Sunday 28 August 2011

Blind Tasting: American Rye

American Rye plays a major role in the early history of american cocktails and distillation.  When Scottish and Irish settlers of the 1600's began their new lives in Colonies of Pennsylvania, Maryland and the Carolinas they faced a major dilemma.  A lack of whisky.  With the vast abundance of rye it only made sense to apply their skills of whisky making to this new crop.  Rye continued to be the whisky of choice for Americans until the enactment of the volstead act in 1919 which nearly abolished all traces of this tipple.  With in the last 5 years people have been beginning to realize that rye whisky is more then just a misnomer for canadian whisky.  A renaissance of rye is currently in full force.

Earlier this summer in July I attended an evening of imbibing on mezcal at Clive's Classic Lounge here in Victoria B.C.  With the recent success of that night a new monthly event has been spawned.  Clive's Tasting Panel is a ticket only event limited to 12-15 people.  The tasting panel has the opertunity to taste some of the best spirits available in their category.  For the first month of the tasting panel American Rye was the featured spirit.  The whiskies to sample were as followed

Sazerac 6 Year Old
Distilled at: Buffalo Trace
ABV: 45%
Price: $50
Rye Content: N/A


Sazerac 18 Year Old
Distilled at: Buffalo Trace
ABV: 45%
Price: $180
Rye Content: N/A


Rittenhouse 100 Proof
Distilled at: Heaven Hills
ABV: 50%
Price: $45
Rye Content: 51%


RI 1 Rye
Distilled at: Jim Beam
ABV: 46%
Price: $50
Rye Content: N/A


Old Overholt 4 Year Old Rye
Distilled at: A. Overholt & Co.
ABV: 40%
Price: N/A Not Available in B.C.
Rye Content: N/A


High West 16 Year Old
Distilled at: Former Seagrams Distillery, Lawrenceburg, IND
ABV: 46%
Price: N/A Not Available in B.C.
Rye Content: 80%


Hight West 21 Year Old
Distilled at: Former Seagrams Distillery, Lawrenceburg, IND
ABV: 46%
Price: N/A Not Available in B.C.
Rye Content: 53%



The whiskies were placed in no particular order and were rated on; appearance, aroma, taste and finish.  I have a few believes when rating a spirit.  To begin I don't rate on appearance.  We live in a fake world.  Fake hair, fake tans, fake tits and fake colored whisky.  While I am not aware of any laws regulating coloring for American Rye Whisky, but I do know is that I have tasted enough whisky colored with E150 to realize that not all spirits show their true colors.  So with that being said everyone gets a 5 out of 5 for appearance!


Another note. I like to take time to get to know my whisky.  I could have spend an hour per whisky, discovering all the small nuances and qualities that each whisky has to offer.  I can never give a final verdict on a whisky until I've gotten to know it.  Like a beautiful women you need to take her out on more then one date to decide if she's marriage material.  With that being said, I am open to giving any of these whiskies a second chance.


Tasted from bottom left to bottom right in clockwise order.

With only 2.5 - 3 hours of tasting I concluded with the following scores along with a few tasting notes. 


Old Overholt 4 Year Old Rye
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 3.5
Taste: 3
Finish: 2
Total: 13.5


While Old Overholt still has a obvious youth it is by no means a bad whisky. Cinnamon, clove, oak and campfire ashes make for a fairly pleasant nose.  The tastes follows the same path as the nose but unfortunately a weak finish results in a whisky better suited for mixing.

Rittenhouse 100 Proof
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 3
Taste: 4
Finish: 3
Total: 15

The aroma of pears, coffee and antique shops (yes...antique shops)  is initially over powered by the sharp smell of alcohol.  A small edition of water help open this whisky up to a salty, herbal dram with notes of licorice, oak and molasses.  Decent finish but fades within a short period of time.

High West 16 Year Old
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 4
Taste: 5
Finish: 4
Total: 18

I'd like to thank who ever decided to put these barrels of whisky away 16 years ago.  A massive blast of rye results in a wonderfully balance whisky containing carmel, raisins coconut, black pepper cinnamon along with countless other notes.  Strong spicy finish that lasts long after the glass is empty.

Sazerac 18 Year Old
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 4
Taste: 4
Finish: 5
Total: 18

There is a reason why Jim Murray has rated the Sazerac 18 year old in the 90 every year since this rye's inception.  A slightly sweet rye with notes of vanilla, raisins, carmel, mint, anise and juniper.  While it scored the same as the High West 16 year old I would have to claim the Sazerac 18 year old as my favorite whisky of the evening.

