case, it made me a different woman.  Time stopped, and for the rest of eternity, everything will be compared to Louis XIII. 

Read about it on Coolhunting >>

21 Club Wine Cellar with Tanqueray Old Tom

I recently went to the most gorgeous dinner in the legendary wine cellar in the 21 Club in Manhattan - hosted by Tanqueray to celebrate one of their new limited edition releases, Tanqueray Old Tom.  For those of you who are not familiar with the 21 Club, just know that it is a New York institution.  The website lists the preferred tables of celebrities such as Ernest Hemingway, Rod Stewart, George Clooney, and Bill Clinton, so pick your table wisely.

Rhymed Recipes - by Charles Green Shaw

I recently came across an unpublished cocktail book called Rhymed Recipes by Charles Green Shaw tentatively dated to the 1930s.  The Archives of American Art Journal by the Smithsonian Institution has published a short article about the book and its author in its most recent issue of Print (which can be downloaded here). 

Even more amazing, they've posted the entire unpublished book in their archive research collections.  I've shamelessly pulled a few pages of the book to share with you here, but I hope that you will visit their website and view the book in its entirety.

Hurricane Punch

One of my favorite party tricks is to make a big, delicious punch in my grandmother's antique silver punch bowl, served in her silver punch cups, and hand garnished for each guest.  It's always a statement of the party, one that get's people chatting about family, tradition, and punch.  Punch is also great because people can help themselves, so you don't have to spend the entire night shaking everyone's cocktails!

Grandma's Punch Bowl - A Treasured Family Heirloom
Photo by Meredith Kole

There are good punches and bad punches, but the general rule is "One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak", a rhyme that comes from the recipe for traditional Barbadian Rum Punch. 

The recipe for one of my all time favorite punches comes from a dear friend and flawless hostess, Miss Sklansky.  I have modified it a bit, 750 ml less of Rye whiskey, but it's delicious either way.  I've named my version Hurricane Punch because in the late summer months I fill my freezer with ziplock bags of water for storm preparation, and use the ice blocks in my punches during the remainder of the winter (good weather permitting).  After all, the key to a good punch is good ice, it keeps your punch cold while you can enjoy your party, and it adds the ever important cocktail ingredient, water.

Pre-Batched Punch, Ready to Serve

Hurricane Punch
Serves 15 

1 750 ml bottle Rye Whiskey (Bulleit is a one of my favorites) 
2 cups Ginger Liqueur (Barrows Intense Ginger or Domaine de Canton)
1 cup Freshly Squeezed LemonJuice
2 cups Pineapple Juice
2 cups Orange Juice
¼ cup Demerara Sugar
1/8 cup Luxardo cherry liqueur
A few dashes of Angostura bitters 
Ice Block


Slice a few lemons and float on top of the punch


Garnish:  Filthy Black Cherries, one cherry per serving of punch

Enjoy!

xx

A Guide to Vintage Spirits with Edgar Harden of Old Spirits Company

I met Edgar Harden of the London based Old Spirits Company at this years Manhattan Cocktail Classic.  He brought an impressive collection of vintage bottles to share - all in magnificent condition.  I oogled over the vintage bottles, the shapes of the bottles, the quality of the glass, and the handsome vintage labels for what seemed to be hours.  But then, he offered me a Vintage Negroni - made from 1960's vintage Beefeater gin, 1970's Martini Rossi sweet vermouth, and 1960's vintage Campari.  The vintage variation of the classic was all things that a modern Negroni promises to be; sweet, bitter, and strong - but there was something a little bit more subtle and mellow about this tipple - it was - transcendent. 

Behold:

I wanted to know more about this vintage spirits world - a trend that has the potential to not only challenge what we drink at our favorite watering hole, but also says a lot about how spirits have changed over time, and how the industry can continue to improve.  I recently sat down with Edgar Harden to pick his brain on all things Vintage Spirits.

Mr Edgar Harden at MCC

Without further ado:


Gastronomista: How did you start collecting and selling vintage spirits?

