Amer Picon, Torani Amer and Amer Boudreau

Amer Picon is yet another of the "lost" ingredients popular among the cocktail crowd these days. Originally invented by Gaetan Picon in the mid-1800's, it was used to combat malaria, first by himself, then by the French Army during his time in Algeria. It contains orange peels, gentian root and quinine among other things.

The formulation changed forever in the 1970's when it went from 78 proof down to 39 proof, making it difficult to recreate the flavor profile and potency of the original version in cocktails. The new formulation is only widely available in France and is not sold in the U.S.

A number of people have set out to recreate this classic ingredient, most notably the Torani company, maker of all of those flavored syrups (their orgeat is my favorite), who market a product known simply as Torani Amer. At 79 proof, many enthusiasts proclaim this to be close replica of the original Amer Picon. And apparently things improved recently when people started noticing a distinct lack of an undesirable vegetal, celery-like flavor element, which they believed pagued this product for a long time. (I have not tried the pre-reformulated version). The reformulated version is very good with a distinct orangey nose, is fairly high alcohol, and has a nice bitter finish. It is very popular in San Francisco and anywhere with a large Basque community (e.g. San Bernardino, Fresno) where Picon Punch seems to be a cultural phenomenon.

Recently, well known bartender and cocktail enthusiast Jamie Boudreau developed an Amer Picon replica known widely as "Amer Boudreau" (recipe here) which makes use of a homemade orange tincture (dried orange peel soaked in high-proof vodka or grain alcohol), Ramazzotti Amaro (which I originally discovered while in Italy - fabulous on its own) and Stirrings Blood Orange bitters. The version I made is a little sweeter than the Torani Amer, but part of that is due to the fact that I used 80 proof vodka so the overall proof level is lower. I'll use a higher proof vodka or Everclear for my next batch.

As far as cocktail recipes, three that I really like are provided below. I discovered the recipe for the Brooklyn Cocktail in an article in Imbibe magazine titled "Gone but not Forgotten" about defunct and lost ingredients.

The Picon Punch recipe is adapted from the recipe in the book aperitif by Georgeanne Brennan. There are a lot of variations on the Picon Punch recipe - many do not use lemon juice at all, but only the peel as the garnish. Some omit the soda. I like both in there. It is an amazingly refreshing cocktail and you can increase or decrease the amount of soda quite a bit without diminishing the enjoyment of this beverage.

The Liberal cocktail recipe is from CocktailDB and makes use of rye and orange bitters. It's similar to a Manhattan but with an extra orangey flavor profile in the background. I'm increasingly becoming a fan of the Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond (BIB) rye whiskey, which I recommend in this cocktail. While I gave it low marks on its own during a recent rye tasting, I've found that it brings out an extra dimension in mixed drinks (especially when paired with Carpano Antica Formula vermouth) and is fast establishing itself as a standard for me in the Manhattan.

Brooklyn cocktail
2 oz rye or bourbon (Sazerac Rye)
3/4 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz Amer Picon (or substitute)
1/4 oz maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)
Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a marasca cherry.

Picon Punch
1 1/2 oz Amer Picon (or substitute)
1.5 tsp grenadine (homemade)
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1 tsp brandy
soda water (~2-4 oz. depending on level of refreshment desired)
Add ingredients except brandy to a large-ish wine goblet, top off with soda, add lemon twist and float the brandy.

Liberal Cocktail
1 1/2 oz rye or Bourbon whiskey (Rittenhouse BIB)
1/2 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica Formula)
1/4 oz Amer Picon (or substitute)
1 dash orange bitters (Regan's)
Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a marasca cherry.

Final Notes - The currently available forms of Amer Picon - Torani Amer and homemade "Amer Boudreau" are enjoyable base ingredients for a number of interesting cocktails. The Torani Amer is inexpensive and readily available ($10.99 at BevMo) and makes a delicious Picon Punch among other things. For those of you enamored with the idea of making your own spirits, the "Amer Boudreau" is fairly easily made and delicious as well - similar but slightly sweeter. So pick up or make a bottle of Amer and find out what it's all about for yourself.

The Sazerac Cocktail

The Sazerac Cocktail is reputedly America's first real cocktail. Originally made with Cognac, it was an elixir which made fairly heavy use of Peychaud's bitters, which were marketed as a tonic for the stomach.

For those new to Peychaud's bitters, it is a bright red herbal bitters with more sharp flavors than Angostura (which tends to be more rooty) with a distinctive clove character.

