Saturday Afternoon Cocktail

• 2012-09-28

  Drink of the Week - Chelsea Cocktail

  This week’s cocktail is a fun little drink using what is one of my favorite spirits out there right now. Bols Barrel Aged Genever is an amazing liquor blending what we love about gin with what we love about whiskey. It is truly a cocktail connoisseurs spirit.

  

  The Chelsea Cocktail runs the gamut of the flavors present in the Barrel Aged Genever. It incorporates Aperol liqueur, house made Pinot Grigio syrup, and fresh squeezed lemon juice in a cocktail that triggers every flavor profile. The first flavor is the oakiness and herbal notes of the gin followed by the tart lemon and bitter orange then finished with the sweet hints of stone fruit from the Pinot Grigio. The Chelsea is a complex, yet easy to drink cocktail that brings you back, sip after sip.

  Stop by Lucca this Saturday to try the Chelsea and see some of the other ideas I gathered from my recent trip to New Orleans. Classic and avant-garde abound. We will also have all our Happy Hour treats available for your noshing needs. I look forward to seeing you!

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!

  Chris 

• 2012-09-15

  Drink of the Week - Dr. Funk

  This week’s Saturday Afternoon Cocktail is a combination of great product and the brilliance of pioneers in early cocktailing. I recently got a bottle of the fantastic Zaya 12 year old rum and have been trying to figure out the best application for its complexity. While searching for inspiration through my reliable iPhone app, Mixologist (which everyone who likes to play with booze should have), I came across one of the best-named drinks I have ever seen and its story fits the rum perfectly.

  The Dr. Funk cocktail is a Tiki cocktail from before there were Tiki cocktails. The story of the cocktail is quite varied but the best summary I have found lies here. Regardless of its origination, it is a delicious concoction perfect for both the warm lingering days of an Indian Summer and the early days of a warm Fall. My variation uses the aforementioned Zaya 12 year rum, Velvet Falernum, house made grenadine syrup, a touch of Angostura, a bit of absinthe and a nice dose of fresh lime juice. A splash of soda adds effervescence to finish the drink.

  I’ll be serving Dr. Funk all day tomorrow along with all our Happy Hour drink and food specials from noon until 6. I look forward to seeing you!

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!

  Chris

• 2012-09-08

  Drink of the Week - La Poire Matin

  We recently held a cocktail competition amongst our bartenders at Lucca wherein they demonstrated their creativity beyond any expectations I could have had. Karlie Jones won with the truly delicious Julietta which will be featured throughout September as our Drink of the Month. This week’s Saturday Afternoon Cocktail is the brainchild of another of our bartenders, Mike Migliore, and based upon his entry into the same contest.

  La Poire Matin is a complex expression of the flavors of early Fall based on the classic morning cocktail, Corpse Reviver #2. His version incorporates a purée of roasted pear with your choice of gin or tequila, a hint of sage, Lillet blanc, Combier, citrus, and a touch of lemon. Finished with Prosecco and a fresh sage leaf, La Poire Matin is a fantastic cocktail to get the day running right.

  Voting on the best Bloody Mary in America continues and I will also be featuring the Hanoi Jane throughout the day in both its meat based and vegetarian flavors. If you have not yet voted, please go to http://www.absolutbloody.com/california and vote for the Hanoi Jane. Feel free to stop by Lucca today and try out La Poire Matin along with all our other stellar cocktails and some of our Happy Hour treats. I look forward to seeing you!

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!

  Chris

   

• 2012-09-01

  Drink of the Week - Gazpacho Jalisco

  Every once in a while the ideas for a cocktail are staring you right in the face. Late summer offers so much in terms of ingredients and flavors that it can often become overwhelming. This week’s cocktail is an homage to the flavors of the waning summer, where days begin to shorten and the nights begin to chill.

  Throughout the summer, I have seen amazing cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and some of the best mint come through the restaurant. The Gazpacho Jalisco is my way of celebrating these beautiful ingredients in a late summer cocktail. Inspired by the traditional dish, the cocktail also incorporates Espolon tequila blanco, fresh lemon juice, jalapeños, and a little dash of agave nectar. A touch of kosher salt and black pepper along the rim finishes a cocktail full of flavors at once familiar and unexpected.

