The Saints came marching in to The Big Easy on Tuesday to celebrate their first Superbowl victory, so I invented a new mix to share the glitz (from the other side of the continent). Call it the Ne Plus Ultra (The Flawless).
The Ingredients (by proportion)
3 Parts Bourbon
2 Parts Mandarin Orange Liqueur
1 Part Herbsaint
2 Parts Fresh Lemon Juice
Shaken hard and served up (no garnish).
Just enough of the traditional flavor of the Deep South to evoke the smooth side of the alligator. Soothe that savage beast!
6 comments:
Gotta try this.
Charles referenced this cocktail in his blog. Drool drooling, I raced upstairs to make one & he (& you) were absolutely right.
Not having Mandarin Orange Liqueur, I substituted equal parts Hangar 1 Mandarin Blossom vodka and simple syrup. (My wife manages St. George Spirits, so -- unsurprisingly -- our bar is stocked with their wonderful products.)
Also substituted St. George Spirits Absinthe Vert for the Herbsaint (which I used to love but now never use).
Great drink.
Ingredients are important, George, but trying alternatives is the road to discovery. Herbsaint is just Pernod under another name, I think. The Mandarin liqueur has a piquant tangy edge which is not quite like Triple Sec.
I've probably mixed something like 1500 different cocktails in my time, restlessly experimenting with different ideas.
There's a place in the city called Bourbon & Branch which is modeled after the Speakeasy Era--have to knock on the door and even make reserveration (!) apparently. I have yet to try it.
Bottoms up!
"Ne Plus Ultra" would be "Mai Tai" in Tahitian, no?
Some concepts cut right through linguistic difference. Vodka, gorzalka, Usque Baugh (Gaelic), whiskey, and eau-de-vie are all "water of life."
Lined up right there on the shelf.
You couldn't be more right about ingredients, Curtis. Unfortunately liquors are like fonts: I've got hundreds (& in the latter case thousands) yet I often don't have exactly the right one. (Have to try the Mandarin liqueur.)
Lucy & her coworkers did a field trip to Bourbon & Branch (which they loved). But their allotted time ran out & poof! they were back on the street.
Bourbon & Branch became too well known. It is a tourist spot now. The best bartenders from bourbon & branch left and are now mixing at a restaurant/bar called Beretta. It is located at 1199 Valencia St. in the Mission district. Here you will find the best cocktails in the Bay Area. It is worth the trip.
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