Spirits in the Night

I've always felt there was a seasonality to enjoying wine and spirits. A Tavel or Navarra rose wouldn't make too much sense in the dead of winter but when it's balmy and humid in the dog days of summer, it's the perfect pairing with grilled fish and vegetables. Same goes for damp Autumns and Burgundy or winter chills and Bordeaux inspired blends.

In Seattle, the days get short and damp in early November and almost without warning you leave your home in darkness and return home in the same bizarre vortex of despair. To me this is where the seasonality of gin martinis and the joys of all things tonic-induced come to a close. This is where our winter friends, bourbon, scotch and rye move in. Although they may appear brooding...truly they are gentle, unassuming and frankly relatively polite.

Think about the names of our fall friends here and the emotions they evoke. The Manhattan, Rusty Nail, Old Fashioned. What's not to like? OK you don't want to step on a rusty nail but hell in a glass it must be good.

I was recently in New Orleans with some friends and tried the Sazerac in its native environment...repeatedly. This cocktail dates back to the 1800s and was reportedly invented by Antoine Amadie Peychaud, a Creole apothecary who sold a mix of aromatic bitters to relieve ails of his clients. He ultimately mixed his bitters with French brandy, a bit of water and sugar and the drink was born.

Rye, Absinthe and bitters can be pretty tasty as it turns out. I sampled dozens looking for the perfect expression but there really wasn't one. The absinthe or herbsaint is a defining factor as is the rye. Many of my colleagues thought the drink was cough-syrup inflected shite. Fortunately I love them and won't pass judgement: shitheads.

One final thought as I close out. For all the bartenders and brown booze advocates. A public service announcement: brown alcohol should never be shaken, shook or tormented. It gets bruised, hurt feelings and shows its disdain in your glass. If you order a Manhattan, Sazerac, or Old Fashioned and your barkeep is violently shaking your drink like Mr. Scientology in the movie Cocktail either politely correct him/her or get violent if necessary. Remember you ordered the drink, he doesn't know any better.

P.S. I love the transition to fall drinks though rumor has it excessive snoring and/or sleep apnea may attach themselves to these lovely libations and cause certain marital distress.