RI 1 Rye
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 5
Taste: 3.5
Finish: 5
Total: 17.5


They need to make candles that smell like this whisky!  Without a doubt the best nose of all the whiskies.  Lots of berries (strawberry, black, blue), cupcakes, vanilla in the nose.  Unfortunately the taste is what keeps Ri 1's from being an amazing whisky.  Light and fruity on the palate with a slight spice.  The finish more then makes up for the taste.  Long subtle fruits, christmas spice and a prominent banana after taste makes this a very memorable whisky.

Sazerac 6 Year Old
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 4
Taste: 3
Finish: 3
Total: 15


Sazerac 6 year old is what you imagine a rye should taste like.  Cinnamon, allspice, black peppers and other all a spicy whisky.  A subtle sweetness of chocolate and vanilla notes round this whisky off with a solid equilibrium.  While still a little rough around the edges, Sazerac 6 year old is a great whisky which makes an even better Manhattan.

Hight West 21 Year Old
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 2.5
Taste: 3
Finish: 3
Total: 13.5

I found my self disappointed with this whisky.  High West 21 year old lacks the back bone of most rye whiskies.  Flavors are more subtle, with more time I may be able to better appreciate this whisky but when stood next to Sazerac 18 year old and it's younger brother the 16 year old High West it falls short of noteworthy.   On the nose, tabacco, vanilla, oak.  Slight honey sweetness and spices on the palate.  Very week finish, diminishing rapidly.



The evening was alot of fun.  Not a serious tasting of pretentious whisky "Aficionados" displaying a pissing contest of the palate.  Just a regular group of people with a passion for spirits and a desire to broaden their knowledge.  Lastly I'd Like to thank Shawn Soole of Clive's Classic lounge for hosting, I look forward to future tastings... Especially the Tequila and Scotch tastings.

Wednesday 24 August 2011

The Trader's Tipple

Before we were imbibing Sazeracs and Mint Juleps, a bowl of punch was the refreshment of choice. Spanning countries and social classes, the flowing bowl was a vastly different beverage then the one we know today. What has morphed into a vile mixture of soda, canned fruit juice and vodka, punch is slowly regaining it's historical roots mainly due to David Wondrich's book simply titled "Punch".

I took advantage of what may be the last stretch of warm weather this past weekend in Victoria B.C. by making a punch to take to a family outing.  Punches are the most efficient way of pleasing the most people with minimal amount of effort.


The Trader's Tipple (Serves 4-5 People)
- 6 oz Rum
- 4 oz VS Cognac
- 3 oz Lemon Juice
- 3 oz Grapefruit Juice
- 2 oz Chilled Silk Road Herbal Chai Tea (Brew hot and let cool)
- 2 oz Sugar (By Volume)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Peel of 1/2 a Grapefruit
- Peel of 1 Lemon

- Add the peel of one grapefruit and one lemon to sugar
- Muddle citrus peel into sugar until all peel as been fully macerated
- Let sugar and critic peel sit for 1 hour
- Add chilled tea, vanilla extract and fruit juice to Oleo-Saccharum
- Stir until all sugar has dissolved
- Add Rum and Cognac
- Chill Punch for a minimum of 2 hours in fridge
- Strain Punch through a fine mesh strainer to remove all citric peel
- Decorate punch with thin slices of lemon peel, grapefruit peel, star anise and what ever else takes your fancy


One thing you must consider when making a punch for a large group of people is what kind of imbibing do these people normally participate in.  If you are making a punch for wine and beer drinkers it's best to leave the punch a little less boozy then you would normally like.  After all you can always add more booze.  I prefer an extra ounce of Cognac and Rum.  The above recipe's preparations are a bit on the small size for a punch but feel free to adjust to make enough for your gathering.

Monday 15 August 2011

Mixology Monday: Come To Your Sense

Another Mixology Monday, another reason to drink on a monday.  The one monday of the month that no one can hate is hosted by 12 Bottle Bar.  The concept of this month is a rather obscure and challenging one...