Edgar Harden: It happened by chance.  I was advising a client on the sale of some old wine, and he had me do a cellar clear out; for him this meant, sell the '82 Mouton and just get rid of the cases of 60s Gordons.  So I did, right into my own cellar.  I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth and citrussy it was.  As a patron of bars it was easy to sell them the remaining bottles, and the rest as they say is history.  Now I don;t do nearly as much work with old wine as I do with vintage spirits.


G: Where do you acquire said vintage spirits?

EH: I buy private collections.


G: What makes modern spirits different from their ancestors?

EH:  Chilled-filtration and the fact that modern spirits are made in much larger quantities than their ancestors were.  In many instances, the recipe is different for the modern version of a product of which we have vintage bottles.  The difference in taste is marked.  Southern Comfort is an case in point; the old version had Irish whiskey and no artificial colouring.

G:  What is the difference between a vintage spirit (aged in the bottle) and a vintage (aged in the barrel) ?  Can one taste the aging process in the bottle?  Or are we mostly tasting the difference in production over the years?

EH:  Vintage spirits are seldom dominated by wood flavors the way vintage spirits can be because of the time since they were in contact with the wood.  The wood is often superbly integrated in vintage spirits, such as Booth's gin or Prohibition and earlier Bourbons and Ryes.  You can definitely taste that a vintage spirit has aged in the bottle, and the taste of almost always pleasing, which is I assume why they have caught on.  As mentioned in question [prior], some of what you are tasting is the difference in recipe or production, but the old receipts and methods of production were almost always better.


G:  Why drink vintage spirits?

EH:  ...Bottle-aging is real and the taste of a transformed vintage spirit is almost always magnificent; alcohol levels drop slightly, distillate and plant flavors mellow and color because more seductive.  Often also the vintage bottles and labels are much more attractive than current versions, although some boutique products, like Dodd's gin, have gorgeous packaging.

G:  Who are your buyers?  Collectors?  Bartenders?

EH:  Private individuals both for drinking and to hold bottles as collectors; bartenders for themselves; bars, restaurants, clubs, members clubs; the brands buying back old product, which is I think a pretty big statement.

G:  Best cocktail to make with vintage spirits?

EH:  The simpler and purer the better so that the individual taste of the base spirit shines through with as little distraction as possible.  Vintage spirits do not take well to over-use of citrus; one must treat them gently and with patience, as one would a person who has been asleep and not conversed for 30, 50, 70 years or more.  All of this said Martini, Negroni, Manhattan.  There is certainly room to use vintage spirits in imaginative ways, but they must first be reevaluated, almost like a new ingredient and their application altered slightly.  White Vermouth is a perfect example; if you normally use it 6-1 in a dry Martini then you would want to use an oxidized vintage one maybe 12-1.  In a way it is to be likened more to Sherry and used in a new way and not as Vermouth.

G:  We've seen vintage chartreuse at pouring ribbons here in NYC, where else are you seeing this trend take off?  What cities/and or bars are your favorites?  Favorite cocktail served?

EH:  Vintage Cocktails are being made mostly in London (Experimental Cocktail Club, Lanesborough, Night Jar, Ritz, Savoy to name just a few).  The trend is catching on more slowly in the US, but bars like ECC, Pouring Ribbons in NYC, and Canon in Seattle are taking the lead.  I'm told that vintage spirits are served neat as drams as often as they are used in drinks, which is a testament their deliciousness.

G:  White whale bottle (ie the one you keep looking for, and have never acquired?)
EH:  Kina Lillet for the Vesper!

G:  I assume you have a great collection for yourself - what is in your personal vintage spirit bar?

EH:  1200 bottles and counting.  My personal vintage spirit bar is totally random.  It is generally quite large, but consists of a completely bizarre selection based on what I bought a lot of and could afford to sacrifice one bottle of or if one bottle in a group didn't have a great level or was missing its labels and couldn't be sold.

G:  Favorite bottle / year ?

EH:  Old Campari, the older the better, like 30s or 40s, please.


If you have further interest in vintage spirits - join the Old Spirits Company mailing list - for your daily dose of gorgeous vintage finds.


Many thanks to Mr. Harden - now off to find some vintage potations! 

xx

Brandy Alexander Day, You Say?