  Today also begins the voting for the Absolut search for the best Bloody Mary in America. I humbly ask that you vote for the Hanoi Jane here. There are a lot of entries to sort through, so I appreciate your efforts. Stop by Lucca this Saturday and try out the Gazpacho Jalisco or any of the other cocktails you have been reading about. We will have all our Happy Hour treats from noon until six. 

  As a bonus, we will also feature Happy Hour specials on Monday evening from 4 until close for those of you seeking a respite from the Labor Day celebrations. I look forward to seeing you! 

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!

  Chris

• 2012-08-24

  Drink of the Week - Grassy Knoll

  Midtown Cocktail Week is in full swing and I hope you all have had a chance to check out some of the great events at various locations along the Grid. This week’s cocktail comes to you from Asheville, NC and a great bar called Sazerac. They were kind enough to share this recipe with me and, after a couple tweaks, I offer it for your consideration.

  The Grassy Knoll is an herbaceous, tart, and exciting expression of the aromatic qualities of gin. It incorporates lots of basil, green Chartreuse, lemon, simple syrup, and I am using Bombay gin as the base. Chartreuse is an herbal liquor that has been made by the Carthusian monks in France since the 1740’s. While the exact recipe is a secret, it is believed to include around 130 herbal extracts. The green variety is 110 proof and packs a flavorful punch into any drink. These flavors along with the tart lemon and fresh basil create a beautiful emerald green cocktail with delightfully crisp and complex taste.

  Muddle basil thoroughly with lemon juice and simple syrup. Add gin and Chartreuse. Shake well with ice and double strain into chilled single old fashioned. Add ice and garnish with the top of a basil sprig. 

  I will also be serving the Hanoi Jane (my Pho based Bloody Mary from last week’s email) and her crunchy vegetarian sister Berkeley Brenda for those of who eschew a meat inclusive lifestyle. Please come by this Saturday and try out these drinks along with anything else on our regular and Happy Hour menus. Lucca opens at noon. I look forward to seeing you!

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!

  Chris

  
  

• 2012-08-17

  Drink of the Week - Hanoi Jane Redux

  Hi all! I never rehash old recipes for the Saturday Afternoon Cocktail, but Absolut is sponsoring a Bloody Mary contest so I am bringing back the Hanoi Jane for another go round in hopes that you all love it and will vote me into a place at the final competition in New York. 

  The Hanoi Jane is a Pho inspired Blood Mary combining two of the best hangover cures out there. I start with Pho broth and tomato juice, then add Sriracha, garlic, black pepper, herbs, plum sauce and lots of love. Once the mix has brewed, I add cilantro infused Absolut vodka and a beef jerky salt rim then serve the cocktail with a side of jalapeño, sprouts and basil. If you love Pho and Bloody Marys, this is the drink for you.

  Stop by Lucca this Saturday to try the Hanoi Jane (while supplies last) again or for the first time and let me know what you think. We will also have all of our regular Happy Hour specials running from noon to six. If you can’t come around this weekend, shoot me an email and I will see about making another batch for next weekend (including a potential vegetarian version). Voting for the competition begins on 9/1 so I will send out another email with that information when the time comes. I look forward to seeing you!

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!

  
  

  Chris

   

• 2012-08-10

  Drink of the Week - Fallen Leaf

  This week’s cocktail is an exploration of flavors and cocktails I have in mind for the fall. Although the weather outside says we’re in the middle of summer, I like to think ahead a little and try to develop flavors for next season’s list. This edition of the Saturday Afternoon Cocktail gives you, dear readers, an opportunity to give your feedback on whether or not this cocktail should be featured on the Lucca cocktail menu.

  The Fallen Leaf is a cocktail perfect for those of you who like tart and spicy flavors. I muddle fresh raspberries with red chili pepper then add Leopold’s small batch American gin, apple juice, a touch of lime and simple syrup. Leopold’s small batch gin is made by individually distilling each of the botanicals separately, retaining only the hearts of each distillation, and blending the final distillates into a smooth, clean, and easy to drink gin. The herbal citrus notes of the gin blend incredibly well with the tart raspberries and the sweetness from the apple juice. A slight kiss from the lime and simple round out the drink and the chili gives it a nice finishing kick. A pressed mint leaf rests atop the finished cocktail for a fresh aromatic note just before sipping.