We all know that cocktails are supposed to taste good, and for this event, we’re going to take that as a given.  What we’re looking for, instead, are drinks that truly excite one or more of the other senses: touch, smell, sight, or even hearing.[...] For inspiration, we suggest the grand garnishes of Kaiser Penguin, the flaming fantasia of the Pegu Blog’s Halikai Hot Tub, the sonic symphony of Aviary’s Old Fashioned in the Rocks, the vivacious visuals of Scott Beattie, ingenious ice, semi-solid shots, jiggling jellies, or even – if you’re willing to go there – Pop Rock rims.  The goal, we hope, is for everyone to embrace the fun, the challenge, and the potential absurdity of the event.  It’s time to think outside the glass.
I took that as a way to show off some of my most creative -yet unpractical- ideas.  My inspiration for this MxMo post comes from Canadian born barkeep, Jamie Bourdreau.  When I first started my mixology odyssey little over a year ago Jamie Bourdreau's segment on Small Screen Network called Raising the Bar was tipping point that go me skimming the surface of molecular mixology.  While I've yet to dabble with liquid nitrogen, spherification and other advanced techniques,  Foams, dusts and toasting ingredients are some of the methods I've recently been endeavoring in.

For this month's cocktail I've taken a modern classic, Paul Harington's Jasime and gave it an ever more modern take.

Jasmine
- 1.5 oz Gin
- 0.25 oz Campari
- 0.25 oz Cointreau
- Lemon Honey Foam *
- Dehydrated Campari & Cointreau**

- Rim cocktail glass with dehydrated Campari & Cointreau
- Place cocktail glass in freezer to chill
- To a mixing glass add Gin, Campari and Cointreau
- Add ice and stir
- Strain into prepare cocktail glass
- Top with lemon honey foam


* Lemon Honey foam consists of
- 4 Egg Whites
- 3 oz Lemon Juice (Strain through fine mesh strainer after juicing)
- 5 oz Honey Cinnamon Syrup (2 parts honey 1 part water 5-8 cinnamon sticks)
- 0.25 oz Acid Phosphate
- 2 oz water

- Add all ingredients to isi whipper.
- Double Charge, shaking between charges
- Chill in fridge over night

Note: The foam will last for about 10-15 minutes.  It will slowly dissipate into the drink.  From a flavor stand point this is not a bad thing, but it sure looks ugly if you haven't finished the drink after 20 minutes.

** To dehydrate a liqueur all you need to do is pour your desired liqueur on a plate and let it sit for 5-14 days (depending on current climate).  Some liqueurs will not work because they are sweetened with artificial sweetener.  An easy way to determined that will and what will not work is by looking at the neck of the bottle.  If there is a build up sugar like substance on the neck it's good to go!  Campari, cointreau, chartreuse and strega will all work.

The theme of this drink is textures.  The sweet grit of the liqueurs, the sour airiness of the foam and the silky strength of the cocktail all complement each other in the same way as everyone favorite salt, tequila and lime combo.

I hope to have stimulated 4 of 5 senses with this cocktail.  The initial display seduces the eye, the smell of the foam lures the nose, the fell of the sugar stimulates to the touch of the limps while the taste is tempting to the tongue.

...and if you drink enough of them your favorite album will sound waaaay better.  5 out of 5 right?

Maybe not.  None the less I had tons of fun participating in this months mixology monday.  I  took alot of guilty pleasure in experimenting with the salt, tequila, lime process with this cocktail.  Swapping the salt for dehydrated sugar, tequila for the cocktail (Including foam) and lime for lemon.  Thanks to 12 Bottle Bar for hosting as well as choosing a very interesting topic.  I can't wait to read all the other participants posts.

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Blind Tasting: Gin

Hard work lies ahead...

The realm of luxury spirits has reached far beyond that of cognac.  Long has the term "Premium" been throw around as carelessly as the label "Martin".  With expensive frosted bottles of vodka filled gems and gold flake lettering cascading over shelf space, it is no surprise that this virus as spread into nearly every spirit market today.  Cachaca, Tequila and Gin can now all be found baring the title "Premium".  But what is premium, and what is just marketing smoke and mirrors?  Even after putting your money down and popping the cork on that fresh bottle of bourbon how do you see past preconceived thoughts of that old saying "you get what you pay for"?

With a home bar rivaling the selection of many establishments here in Victoria I asked my self, why do I have 12 bottles of gin?  Isn't that a bit excessive?  With the limited selection of spirits in British Columbia when ever a new spirit (mainly whisky and gin)  becomes available I do some quick research, ask some local bartender's opinions and make my purchase.  With gin being one of the only spirits that is truly meant for mixing I never sit down and enjoy a glass of gin neat.  To determined what is really worth the money and what is just gin in vodka's clothing I have prepare a blind taste test.