Truth be told, we had no idea it even was such a thing as Brandy Alexander day.  But apparently, such a cocktail merits an entire day reserved for it's consumption and riotous revelry! 

The kind gents over at Hire the Barman sent us over their infographic for said Brandy Alexander day, and you know how we feel about infographics....

Without further ado...

Get Shakin!

xxG

Historic Cocktails with David Wondrich

So you want to mix up some historical cocktails this holiday, but have no idea where to start?

Luckily, you can simply watch this video featuring the acclaimed cocktail historian, David Wondrich, make four historic cocktails from Jerry's Thomas' book, How to Make Cocktails: Or, the Bon-Vivant's Companion (available to download for free on Google play!!)  Mr. Wondrich teaches us how to make a Brandy Crusta, a Sherry Cobbler, Egg Nogg, and the awe-inspiring Blue Blazer.

Ever since we read Imbibe, we've been dying to see the Blue Blazer put into action.  It is a cocktail we will not try at home, as we are not interested in burning the house down... Thankfully, we can watch the skilled master perform this gorgeous lost art without any risk of burning our selves.  

Enjoy!

Queen of All Things...Potato

Ah, America.  We as a nation have always found pride in this expansive land, and the things we can grow on it.  We've recently found ourselves obsessed with the tradition of crowning Royals of Commodity - the Kings of Corn and Queens of Pineapple - an easy excuse for a big party, a parade, and a beauty contest.  Proud farmers would put their best produce up for competition; if it be perfect ears of corn, largest harvest, or their beautiful daughters.  Why ever has this tradition gone out of fashion?


Behold, our favorite Royals.

Frankfurten Queen, 1952

Susan Deen, Miss Potato Queen, Florida - Modeling in the Fields

Anne Goldsmith, South Carolina's Peach Queen, 1959

Who Needs Clothes When You're a Pineapple Queen?

Charlotte Rosenberg, First Ever Strawberry Queen, 1930

Corn Goddess, Mega Costume Points

Clearly, a Queen

Kenneth A Heath, Potato King 1931 - Brimming with Excitement

We here at Gastronomista HQ want our Doughnut Queen back!  (Read, we want to BE the Doughnut Queen).

Pork Queen.

Chester Troyer, “Corn King of the World” 1920

 

 

Pauline Powell, Strawberry Queen 1936

Orange Queen, 1930

Miss Idaho Potato, 1935, Ready for Her Close Up

We sure are nostalgic for all this pride in American product, and we're ready to compete!  Sign us up, we will compete for any crown - Kale Queen, Crowned Caviar Queen, or the Princess of Prosciutto!

xxG

The Rosebery - Mobile Cocktail Bar

Continuing our theme on mobile party vehicles, we've spotted the ultimate method of transportation - a British Double Decker bus converted to a fabulous roaming cocktail bar - The Rosebery Routemaster.

This roaming party bus is a restored iconic London Routemaster, with a 1930's inspired cocktail bar downstairs, and a glamorous dining room upstairs.  The upstairs section even has a hydrolic roof that raises up and opens!  It's got some handsome banquettes detailed with racing green leather and oak - a handsome background to sip on an Aviation.

It's fortified with flat screen tvs, surround sound systems, game cupboards, and a canopy that opens to provide shade so your event spill out into the surrounding greens. 

We're absolutely smitten.  May we take it on a tour of the British Estates and gardens?  Don't mind if we do....

 
Want more?  We recommend this delightful video about The Rosebery's creation:

THE ROSEBERY from London Video Reviews on Vimeo.



via VF.

A Day in the Life of a Bonacker…. Or Clamming Next to One…

Bonacker: the name for a native people of the Springs Area of East Hampton, New York.

One might be familiar with the Springs as the home to influential American painters, Jackson Pollack and Willem de Kooning, but the root of the community as home to baymen, fishermen, and farmers go way back some hundreds of years…or so this story begins…

Set to meet my clamming partner at daybreak…errr, 9am (it was a Sunday, give me a break, a girl needs her beauty rest), I made it out to the waters a little after 10am. Not fully awake, wading waist-high through Gardiners Bay, off of Three Mile Harbor, jolted me back to life. Al Lester welcomes me (aka Albie, aka Swampa is a true Bonacker, as well as a craftsman, contractor, jokester, and a real deal swamp man) and has gotten a head start.

