Falling into Autumn

I love this time of year.  If you have ever been through the high deserts of Santa Fe, you know why.  The air is cool and crisp, the air smells of pinon fires, the sunsets are the most vibrant of the year.

Autumn also brings a host of flavorful cocktails into mind as we pass from the warm days into the cool nights.  One of the first that pop into my rotation is Hot Buttered Rum.

Recently I did a post on how to make your own Spiced Rum, which lends well to afternoon cocktails, but as the nighttime comes, it is time for a drink to warm the soul.  Here is a simple recipe to make a Hot Buttered Rum Batter.

BUTTER BATTER

1 pound brown sugar

1/2 pound unsalted butter

1 T Ground Cinnamon

1 T Ground Nutmeg

1 T Ground Clove

1 T ground Allspice

1 T Pure Vanilla (I use Mexican vanilla)

1 t ground anise seed

Warm butter to room temperature.  Combine all ingredients in mixer with paddle attachment or with a hand mixer.  If using a hand mixer, do not over beat!  Store in the chill chest for 3 weeks or freeze indefinitely.

To make Hot Buttered Rum

2 teaspoons of batter

1 1/2 oz amber or dark rum (or homemade spiced rum!)

8 oz hot water.

Place batter, rum and 2 oz of water in your favorite mug.  Stir to melt batter.  add the rest of the water, and stir again.

I also like about  1/2 oz of heavy cream added to mine which lends to a wonderfully smooth texture.  Better yet, add about 4 oz of GOOD Vanilla Ice Cream ( room temp again) the batter.  Yum!!

Not  a rum fan?   Ouch, Baby, very Ouch!

 OK do the same with scotch, brandy or bourbon.  Any of the dark liquors that tickle your fancy will make a great drink.

This recipe is also easily adapted for large groups.  Simply multiply the number of drinks by the ingredients, and you can make a large batch for your upcoming party.  Place the ingredients in a saucepan, heat, then  serve it out of a crock pot.  That simple!!

Hope you enjoy!

The Santa Fe Bar Store is now OPEN!!

It can be hard to find the right gear to outfit your bar  Well look no further! I am happy to annouce the launch of: The Santa Fe Bar Store.

This is the perfect place to get everything from bar books to glassware to a new backyard Tiki Bar!  Whether you are a home enthusiast, a nightclub operator or craft mixologist everthing you need  to stock your bar is right here.  Take a look!

Cap-On and V-Rod ready to Rock your Bottles!

Anyone who has known me for more than ten minutes knows that I am a gadget freak ( and I mean Alton Brown Gadget Freakish).  I absolutely love all my bar toys, and even carry my own gear to work each night.  But after over twenty years in the food and beverage world, it becomes more and more difficult to impress me with the latest and greatest.

This past week, however, I have been introduced to not just one but TWO new products that have very quickly become standard to my bar.  Cool thing is that they work together.

The first is the Cap-On.  This little pour spout allows you to have more control in your pour AND leave the original cap on the bottle.  This is fantastic for vermouths where oxidation is a concern as well as bottles that are not used in high frequency.  They will also eliminate any kind of contamination.

The Cap-On is great for the home bar enthusiast.  They are simple nad easy to put in, allow you to control the pour of your most expensive brandies and Bourbons, and don’t allow anything to get into the bottle (who hasn’t had an issue with fruit flies before?). 

Also ideal for liquor representatives who carry samples from acount to acount, these little pourers are inexpensive (only $0.67 a dozen plus shipping)!!

Profession pouring speed and the convienience of cap on storage.  What could be better?? Except….. Maybe……. something that help remove pourers from the bottle…………??

The V-Rod turns the standard bar blade into a  multi-tasker.  This redesigned  bottle opener slides easily between your bottles and your speed pourer allowing quick and smooth removal. 

There are several designs to choose from and each is magnetic.  The Kolorcoat technology allows both side of the blade to be decorated.

And if that ain;t enough for you, you can customize you V-Rod opener with a picture, your name, design or your bar or restaurant’s name and logo!  You can order as few or as many as you like.  Makes a  great gift for any bartender or cocktail geek in the upcoming holidays (hint, hint)

The V-Rod and Cap-On are  exclusively available my good friends at Bar Products.com Inc., the leading bar supply company in the U.S.  Take a look at all their great gear for your bar!

(For more info on customized products please visit Logo Bar Products.com)

All photos in this post courtesy of Bar Products Inc. and are subject to copyright.

A Shot of Tequila….and I don’t mean Tila

Living in the Southwest, and working as a bartender, you gotta know something about tequila.  And when I say something, I mean as much as you can stuff into your brain. 

 It has been the topic of some of many songs:

Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off, Joe Nichols

Straight Tequila Night,  John Anderson

Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo, Tracy Byrd

Tequila Sunrise, The Eagles

You and Tequila, Deanna Carter

Hey 19, Steely Dan (mentions Cuervo Gold)

(just to name a few)

 Some Trivia: Bing Crosby was such a fan of tequila, he arranged distribution of Herradura into the U.S.  Agave, the plant tequila is made from, is a member of the lily family.   Paris Hilton and Sammy Hagar’s drink of choice is tequila (hmmm).  And at the movies, Chevy Chase drinks a shot of tequila in Caddyshack and The Three Amigos (along with Steve Martin, and Martin Short).

 But for those who want to get down to the nitty gritty, tequila has its own internet community appropriately called ForTequilaLovers.com.  Created to enhance the love and appreciation of tequila, ForTequilaLover.com  is a free community for the Newby and the Conniosseur alike.  It is a great place to geek out, ask questions , compare tasting and share recipes with other enthusiasts.

 So if you want to learn more about this little sipper from South of the Border, take a look at ForTqeuilaLovers.com.  Bet you find everything you ever wanted to know!