Separated into three categories, Standard (Under $31), premium ($31- $49) and super premium ($50 and over) I have divided the 12 gins into three heats.  Each heat consisting of four various grades of gins.  I will select one gin from each heat as my favorite.  Then, the final three gins will be compared to find an over all favorite.  This process will be repeated twice more with the overall winner from the previous tasting being removed for the proceeding tastings. This will help me decide which gins are worth continuing to purchase.  But as stated above, I never drink gin unadulterated so it would not do justice to simple judge a gin strictly on it's characteristics neat. The exact same process will be repeated with the 12 gins being employed in a classic dry martini.  Four parts gin, one part dry vermouth, one dash of orange bitters and garnished with a lemon zest.

This blind tasting will not be to determine the "best" gin, only my favorite.  This is only one person's opinion.  If you do not agree with my opinion please leave your comment below and I will be sure to review it.  The gins I have chosen are as followed


Standard Gins


Beefeater
ABV: 40%
Price: $24
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Coriander Seed, Lemon Peel, Seville Orange Peel, Liquorice, Almond, Angelica Root, Angelica Seed, Orris Root
Country of Origin: England
Established: 1820

Tanqueray
ABV: 40%
Price: $14
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Coriander Seed, Angelica Root
Country of Origin: England
Established: 1830

Bombay Sapphire
ABV: 40%
Price: $14
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Lemon Peel, Coriander Seed, Angelica Root, Orris Root, Grains of Paradise, Cubeb Berries, Cassis Bark, Almonds, Liquorice
Country of Origin: England
Established: 1987

Plymouth
ABV: 41.2%
Price: $30
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Coriander Seed, Angelica Root, Orris Root, Cardamom, Orange Peel, Lemon Peel
Country of Origin: England
Established: 1793

Premium

Beefeater 24
ABV: 45%
Price: $40 ( Recent Price Drop to $30)
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Japanese Sencha Tea, Chinese Green Tea, Seville Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Grapefruit Peel, Coriander, Liquorice, Angelica Root, Bitter Almond, Angelica Seed, Orris Root
Country of Origin: England
Established: 1820

Tanqueray No.10
ABV: 47.3%
Price: $43
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Coriander Seed, Whole Grapefruit, Whole Lime, Whole Orange, Chamomile 
Country of Origin: England
Established: 1830

Spirit Bear
ABV: 40%
Price: $45
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Coriander Seed, Ginger Root, Lemon Peel, Orange Peel, Hop Flowers, Lavender, Okanagan Apples, Cinnamon, Angelica Root
Country of Origin: Canada
Established: 2011

Hendricks
ABV: 44%
Price $43
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Coriander Seed, Caraway, Angelica Root, Orris Root, Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Cucumber, Rose Pedal, Chamomile, Elderflower, Meadowsweet
Country of Origin: Scotland
Established: 1999

Super-Premium

Victoria Gin
ABV: 45%
Price: $50
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Rose Pedal, Coriander Seed, Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Angelica Root, Star Anise, Orris Root, Cinnamon Bark
Country of Origin: Canada
Established: 2008

Martin Millers
ABV: 40%
Price: $50 (Recent Price Drop to $45)
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Cassia Bark, Liquorice Root, Coriander Seed, Angelica Root, Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Nutmeg, cucumber
Country of Origin: England/Iceland 
Established: 1999
Addition Notes: Distilled in England then shipped to Iceland to be water down to bottling strength

The Botanist
ABV: 46%
Price: $55
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Coriander Seed, Orris Root, Cassia Bark, Angelica Root, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon Peel, Orange Peel, Liquorice, White Birch, Chamomile, Creeping Thistle, Lady's Bedstraw, Elderberry, Gorse, Common Heater, Hawthorn Flowers, Lemon Balm, Meadowsweet, Foxtail Mint, Peppermint, Water Mint, Common Wormwood, Grande Wormwood, Red Clover, White Clover, Sweet Cicely, Bog Myrtle, Tansy, Common Thyme, Wood Sage
Country of Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Established: 2011
Additional Notes: Distilled at the Bruichladdich Distillery

G' Vine Floraison
ABV: 40%
Price: $75
Known Botanicals: Juniper, Coriander Seed, Nutmeg, Cubeb Berries, Ginger Root, Liquorice, Green Cardamome, Cassia Bark, Green Grape Flowers
Country of Origin: France (Cognac)
Established: 2006
Addition Notes: Base alcohol distilled from ugni blanc Grapes

* Note all prices are in canadian dollars per 700/750ml bottle and reflect the price paid at time of purchase.  Also this is British Columbia, our liquor prices are ridiculously high and therefore do not reflect the prices of your local liquor stores.