He has jerry-rigged a rake attached to a belt, attached to a basket, combing the bay floor for clams and dropping them into another cleverly jerry-rigged basket that sits in hole of a cut out boogie board, keeping the clams cool in the water. As a commercial clammer, he has a order to fill of 800 clams for his family’s farm stand, Round Swamp, which also has incredible pesto pasta salad among other homemade prepared dishes.  By the afternoon and he makes it seem more like meditation than work.

Heading Out

Keepin the Clams Cool

Not so fast, all you eager clammers out there, everyone digging needs to be a local and licensed (read: pay taxes). However, with new rules, resident license holders can bring a guest (Thanks, Mom!). Also in the rules, each person cannot exceed more than 100 clams per person, but, that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

A few tips and how-to’s:

 -   Hold the rake with one hand and with light pressure
 -   A slight bump in the seafloor will indicate a buried clam
 -   Dig by moving the rake back over the bump and scratch the surface back and forth to wiggle the little guy free
 -   Pull the rake directly up towards you and gauge your findings


After a few pulls resulting in only some rocks and barnacles, I felt something suctioning to the bay floor. With a slight tug-of-war, I pried the little sucker free. A buried treasure, an Easter egg of the sea,  I found a clam!

Before chucking him into your basket, as we were told,  measure him against the gauge and toss any that are under size back to the bay. Next summer they will be prime for the plucking.

Al offered some other boy scout tips and tricks of the trade: if you stumble upon a “hot spot” of clams your first expert move is to “take a range” (unsure if that is a nautical or a Bonaker original term). From where you are standing in the water, line up two points on the shore with another two points at another angle of the shore. The intersecting point is where you stand (Consider this post a modern day topography class) and, in other words, a clam haven. Another power move is to rake 360 degrees from that point. As we know from social situations, friends like to hang out in groups, same goes for clams.

This Girl Found a Hot Spot!

Through the midday sun, I was equally worked on my Bonaker’s tan, filling up my basket with bounty and finding more peace than my yoga practice. Chatting with other clammers, you start to feel as if you are inducted into a community. Everyone chats with Al, as he is THE guy and nothing short of famous in these parts. Let’s just say if there was a clam club, he would be VIP (No euphemisms here). Al even regulates the area, quelling drama on the seas when a group of Long Island guys with heavy inflections when they had come back for another round after poaching their allotted amount. A jocular teacher even called out to me for “cheating” when I substituted the rake for my hands to pry a clam loose. Even the novice over here gets her chops busted.

Boat Full of Bounty

Over four hours traipsing and traversing the waters, I gathered a basket full of little necks, cherrystones, chowders, and even a random oysters! 

Here’s a rundown of the different types of clams:

Little Necks: The smallest of the clams. Great eaten raw or placed directly on the grill for a few minutes until they open and served with lemon and garlic
Cherrystone: The midsize guys. Best in Italian dishes like baked clams or linguine a la vongole.
Chowders: The big suckers. Perfect for cooking in dishes like the aptly named clam chowder soup and the Hampton’s Classic, Clam Pie.

With pruned, water-logged fingers and an upper body workout to rival that of any yoga class, I drag my bounty ashore. A day as a true Bonaker, or next to one, I enjoy the fruits of sustainability and the peace of the waters. Until Fall’s scallop season, Om Shreem Maha Lakshmiyei Namah.

Traditional to the East End of Long Island is the Clam Pie also know as a Bonac Clam Pie. Here is a recipe adapted from my Mom’s clam pie. Her words, “a little of this, a little of that, just go by feeling”.  Thanks again, Mom!

East Hampton Clam Pie recipe by my Mom

Pie Crust. An easy way to cheat is to store-buy your pie crust.  And I’m into the idea of cheating, especially after a full day of clamming. If you are feeling ambitious, follow your favorite pie crust recipe, but there’s no need to pre-bake the crust.

Mom's Clam Pie!

