flip » The Red Shaker

Happy Hour- Flips and Rickeys

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Jun 172011

Shaker One here. I was recently invited to join a friend for a little tuesday happy hour fun at a place I had not tried yet-The Westside Tavern (downstairs). He promised delicious cocktails including a Watermelon Flip, which intrigued us both. Sadly, when we got there the bar did not have the watermelon drink available. But we consoled ourselves with two other tasty beverages.

Nothing like walking up to the bar to meet your friend and they already have your drink waiting for you. A Grapefruit Rickey . This is a really nice not overly tart version of the classic rickey. St. Germain is added to soften the tang of the grapefruit juice. A fantastic summer sipper.

Next up was our replacement for the watermelon flip:

The Strawberry Tarragon Flip

Wow. I think I’m glad they were out of watermelon. Fresh strawberries and tarragon muddled with lime juice, vodka, simple syrup and pasteurized egg whites-shaken, strained into a martini glass and garnished with a spanked tarragon leaf. What? You don’t spank your herbs to release their essential oils? Naughty, naughty tarragon.

This cocktail knocked my socks off. Subtle and airy. You could taste the freshness of the ingredients and no one overpowered the others. I could have put away several of these. Easily. I look forward to crafting this at home. Though I’ve used thyme, rosemary, basil, cilantro, and of course mint in cocktails, I’d never thought to add tarragon. I can’t wait to try tarragon with other fruit/booze combinations.

Sadly it was a school night, so our happy hour sipping stopped there. But I will be back to sample the rest of their cocktail menu another time. A great spot to grab well crafted drinks before/after a movie and super convenient location smack dab in the middle of the West Side. Now I’m off to buy some tarragon.

Size (Or Rather Shaker) Does Matter

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May 202011

If you haven’t noticed, Shaker One has been on a bit of a flip kick of late. Something about Spring makes the foamy lightness enticing to me. I’m finding myself taking all sorts of “regular” cocktails and flipping them. Since I’ve already had my failed experiment with Mr. Frothee, I’ve decided to stick with egg whites. I am finding a big difference in the head that results from a regular shaker vs. a Boston style shaker.

Tonight’s victim? A classic Vodka Gimlet. <Forgive me Raymond Chandler>

Wanting just a light cocktail to end the weekend, I threw the usual suspects into my regular shaker, added ice, one egg white, and gave the whole thing a shaking like I was trying to force a confession out of it. Vigorous though my efforts were, when I poured it out into the glass, it was only moderately foamy. Huh. Now, I usually use a Boston style shaker for all things flip. Tonight I just happened to grab the shaker in front in the bar. I suspect that the extra room in a Boston shaker allows more movement of the ice and liquids, resulting in increased foam volume. I shall need to do some further research to back up this theory.

The cocktail itself was quite enjoyable, despite it’s pittance of foam. At the last minute (and after the photo) I shook just a dash of bitters onto it……very nice! It added a good balance to the tart sweetness of the Rose’s Lime. Tough to beat a classic gimlet.

Next up in the exploration of all drinks flip~ Meringue: Breaks Down or Holds Up?

Heads Up!

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Apr 242011

Shaker One here. I enjoy a good flip. And by flip I am referring to a cocktail shaken with an egg white to create a foamy “head” on top. In addition to the head, you also get a sort of velvety mouth feel to the drink itself. I find it lovely.

But there are many who have an aversion to the idea of using raw eggs in any form. For this there are foaming products which are supposed to create the same result without the accompanying danger of salmonella. I’ve long been curious about their efficacy and on my last trip to The Candy Store (Beverage Warehouse) I picked up a bottle to try.

My liquid guinea pig? The Spicy Lemon Drop. Feeling a bit scientific, I threw a few dashes of our new friend Frothee into the shaker with the ice and ingredients as instructed. <shakeshakeshake>

It poured out into the glass with a somewhat more subdued head than I get with an egg white, but still noticeable. And as I raised the glass to my lips I noticed a subtle smell. Not quite plastic, not quite chemical, but also not quite pleasant. Hmmmm, maybe it just has a bit of an odor. I forged ahead.

Gahhhh~there was that oddness in the taste as well! I got about 1/3 of the way through, trying to tell myself that I’d get used to it. It isn’t overpowering, but because I could smell it as well as taste it with each sip, I found it mildly repugnant. My poor lovely Spicy Lemon Drop, sacrificed down the drain in the name of science. (a moment of silence in deference to his service please)

Conclusion: Frothee-darken my shaker no more. I’d sooner risk raw egg ramifications. If you’re pregnant or immune compromised I would not recommend a flip. But then if you fall under those categories perhaps you shouldn’t be having a cocktail to begin with. I’ll stick to my egg whites to get a good foam.

And now I’m off to wash the taste of Frothee from my lips. Gahhh.

Shake-a-tini!

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Apr 042010

Hello and Happy Easter to all our Shaker pals. For all of you in Southern California- how did you enjoy your Easter Roll? Yes, a healthy earthquake made me feel like I’d already enjoyed a couple of our ‘tinis. Spring is here and some ingredients on hand inspired me to create a new ‘tini:

The Nasturtium Flip:

Vodka, fresh squeezed orange and key lime juice, a little sweetener, and egg white for foam and finished with a few dashes of Fee Bros Lemon Bitters. And yes, that’s a nasturtium from my balcony garden!

Shaker 2 popped up to weigh in on this:

Delicious. Summery, fresh, with possibilities for other pairings……..

We shall play with this ‘tini again.

For all of you who were looking for the easter ‘tini…..check back tomorrow. There will be something tasting coming in to your e basket.

Happy Easter, Happy Spring, hope your day was lovely.
Shakers out.