Before going into the tasting I had no perceived ideal gin.  It was simply a matter of do I like it or not.  I've been waiting to due a blind tasting for sometime now.  Once I decided nearly two months ago that it would be gin I outright stopped drinking gin until the tasting.  This way I would have no recollection of the flavor profile of any gin.  The only one characteristic that every gin must have is a noticeably present juniper note.  For me, it does not matter now prominate this juniper note is.  Once again, it only matters If I like it and would I continue purchasing the gin.

After seven days and 28.5 ounces of gin later (half ounce pours) I came to the conclusion of my favorite gins, both neat and in the Dry Martini.

Best Gin: Neat

3rd Place
Tanqueray No. 10
From the first time I ever had Tanqueray No. 10 in a dry martini with grapefruit bitters and a grapefruit zest I from then on proclaimed Tanq 10 as my favorite gin. It's strong citric integrity and smooth finish places Tanqueray comfortably in 3rd place in the "Neat" category.

2nd Place
G'Vine Floraison
I was first introduced to G'vine through Art of The Cocktail here in Victoria last October.  I had be aware of G'vine for approximately six months prior to the festival. Multiple magazine articles and internet buzz made this gin a high priority.  Even after trying to bribe the brand rep I still could not get my hands on a bottle.  The dry martini made courtesy of Philip Duff on the closing day of the festival would have to tie me over until I finally found a bottle for sale on New Years Eve.  It was more then worth the wait.  Being distilled from ugni blanc grapes is more then any kind of marketing gimmick for G'vine.  There is a clear grape and white wine taste to this gin.  With Citrus, juniper and liquorice in the forefront of this gin, it hold the fort of 2nd place.

1st Place
Martin Miller's
Wow.  That is all there is to say about this gin.  upon the first inhale of this gin a clear cucumber, dragon fruit, juniper and citrus peel nose unravels.  Martin Miller's Gin is a true avant grade gin.  It is unlike any of this competitors. While the juniper is subtle, it is still clearly a gin.  Tasted neat there is almost a slight cola taste buried amongst the cucumber (remember, this is no actual cucumber in the gin.), citrus, juniper and christmas spice.  The easiest way to describe to someone what Martin Miller's tastes like is by saying "it tastes like what Hendrick's should taste like".  Martin Miller's is among three gins selection -including spirit bear, plymouth and Botanist- that I have never had prior to this tasting.  My only complaint about Martin Miller's is that the damn bottle leaks when turned upside down with the cap on!  Fortunately an easy fix compared to some problems encountered with other gins in this tasting.


Next, the Martini tasting.  One can only take so much room temperature gin.


Four Teeny-Weeny Martinis




Best Gin: Dry Martini


3rd Place
G'Vine Floraison


2nd Place
Tanqueray No. 10



1st Place
Martin Miller's




As you can see there was nearly no change in the placement, which for me was somewhat disappointing.  For I was hoping that three gins that crashed and burned in the neat tasting would fair better in the martini tasting.  The following gin I would not purchase again,  The Botanist, Plymouth and Beefeater 24.  All of which suffered from an imbalance of flavors and a scorching alcoholic burn.

It came as a great surprise to see these three on the bottle of my list.  The Botanist comes from one of -if not the most- creative single malt producer in the world.  A proud owner of three bottlings of Bruichladdich it was very dismaying to have such a product come from the same distillery as their award winning whiskies.

Plymouth is no doubt a legend of gins.  With so many bartenders swearing by plymouth as the only gin for a dry martini, what am I missing?

When people would ask me for suggestions of great high end gins to purchase Beefeater 24 would have been one of three to be first named.  I was in a slight state of disbelief to hear that the gin that I had been recommending to so many was the same gin in the taste test that I could not finish to due a burn that rivaled that of nail polish.

Although a lemon zest and orange bitters may not be the best accessories for every gin I do believe it was a fair way to standardize the martini for the purpose of this blind tasting.  I will try to persevere and continue to experiment with different cocktails for those gins that were initial disappointments.  For if I had given up hope on spirits due to a bad first impression I would not be such a fan of islay whisky today (a story for another blog post).

Before I wrap things up I'd like to give recognition to two more gins in the tasting.