  Come by Lucca this Saturday to try the Fallen Leaf and let me know if you think it passes muster for our cocktail menu. We also offer our full Happy Hour menu from noon to six for an early afternoon snack. I look forward to seeing you!

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!
  

  Chris

• 2012-07-27

  Drink of the Week - Tuscan Towers

  Hello! Saturday Afternoon Cocktail is back from vacation with a cocktail inspired by the wine country of Tuscany. While in San Gimignano, we came across a Sangiovese jelly that I found perfect for mixing into cocktails. Slightly sweeter than the wine itself, the jelly highlights the berry and herbal notes while reducing some of the acidity.

  This week’s cocktail, Tuscan Towers, combines the flavors of Sangiovese with 10 Cane rum, lemon, clove and vanilla. The sweet earthiness of the rum brings out the fruit while the lemon and spices complete the structure and round out the body. Much like the wine itself, Tuscan Towers has a complex flavor profile without being too heavy for a summer day.

  Come by Lucca this Saturday to try the cocktail and all of our Happy Hour treats. As always, we open at noon. I look forward to seeing you!

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!

  Chris

   

• 2012-06-08

  Drink of the Week - Magic Mortar

  Sometimes you encounter a challenge that is just too crazy not to work. One of my fellow bartenders, Mike, sent me a text the other day with a flavor profile idea for a cocktail inspired by his trip to a sushi bar. His thought was that since ginger is such a popular cocktail flavor, we should try coming up with something that incorporates pickled ginger along with some of the other traditional sushi accompaniments such as soy or wasabi. I was excited/stumped/intrigued/doubtful and thoroughly determined to make it work.

  The Magic Mortar is the result of that challenge. I originally conceived of it as some sort of twist on a Julep and just ran from there. The salty-vinegar-hot flavor of pickled ginger keyed it all so I added brown sugar and black plum for sweetness, shiso and freshly grated wasabi for herbal depth and heat, Mike threw in some orange bitters and lemon juice for citrus notes and we used Bulleit bourbon as the backbone. The result is a complex cocktail unlike anything I have tasted before. Each ingredient plays a part with a salty-sweet flavor and a tiny bit of heat that begs you to take another sip.
  

  Stop by this Saturday for a whole new flavor experience and check out our new cocktail and wines by the glass lists. We will also have all of our Happy Hour treats rolling out from 12-6. I look forward to seeing you!

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!

  Chris

• 2012-05-25

  Drink of the Week - Port-of-Spain

  Once again, it has been a busy week at Lucca, but there are a couple fun things to share with you all. The first is the new ‘Pass the Mic’ IPA from Berryessa Brewing. This 7.0% ABV IPA was brewed in honor of MCA a.k.a. Adam Yauch and has an amazing hop character with just the slightest citrus undertone. For those of you who love IPA, this one is a stellar representation. Second, we are really close to rolling out our new summer menu with updated cocktails and wines by the glass. This has been a huge undertaking and hopefully you will like the changes we have made.

  This week’s cocktail continues my exploration of Caribbean flavors and offers a little nod to Tiki style drinks as well. The Port-of-Spain is a combination of 10 Cane rum, Myers’s Dark Rum, Velvet Falernum, fresh strawberries, lemon juice, lime juice, orgeat syrup, egg white, and pink Himalayan rock salt. The drink has a slightly creamy texture with bright strawberry and tart citrus notes backed by the rich almond and clove of the orgeat and falernum. Finally, the light dusting of salt rounds out the flavor experience. All together the Port-of-Spain packs all the flavors of a summer trip to the Caribbean.
  

  This Saturday there will be two of us behind the bar to craft our libations for your drinking pleasure. Please stop by to try some and taste our happy hour snacks. I look forward to seeing you!

  
  

  Thanks for reading and happy drinking!
  

  Chris

  
  

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