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MxMo: The Final Chapter

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mxmologoAfter a hiatus, we’ve returned for the final Mixology Monday. It is with a touch of sadness and understanding that we send this booze blog tradition into the long dark night. After almost 11 years of loving stewardship from Paul Clarke, Fred Yarm and other wonderful folks, Fred has decided the time has come to lay things to rest. In Fred’s words:

…..the mourning process with the Boston bartenders and the New York City ones who traveled up was most certainly not. Irish whiskey flowed… So what better way to celebrate the life and times of Mixology Monday and its 11 year run as the premiere ‘monthly online cocktail party’ than with Irish whiskey. For this theme, the approach is two fold. You can go traditional and generate or uncover a cocktail recipe calling for Irish whiskey. Alternatively, you can talk about a personal moment either where Irish whiskey played a role in life or where drinks in general helped the grieving process

As we ourselves are taking a break because the blog was starting to “feel like work”, we felt we should return to help send off this tradition that was our second post for the blog.

After 4+ years of almost weekly posts, we felt we needed a break as we were struggling with what to write about and what to do. So we’ve stopped for awhile to gather our thoughts and reinvigorate our muses. However, MxMo has been an integral part of our own booze blog journey so we had to say goodbye in our own special way.

Going through our recipes and posts on Irish whiskey, the spirit shows a certain affinity to sweetness like maple syrup (we have several cocktails using Irish whiskey and maple syrup). With that in mind, Shaun wanted to experiment with some other sweeteners. A quick search of the pantry produced dark molasses. With it’s rich, earthy sweetness, it was an interesting possibility. A quick taste taste proved us right. Christa then suggested some Licor 43 to add sweetness and some Spanish bitters to add some complexity. We were not disappointed as per usual. (Christa’s encyclopedic knowledge and excellent palate rarely disappoints 😉 ) With that we give you:

img_6231One More Before You Go

  • 2 oz Irish whiskey
  • 1/4 oz Licor 43
  • 1 bar spoon black molasses
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 dash Spanish bitters

Combine all ingredients, except molasses, in a mixing glass. Microwave molasses first and vigorously stir it in. Add ice. Stir. Strain into a glass. Enjoy!

 

  • Nose: Malt syrup, vanilla, molasses, light apple and herbal notes.
  • Palate: Vanilla and chamomile to start. Mid-palate is toasty and earthy with metallic notes and a hint of salt. Finish is malt and grain with a bit of spiciness. Aftertaste is a bit like marshmallow fluff.

An interesting cocktail that sounds incoherent but is actually quite tasty. Rich and complex with a fair bit of unexpected depth.

For cocktail number 2 Christa wanted to experiment with a Vesper alternative. Irish whiskey tends to be lighter-bodied and more subtle, so pairing it with a similar spirit in a simple cocktail seemed like a workable approach.

img_6249Treaty of Seattle

  • 2 3/4 oz Irish whiskey (We used the Greenspot because sometimes you gotta go big or go home)
  • 1 1/4 oz cognac (use something nice and fruity. We used the Paul Giraud Napoleon. Again for special occasions)
  • 1 oz Lillet Blanc

Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into a glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Cheers!

 

  • Nose: Grape spirit. Raisin. Lemon. Aromatic sandalwood. Dried spices like nutmeg.
  • Palate: Intro is light, satiny and dry, with sweet grain notes and aromatic wood notes. Mid-palate is sweet oak and slightly acidic wine with lemon accentuating everything. Finish is rich, slightly musty grape spirit with a bit of raisin and a bit of spice. Amazing aftertaste is light, sweet floral with some hints of melon.

Delicious! Of course it doesn’t hurt that we brought out some of the nicer boozes from the liquor cabinet. Sometimes you just have to splurge, and we’re rarely disappointed when we do. What better way to recognize the passing of something you care about than an indulgence of richness and luxury.

As we sit here slightly tipsy from our concoctions (ok more than slightly, that last one packs a punch!) we’re contemplating where we go next with our own blog but also looking back with gladness that we were able to participate in this wonderful event for 4+ years. Thank you Paul for starting the whole thing way back in the day, thank you Fred for keeping it going, and thank you everyone who has hosted through the years. (Having done it ourselves a few times, it was a lot of work.) And with that we bid you adieu. Stay safe out there everyone and keep mixing!


Filed under: cocktail recipe, cognac, irish whiskey, licor 43, lillet blanc, Mixology Monday, molasses, salt, spanish bitters Tagged: Irish Whiskey, Mixology Monday, one more before you go cocktail recipe, treaty of seattle cocktail recipe

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