For Part 2 of Ted Perez's Riesling/cheese tasting, labels from different regions such as South Australia, Central Coast, California and Columbia Valley, Washington were tested along side more potent and unique cheeses. Cheese selections included a Sottocenerre with Truffles and Uniekaas Parrano.
In lieu of the traditional weekly cocktail, Ted Perez + Associates did a two week taste testing of wine and cheese pairings, specifically cheeses that pair with Riesling. Riesling is a white, aromatic grape varietal that has perfumed aromas in addition to a high acidity [hence its characteristic dry and crisp taste]. The high acidity of Riesling also makes it suitable for extended aging (high quality or off-dry Riesling wine has been enjoyed at an age exceeding 100 years). Riesling's long history extends as far back as the 15th century when Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen referenced "22 shillings of Riesling vine cuttings for the vineyard" in his storage inventory [dated March 13, 1435]. In 1477, the grape was also documented in Alsace under the spelling "Rissling".
Riesling is highly "terrier-expressive", meaning the character and taste of the wine can vary greatly based on its place of origin. In order to maintain a greater variety of flavors and characteristics, labels were selected from almost every major Riesling-producing region including Germany, France, California and Australia. To pair with these varying labels, Ted Perez selected popular cheeses from each wine's respective region. Pairings include Monterey Jack and Colby Jack cheeses from California, Morbier cheese from France and Gouda cheese from Germany.
The Ted Perez drink of the week is the Rusty Nail. The Rust Nail, which is a combination of Scotch whisky and Drambuie, is a classic cocktail that was invented in the late 1950's by Norman MacKinnon of New York's 21 Club. It's most commonly enjoyed on the rocks, however, it can also be ordered straight as a 'Straight Up Nail'. The origin of The Rusty Nail's name has been rumored ever since its invention. Some say it was originally stirred with a rusty nail while others have tried to rename it entirely [one west coast-based barman tried to rename it the Knucklehead, but it never took off.
Beyond it's roots as a classic American cocktail, the Rusty Nail is also an official IBA [International Bartenders Association] cocktail that is used in the annual World Cocktail Competition [one of only eleven cocktails in it's category - After-Dinner Cocktail/Sweet]. Due to this, the Rusty Nail is one of the most noticeable and frequently ordered drinks made by professional bartenders.
Unlike most cocktails, the Rusty Nail is 100 percent liquor. As such, it's important to choose a quality Scotch whisky since it will be providing the bulk of the cocktail's depth and flavor. The addition of Drambuie is only incorporated as a sweetener and counterbalance to the biting, hot taste of the Scotch. With this in mind, Ted Perez + Associates carefully selected a diverse range of Scotch whiskies that range from traditional choices like Johnnie Walker Red Label to single malts from craft distilleries like Lagavulin. The cocktail is a simple 2 to 1 combination of Scotch whisky and Drambuie.
Hot Buttered Rum, or Rum Toddy* as it's referred to in some regions, is a delicious heated spiced rum cocktail that's widely popular during the chilly winter months (it's also the Ted Perez Cocktail of the Week). The roots of Hot Buttered Rum date back to when a similar variation called Battered Rum was popular in Colonial America. When Jamaica started exporting molasses to New England in the 1650's, colonists began adding distilled spirits to create Battered Rum and eggnog, among others. Hot Buttered Rum even made it's way into early American politics. According to the American Heritage Cookbook, political candidates would provide generous amounts of the drink to constituents in order to influence their vote. While the recipe traditionally calls for dark rum (for a richer, more caramelized flavor), Ted Perez tested this holiday favorite with both medium and dark rums including The Kraken, British Navy Pusser's, Cockspur, Goslings and Juan De La Cruz.
* "Toddy" is the term given to a hot cocktail that's made with boiling water, sugar and spices.
For the Cocktail of the Week, Ted Perez put a twist on the classic Dirty Vodka Martini recipe by replacing the common offerings with organic vodka labels. Over the last few years, organic beer and wine selections have steadily multiplied, while hard liquor tended to trail. One reason for this could be that there's no discernible chemical difference between the alcohol distilled from organic fruits and grains and traditional garden variety grains. There is, however, a slowly growing organic spirit market that consists mainly of vodka and a few labels of whiskey, rum and gin. Currently, organic vodka is predominantly distilled from corn, wheat and rye (thus far, there isn't a pure organic vodka potato). Although the differences between organic and traditional vodka may be minute (if any), certain organic varieties provide real benefits. For example, Prairie and Square One are kosher and Rain is ideal for consumers who have gluten allergies, since it's distilled from corn. While taste testing, Ted Perez sampled other organic labels including TRU and 360.