Pie Filling

3 C. of Shucked Clams, about 18-20 Clams 
1/4 C. Clam Broth (Clam Juice from Clams)
3 Small Red Potatoes
1 Onion
2 Stalks of Celery
6 Bacon Strips
1/4  Tsp. Oregano
2 Tsp. Flour
1/4 C. Cream


Preparation

Rinse clams well under cold water.
Steam clams open and reserve clam broth to add to mixture
Cut the potatoes, celery, and onions and the clams in bite size pieces.
Saute vegetables in clam broth, and once cooked, add the clams, bacon, cream, flour, broth, and oregano (and any other of your favorite spices). 
Once cooked, transfer filling into pie crust
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

xx Erica Schwartzberg

48 Hours in Oaxaca - A Mezcal Tasting

I recently jetted on down to Oaxaca City, Mexico, well, to drink Mezcal. Oaxaca is an amazing city in South Western Mexico, nestled in a lush valley, and surrounded by magnificent mountains.  The city is a mash-up of indigenous people and Spanish Colonialists - meaning bright colors, soaring churches, and awesome molé.  To name a few things that the we can credit the Spanish for: impressive architecture (said churches), and the art of distilling (mezcal).

Casa Armando Guillermo Prieto - Home of Zignum Mezcal

We landed in Oaxaca, battled traffic through the brightly hued streets, and finally made it to our hotel,  Camino Real, a former convent of Santa Catalina, built in 1576.  We were whisked off to the main dining event of the evening, which was held in what was the church adjacent to the convent.  A feast was already in place - enormous clay vessels full of beautifully prepared rice, vegetables, tortillas, and 3 different kinds of molé.  Be still, my heart.  There was a yellow molé with beef, a red molé with pork, and the traditional black molé with chicken.  (Apology for the lack of photo here - molé rarely photographs well).  Not surprising to you, dear reader, a Mezcal Margarita swiftly arrived into my hand, and one of my favorites - spicy, sweet, and smoky!

On the stage were dancers in traditional dress whirling about, and a band played in one can only imagine used to be the altar.  The dancers came out in many different styles of costume - each from the different regions of Oaxaca - covered in elaborate embroidery, intricate knits, colorful patterns, and shimmering ribbon.

After dinner we went over to a neighborhood watering hole - Los Amantes Mezcalería - where bartender/mezcal guru León poured tastes of his favorite Mezcals from massive, glowing glass vessels.  A guitar player sang in the middle of the small tasting room (working for a tipple, I'm sure), and I let my eyes devour every inch of the walls as I sipped on my Lemon Tea infused Mezcal - smoky yet sweet with the essence of citrus.  The walls of the tiny room are covered in Mezcal artifacts, traditional masks, paintings, and odd sculptures, the shelves painted a minty green reminiscent of Deyrolle in Paris. What a gem.  Praise the gods who made Mezcal there is a tasting room by the same owners here in nyc! 

Los Amantes Mezcalería

Mesmerizing, no?

Then for a night time stroll around the zócalo, which was full of people out celebrating on a Friday evening.  Street vendors were out tempting the air with the smells of delicious late night treats, and the young and restless were off to their next destination of the evening. 

Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán Surrounded by Agave

But this girl was exhausted, so back to the hotel I went, tickled with the mere thought of sleep.  And yet, on my bed, was not only a little taste of that legendary, spicy Oaxacan Chocolate, but this:

The Way to This Girl's Heart

  
The morning I woke refreshed, and practically ran down for breakfast.  I had heard rumblings the night before that the breakfast in the hotel was incredible - and let me tell you - it was.  Sweet corn tamales, molé tamales with sweet prunes wrapped in banana leaves, fresh pastries, fruit, cooked up sausages, beef, and eggs with spinach, salty Oaxacan cheese, and a full selection of fresh juices from guava, to pineapple, to cilantro.

Breakfast of Champions

We had a big day ahead of us - and we were off to Monte Albán, the archeological site up in the mountains overlooking Oaxaca Valley.  Monte Albán is believed to have been founded in 500 B.C., and was abandoned as late as 1000 A.D. .  At the city's peak, it was believed to have had a population of 17,200 people, making it one of the largest cities in Mesoamerica.