A great history of the Sazerac Cocktail is provided here.

I find the standard 1 tsp. sugar recipe a tad too sweet. Also, I find Old Overholt a bit lacking in character, resulting in the same overall impression in a Sazerac cocktail. Based on the results of the rye tasting, my brand of choice for this cocktail is Wild Turkey Rye (101 proof). If you want something around 90 proof, I think that Sazerac Rye edges out Russell's Reserve Rye for use in this drink (although Russell's edged out Sazerac on a stand alone basis).

Although absinthe is recommended, so little is used that I find it hard to get too caught up with this aspect of the cocktail. Herbsaint is traditional as it locally produced in New Orleans. I typically use Granier pastis, our "house brand" (Julie is a big fan of pastis). Finally, I like to discard the lemon peel. While it may feel a tad undergarnished, I enjoy the purity of the resulting cocktail, with the aroma and essential oils of the lemon coating the rim and surface of the liquid.

The Setup (not shown - Hawthorne strainer)

Sazerac Cocktail
2 oz. rye whiskey (Wild Turkey or Sazerac 6y)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp branch water (southern for bottled water)
4-5 dashes Peychaud's bitters
lemon peel
Absinthe, Herbsaint or Pastis

Fill one old-fashioned glass with ice. In a second glass, place sugar and bottled (or otherwise neutral) water and swirl until dissolved. Fill with ice and add rye. Dump ice from the first glass and pour a tiny amount of absinthe (or substitute) and swirl to coat the glass. Discard excess. Stir the rye and ice mixture and strain into the absinthe-coated glass. Twist lemon peel over the drink's surface and rim the glass. Discard peel.

The Rise of the Ryes

Rye whiskey has certainly risen in popularity over the past several years. A number of specialty high-end ryes are popping up all over the place, including some aged a quarter century or so and costing upwards of $150.

The subject of this post is more accessible ryes in the $25 or less range. While I like the spicy, aggressive aspects of rye whiskey, if I'm going to spend $150 on anything to sit back and contemplate, it's more than likely going to be scotch.

I collected a handful of mid-low price range ryes for a comparative tasting and an assessment of how each of the ryes fared on their own, and as a potential mixer in such classic rye cocktails as the Manhattan and Sazerac cocktail. There are a number of interesting articles/posts out on the web. A few that I came across are worth checking out, both in terms of history/information on rye whiskey as well as others' tasting experiences:

eGullet rye writeup here
Cocktail Chronicles tasting here
Gary Regan article here

As for the ryes in the tasting, I selected the following based on some past history and based on some research into recommended brands in this range:

1. Wild Turkey Rye, 101 proof, $17
2. Wild Turkey Russel's Reserve Rye, 90 proof, $25
3. Sazerac 6 year old, 90 proof, $22, single barrel #109 ("hand selected by the staff of Hi-Time Cellars")
4. Old Overholt, 80 proof, $13
5. Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond, 100 proof, $17
6. Jim Beam Straight Rye, 80 proof, $17

Following are the tasting notes and ratings. Whiskies were tasted with Rob and were tasted blind.

1. Wild Turkey Rye
Matt's Notes
Nose - Nutmeg spiciness
Taste - Lots of flavor development. Incredible overall balance. Best in class.
Finish - Nice spicy finish
Rating - 90

Rob's Notes
Vanilla and wood on the nose, Very full bodied. Higher proof (?).
Rating - 92

2. Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve Rye
Matt's Notes
Nose - Light aromas, sweet toffee
Taste - Not a lot of flavors developing, but a decent overall balance
Finish - slightly short and hot
Rating - 88

Rob's Notes
Sweet maple on the nose. Spice and pepper on the finish. A bit harsh.
Rating - 87

3. Sazerac 6y old
Matt's Notes
Nose - Some good buttery oak and grainy notes
Taste - Smooth, nice balance, but a bit lacking in complexity.
Finish - Nice long finish
Rating - 87

Rob's Notes
Sweet grain and caramel flavors. Full-bodied with a nice finish.
Rating - 90

4. Old Overholt
Matt's Notes
Nose - Banana chips, some oaky rye notes.
Taste - Smooth. Non-complex, but more so than the Jim Beam.
Finish - Decent spicy finish
Rating - 86

Rob's Notes
Banana chips on the nose as well as oak. Thin mid-palate and rather short finish.
Rating - 85

5. Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond
Matt's Notes
Nose - Something in the nose I don't care for - not sure if it's toasty oak or the grain
Flavor - Good flavors, but more of the nose character
Finish - Fairly harsh
Rating - 85

Rob's Notes
Subdued, but pleasant nose. Full-bodied, bourbon-like. A bit of hotness in the finish.
Rating - 89

6. Jim Beam
Matt's Notes
Nose - Banana chips again (more than Old Overholt)
Flavor - Not a lot of flavor development. Sweet middle-palate
Finish - short
Rating - 84

Rob's Notes
Turpentine on the nose. Woodsy and harsh on the finish.
Rating - 81

Overall Ratings:

*** First Place ***

Wild Turkey Rye (92/90)

Unanimously voted the best of the bunch. Great rye character, good complexity and wears its high proof well.

** The Rest **

Matt

#2 Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve (88)

#3 Sazerac 6y old (87)

#4 Old Overholt (86)

#5 Rittenhouse bottled in bond (85)

#6 JimBeam (84)

Rob

#2 Sazerac 6y old (90)

#3 Rittenhouse bottled in bond (89)

#4 Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve (87)

#5 Old Overholt (85)

#6 Jim Beam (81)

Final Notes - Maybe a bit of a surprise that the Wild Turkey 101 proof Rye carried the day, but it was the clear winner with a solid combination of complexity and rye spiciness. All of this despite (or because?) of its high proof. The largest scoring disparity was the Rittenhouse bottled in bond, which had something on the nose, and to a lesser extend the palate, that I was not enamored with. Jim Beam was the clear loser of the bunch. We found it to be simple and lacking in character, which was a bit disappointing based on its high marks in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.

The Manhattan Cocktail

The Manhattan cocktail is a classic. A marriage of whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, a Manhattan, made properly with quality ingredients and served in a chilled cocktail glass, is at the pinnacle of cocktaildom.

I recently reflected on my preferences for a great Manhattan. I ran across an interesting article from reknowned Bartender's Bible author Gary Regan here. Great article with a lot of interesting variations discussed. I think a lot of what he says holds true, with a few exceptions.

First of all sweet vermouth should come from Italy. Dry vermouth should come from France. Of the "standard vermouths", I prefer Martini & Rossi to Cinzano (and the French Noilly Prat) based on a recent tasting. Carpano Antica Formula is an excellent and complex vermouth that makes an absolutely outstanding Manhattan, but one on the drier side. Likewise, Carpano Punt e Mes is more rich and bitter than the standard vermouths and makes an excellent Manhattan if, and this is a big IF, your whiskey can stand up to it. You will need a full-flavored whiskey to balance the richness of Punt e Mes.

Second, a Manhattan was originally made with Rye. Some rye recipes are required. Wild Turkey ryes are my favorite. The regular bottling was tops in a recent tasting. The Russell's Reserve is also good as as is the Sazerac 6y old which scored similar ratings. For mixing, I'd recommend the Sazerac over the Russell's Reserve, as I've found when tasting them together that the Saz has a slightly more assertive character, but is a little "hotter" and perhaps less balanced, which matches to a cocktail better. Both are fine choices, though.

Finally I do like a fair amount of Angostura bitters, 3-4 dashes is my optimum. And I gotta have a maraschino cherry (but do not encourage using the syrup in the cocktail). You can also use Italian brandy-soaked cherries or Luxardo brand gourmet maraschino cherries, if you want to go the extra mile.

What follows are two recipes each for a Bourbon-based and Rye-based Manhattan. I have paired a lighter whisky with the Martini & Rossi Vermouth and more full-flavored whiskies with the Carpano Punt e Mes or Antica Formula. A #4 made with Antica Formula is my current favorite and just may be my favorite cocktail, period.

#1 Bourbon (lighter)
3 oz. Maker's Mark, Jim Beam Black or Basil Hayden's bourbon
1.5 oz. Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
3-4 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

#2 Bourbon (richer)
3 oz. Knob Creek bourbon
1-1.5 oz. Carpano Punt e Mes or Antica Formula
3-4 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

#3 Rye (lighter)
3 oz. Sazerac 6y Rye
1.5 oz. Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
3-4 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

#4 Rye (richer)
3 oz. Wild Turkey Rye
1-1.5 oz. Carpano Punt e Mes or Antica Formula
3-4 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.