Ted Perez's cocktail of the week is a second, and the original, variation of the Sidecar Cocktail (mixed with Cognac). Both brandy and Cognac are interchangeably used in the cocktail since both are essentially wine that has been distilled. What is important to know, however, is that all Cognac is brandy but not all brandy is Cognac. Brandy can be distilled from almost any fruit in any region. Cognac, on the other hand, is made from grapes grown in the Cognac region of France. There are also strict guidelines for how Cognac is made. It must be distilled twice and then poured into oak casts made from Limousin or Troncais oak (these trees are found in forests in the Cognac region) - this aging process is very costly due to the fact that about 60% of the Cognac evaporates.
A Cognac grading system, invented by Maurice Hennessy, in 1865 is used on every bottle of Cognac. Grades include VS, VSOP and XO which are aged for 3, 5 and 6+ years, respectively. Over the past week, Ted Perez tested and analyzed five labels with the Sidecar including Cognacs from the Landy, Hennessy and Hardy distilleries.
The Ted Perez Cocktail of the Week is the Sidecar. By our books the Sidecar was invented by an American Army Captain living in Paris during World War I. The name comes from the motorcycle sidecar that the Captain would often ride into the city. As an old bird tells it, he was so chilled from riding in the wintery months that he would enjoy the warming combination of cognac brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice. Despite debate, what's certain about the Sidecar's history is that the rejuvenating cocktail is now the most common Cognac cocktail in Paris. The cocktail has two main variations: one with brandy and one with Cognac. Over two weeks, Ted Perez + Associates will be sampling both variations with five separate labels of both brandy and Cognac. This week, five brandy labels were chosen from a variety of countries including the United States, Spain, Scotland and Germany. This week's variation was also mixed using Grand Marnier in place of Cointreau.
For week two of Ted Perez's German/Oktoberfest "Beer of the Week", the remaining eleven beer tasting reviews, as well as the final verdict on which brews took the TP seal of approval, have been posted. The rest of the tastings are authentic German beers coming from breweries such as: Paulaner Salvator Thomasbraeu, Augustiner-Brau and Erdinger Weissbrau.
Every year in the middle of September, over six million people gather in Munich, Germany for The Oktoberfest. The festival began in 1810 when Bavaria's Prince Ludwig married Theresa of Saxony. In celebration of the union, the townspeople held a party in the fields surrounding the city. It was such a success that they held it the following year and eventually, it turned into a tradition. Today, the festival is still held in the same fields as it was almost two hundred years ago. Although originally held in the middle/end of October, the festival's start date was moved to mid September in 1872 to take advantage of better weather. Next year's Oktoberfest, which starts on September 18th, will mark the festival's 200th anniversary.
In recognition of this time-honered German tradition, Ted Perez + Associates has decided to taste test twenty hand selected German and Oktoberfest brews to determine which one (or couple) is worthy of the Ted Perez seal of approval.
The Ted Perez Cocktail of the Week is the Pisco Sour, a drink that's roots date back to the days of Philips Dos y Tres. Bookniks will tell you around the time Spaniards brought the grape to Europe in the 17th Century, the King of Spain outlawed wine, thus forcing the locals to conceive a different, and much more potent, kind of alcohol [yeah, no grapes gave birth to Shine...right]. In honor of this inspired discovery, Ted Perez sampled the signature pisco mix this with four different labels.
The Ted Perez Cocktail of the Week is the Dark ‘N' Stormy - a highball style drink popular in many British Commonwealth countries. This delicious refresher is a combination of dark rum and ginger beer. When poured correctly, the rum rests atop the ginger beer to create its beautiful layered effect. An interesting fact about the Dark ‘N' Stormy is that it's one of very few cocktails to have a trademarked name. In fact, the Gosling family has patented the exact combination of the ingredients; 2oz of Gosling's Black Seal Rum and a splash of ginger beer (label unspecified).
Ted Perez, deviating slightly from these guidelines, sampled the cocktail with a combination of three carefully chosen ginger beers and an additional rum label (Whaler's Rum). The chosen ginger beers included: Bundaberg (the most popular choice in Australia), Maine Root and Fentimans.
Our subject this week is Audrey Saunders' Gin Gin Mule. This modern refreshment is part Mojito and part Gin buck (before the Moscow Mule came along, ginger ale/beer drinks were called “bucks”). A combination of gin, simple syrup, ginger beer, lime and fresh mint make for a smooth, restoring highball. Over the last week, Ted Perez painstakingly taste-tested this cocktail with four different gins [taking a break on Monday following a foggy 21st for Apprentice Developer Don Francisco] to ascertain which label best compliments the combination of flavors.