Central Plaza

The site is impressive - a city of residential and civic structures built for games, ceremony, and science.  The central "plaza" of Monte Albán is built like a stadium for large ceremonies, with areas for smaller ceremonies within the complex.  There were places for worship, an observatory to keep track of the calendar by tracking the alignment of the sun, ball courts, and ceremonial tombs.  The site is lush with grass, and overlooks the fertile valley surrounding it.  There is a serene calm to the place, but one can still imagine it filled with people, watching elaborate performances, heated games, or just going about their daily lives.

But we came here for Mezcal, no?  Yes!

A quick primer on Mezcal.  Mezcal is distilled from the maguey plant, a type of Agave plant.  There are over 200 different species of maguey all of which used to make the spirit.  Mezcal's more famous relative, Tequila, is made from blue agave and must be made in the state of Jalisco and a few other limited regions, by tequila law.  Oaxaca, is famous for Mezcal, tequila's strong, smoky, badass older brother, which for the most part is made today exactly the same was it was made 200 years ago.

Myth has it that a lightning bolt struck an agave plant, which cooked the center, and released the agave juice.  This "elixir of the gods" was reserved for priests and holy men.  Then, the Spaniards arrived, bringing distillation technology with them.  They were looking for something stronger than pulque (an indigenous alcoholic beverage made from the agave plant), and Mezcal was born. 

First to the Traditional Palenque:

As we drove into Matatlan, Oaxaca, "Capital Mundial del Mezcal", the first thing I noticed were all of the Palenques with their massive stone wheels used to mash the agave plants that lined the road as we started getting closer to our destination.  They were literally next door to one another - each shop making its own type - with tasting rooms and their specialty aguadiente (firewater) for sale!  The excitement!  If only there had been time to visit all of them! 

La Piña

This, in a quick summary, is how they prepare mezcal:  First the agave plants are stripped of their leaves, which are reserved for the smoking process.  About 100 piñas are smoked in a gigantic hole for three days, which is covered in agave leaves, wood, and hot rocks, and left to smoke.  The piñas are then cut up further and mashed using the iconic stone wheel, turned by a horse or a donkey.  The broken down pieces are moved to large wooden barrels, water is added, and they are left to ferment for another three days.  This is where mezcal gets wickedly exciting; there are traditional recipes that include adding pineapple, red bananas, cinnamon, and even a chicken breast or a turkey breast during distillation to impart more flavor.  (Note: the pechuga - chicken - mezcals are amazing.)  After fermentation, the juice is separated, and distilled using a copper still or sometimes a clay still, which too affects the flavor profile.  They then add water to the 120 proof Mezcal to get it back to 80 proof for legal consumption. 

Piña Pit

Mashing the Smoked Agave

Fermenting Agave

Distilling, and More Palenques Across the Street

120 Proof Mezcal

Traditional  production methods inherently make Mezcal small batch, and thus, the quantity is highly limited.  It continues to be a handcrafted spirit by nature, and the plants themselves take seven years to mature.  In recent years, there has been a more international interest in mezcal, and appropriately so, production techniques are changing to keep up with the demand.  Facing much controversy is Zignum, which uses modern industrial methods to make its mezcal, and instead of smoking the piñas, the mezcal is barrel aged at the end of the process.  The result is a milder, smoother version of the husky traditionally prepared mezcal, and yet is quite tasty.  I prefer the joven to the reposado - for I enjoy the clean spicy, almost sharp, smoky flavors. 

Barrels and Impressive Fermentation Equipment at Casa Armando Guillermo Prieto

Slightly Obsessed with this Awesome Label

Thankfully, at this point, it was time for lunch.  We were first greeted with a delightful round of Mezcal to sip, I started with a joven, it was lunch after all.  Followed by an even more delightful round of Mezcaltinis - why, I would like one - or one of each that is! 