Best Bargain


Beefeater
It's hard to believe that two gins from the same company can produce two totally different spirits.  It is even harder to believe that the cheaper of two is a more enjoyable gin.  As you can tell by the level of liquid in the bottle Beefeater has been a favorite of mind for a while.  There is a outstanding balance of juniper and liquorice with a slight citrus note in the background.  Placing 4th in both neat and martini tasting Beefeater is undoubtably the best gin for the money.




Honorable Mention 


Spirit Bear
The newest of the twelve gins is Spirit Bear.  Why this gin is worth a second look is it's unique blend of botanicals, which results in a nose and taste as memorable as the three medalist.  The most curious botanicals in Spirit Bear include, apples, hop flowers and ginger root.  There will always be a place for Spirit Bear in my liquor cabinet (and the fact that a portion of profits go to wildlife is another positive).  Thanks to Urban Distillers for answering my email regarding their botanical recipe.




Thanks to all gin distillers that produced some of the awesome gin highlighted in this tasting.  Remember, all expenses for this tasting came from my cheque book.  I received no funding from any third parties that could otherwise effect the outcome of my thoughts.   Also thanks to my reader (the few of you that exist)  Remember to follow me on twitter at Spirit_imbibing and retweet when a new blog post goes up. Finally thanks to my lovely girlfriend for helping me set up the tasting, I'm sure I would have cheated If I didn't have a helping hand to pour the gins.


Thursday 4 August 2011

Classic Cocktail of The Month: Twelve Mile Limit

Prohibition was both detrimental and beneficial to the cocktail culture.  Bartenders across the USA left for Europe, Canada and Cuba.  The majority of those who remained went to work in soda fountains.  Few foolishly worked illegally in speak-easys serving liquor so foul you wouldn't be cruel enough to serve it to your in-laws.  It was however the cause of many memorable cocktails, the Bee's Knees, Southside, Colony Cocktail etc. All of which share a simple formula. spirit, sugar and citrus. Due to the quality of much of the alcohol being produced at the time, this equation of imbibing was formulated to mask the terrible quality of the hooch.  But, those wishing to sip on a spiritous cocktail didn't have to travel far or risk blindness from bathtub gin.  Once 12 mines off the shore of the United States the Volstead act was void.  To toast this legal loop hole two cocktails may be found published in print.  In the 1930's Savoy Cocktail book by Harry Craddock is the "Twelve Miles Out".  A simple mixture of equal parts White Rum, Swedish Punch and Calvados.  Secondly you may find a recipe by the name of "Twelve Mile Limit" in a publication of a 1934 newspaper article.  In said article Tommy Millard is credited with creating the Twelve Mile Limit.  While extraordinarily similar in name, the cocktails share only one ingredient and are otherwise completely different tipples.  Whether Mr. Millard was aware of the previous publication of the Twelve Miles Out is unaware.  But It would not seem unlikely that more then one human being celebrated the act of legal libations during prohibition by creating a cocktail.

Twelve Mile Limit
- 1 oz White Rum
- 0.5 oz Rye Whisky (Preferably use a spicy American Rye Like Rittenhouse or Sazerac)
- 0.5 oz Cognac
- 0.5 oz Grenadine
- 0.5 oz Lemon Juice

- Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker
- Add ice and shake
- Double strain into chilled cocktail glass
- Optional garnishes include a lemon twist, lemon wheel or brandied cherry



Essentially the Twelve Mile Limit is a sour, Spirit(s), citrus and sugar.  For my variation on this cocktail I didn't dive off into the deep end with an obscure variation.  I stuck fairly close to shore while still straying far enough away from the Original Cocktail to have a personality all of it's own.

Shore Line
- 0.75 oz White Rum
- 0.75 oz Calvados
- 0.5 oz Bourbon
- 0.5 oz Agave Nectar
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice

- Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker
- Add ice and shake
- Double Strain into chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with lemon twist*

* Yes Lemon.  Garnishing a cocktail with a ingredient that is not present in the liquid is a technique know as "Flavor Tripping".  Because 70% of what you tastes is perceived by what you smell you are tricked into thinking there is lemon in this cocktail.
Shore Line
Just a reminder.  The prepose of me doing a variation on these cocktails is to demonstrate that having a deep repertoire of classics may greatly help improve your ability to create and improvise your own libations.  The Shore Line has to be one of my favorite cocktails to surface since the inception of this segment, Classic Cocktail of The Month.  If possible give both a try while the summer weather is still around.