A Thirsty Spirit

A San Francisco bartender by the name of Ernest P. Rawling wrote the following about a fizz in his 1914 Rawling’s Book of Mixed Drinks:

“…the next in favor is surely the Fizz – the long drink par excellence.  At any time or in any place where the tongue and throat are dry; when the spirits are jaded and body is weary; after a long automobile trip on hot and dusty roads; it is then that the Gin Fizz comes like a cooling breeze from the sea, bringing new life and the zest and joy of living.”

We’re using vodka, we’re serving it up and we’ve added an egg white, but after sampling it, you’ll find the zest and joy of living, too.

Some old fizz recipes call for powdered sugar. We call that superfine today. One barspoon is all you'll need for this recipe.

Wildberry Fizz
2 oz. Vintner’s Wildberry Vodka
1.5 oz. St. Germain
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 egg white (this is the equivalent of 1 oz.)
pinch of salt
barspoon of superfine sugar
1 oz. seltzer water

Combine all ingredients except seltzer over ice and shake vigorously.  Add the seltzer, shake some more and strain into a chilled martini glass.

The egg white, seltzer and shaking-it-like-you-mean-it contribute to the beautiful froth on top.

This cocktail is fruity, tart, floral and light as air.  Some folks are sensitive about raw eggs in drinks, but I’ll let the NYT tell you what happened at the Pegu Club a few months ago. 

Guess we’ll be listing a raw egg warning on our cocktail menu at L’Ecole.  I’ve tasted the pasteurized egg whites in cocktails side by side with non-pasteurized egg whites and there’s a noticeable difference.

I can’t say it’s the most appealing name and I’ve tended to avoid cocktails with milk ever since my parents casually mentioned they’ve gotten “into trouble” after consuming White Russians.  On the other hand, the nutmeg reminded me of a Painkiller from the Soggy Dollar Bar and I’ve had New Orleans on my mind recently after seeing the first few episodes of Treme.  I like how the bartender gets a little breathless after shaking his drink.

The Brandy Milk Punch

1 ½ ounces brandy
1 ounce simple syrup
½ bar spoon high quality vanilla extract
A couple ounces of Half-and-half
Cubed ice
Grated nutmeg

Pour brandy, simple syrup, vanilla extract and half-and-half into a pint glass. Add ice to a shaker and shake the concoction until well mixed and frothy. Add cubed ice to a rocks glass and, using a strainer, pour the mixture into it. Top with a bit of grated nutmeg.