Muddled Passion Fruit with 2 oz Zignum Reposado, Agave Nectar, Ice, Chapulin and Salt Rim

Hello, Friend

 
Lunch was pretty amazing - a spread of local flavors, and most ubiquitous of all were the citrusy, crunchy, chapulines (grasshoppers) a local delicacy.  Those little guys were in everything - the nuts, the tacos, the cocktail rims, the dessert!  It was quite a feast, squash blossoms stuffed with corn and cheese, Tongue Memelitas, filet of fish with capers and tomato marmalade with rosemary and honey, shrimp, a beef filet with mojo de chapulín (garlic grasshopper sauce), and chocolate rolls stuffed with Oaxacan chocolate mousse and guanábana, topped, with grasshoppers.

Totopos con Chapulines y Guacamole & Camarones con Yempura de Pitiona

Filete de Pescado al Limón con Alcaparras, y Mermelada de Tomate con Romero y Miel

Rollitos de Chocolate Rellenos de Mousse de Guanábana y Chocolate Oaxaqueño

And what else arrived at our table?  Zignum Añejo.  The Añejo is also made with Espadin Agave, and is aged for 12 months in oak barrels, compared to the 4 months of a Reposado.  This stuff is like the delicious freak child of Bourbon and Tequila.  A good portion of the smoke is softened by the caramel and vanilla from the aging process, it is extremely smooth, round, and yet has that spicy kick that I've been craving lately.  This, my friends, is a fine bottle of Mezcal.  Certainly not traditional, but sure to be a favorite in my liquor cabinet. 

12 Months of Aged Deliciousness

We had a few hours to ourselves - and I took to the streets.  For I, was not returning without a colorful momento of this amazing city.  After much negotiation, I victoriously purchased a handsome red Jaguar to hang on my wall - but here are a few of my other favorite finds:

Corazón with Milagros

Hand Painted Animals

 

Colorful Tin Corazóns

Time for Dinner you say?   

Off to Pitiona, a wonderful restaurant run by chef José Manuel Baños in the Historical Center of Oaxaca City.  We started off with a delightful sage cocktail with Zignum joven, and a plate of appetizers that featured Lengua, Totopos, a razor thin carrot taco stuffed with briney vegetables, a handsome filet of fish served with Chichilo-Mole, and Pork with Salsa de Chicatanas.  For those of you who aren't privy, Chicatanas are flying ants that are harvested for 2 weeks a year, and because their harvest requires timing, patience, and skill, they are very expensive - 400 pesos per kilo.  Although this dish was not my favorite dish of the evening, it was such an honor to taste this Oaxacan delicacy.

Sage Mezcaltini

Puerco con Salsa de Chicatanas

After dinner we decided to venture out for more fun - we hopped over to Café Central, by the same owners as Mezcalería Los Amantes.  Ok, truth, one of my cohorts had acquired a bottle of Mezcal from Los Amantes earlier in the evening on loan, and we were off to the second venue to deliver pesos to the man.

Café Central - Late Night Hot Spot

Did we find said man? No.  Did we dance until the wee hours of the morning? Yes.  This place was alive - stylish Oaxacans dancing to a range of music from traditional mexican to late night dance music.  At some ungodly hour I fell into bed, grateful for such an incredible day. 

Although we were off to the airport pretty early in the morning - I did get a taste of that legendary Oaxacan Hot Chocolate for breakfast - creamy, spicy, and nutty.  If only I could start every morning with such a delicacy...

I can't wait to return to Oaxaca again - I would love to have spent more time in the city, getting to know the people, the back alleys, and tasting more mezcal.  Mezcal the spirit, like Oaxaca, is a bit wild - born from different cultures, creative, colorful, spicy, and that smoke - oh that smoke - how you will crave it once you've tasted it. 

xxG

Want More? Go!

Eat:

Restaurante Pitiona Cocina de Autor
Allende 108, Centro Histórico
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico
01 (951) 51 40690 y 51 447

Drink:

Mezcalería Los Amantes
Allende #107, Centro Histórico
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico
Miércoles a Sábado
17:00-22:00 hrs

Los Danzantes
Macedonio Alcala No. 403-4,
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico

Café Central
Hidalgo 302, Centro Histórico
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico

Stay:

Camino Real Oaxaca
Calle 5 de Mayo 300, Centro Histórico
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico