DIY: Cocktails & Recipes

• Polish Vodka

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  Here’s some interesting news: As far back as 1534 in Poland, it was asserted in historical writings on herbs that Vodka would serve to “increase fertility and awaken lust.” So, let’s drink a toast to Hartwig Kantorowizc who began producing Wyborowa vodka in 1823 in Eastern Poland.

  Wyborowa is distilled from rye and flavored with Bison Grass or Buffalo Grass. It’s bottled at 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) and has a most unique and enigmatic flavour, but one can detect woodruff, vanilla, coconut and almond notes.

  Herbal, crisp and smooth, this is the kind of drink…
  
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• Pisco Sour

  Posted in: DIY: Cocktails & Recipes

  

  Pisco is a brandy, or aguardiente, distilled from white muscat grapes. First cultivated in the sixteenth century by Spanish settlers in South America, it is grown in the area around Pisco, Peru and in the Valle del río Elqui in central Chile, and was named for the conical pottery in which it was originally produced as well as for the name of its town of origin. The right to produce and promote pisco has been a source of tension, debate, and both national and international legal action between Peru and Chile as both claim rightful ownership of…
  
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• Risotto alla Milanese

  Posted in: DIY: Cocktails & Recipes

  

  In Italy, nearly every town has its own signature risotto. In Milan, it is flavored and enriched with saffron, which gives it a golden color. 6 cups chicken stock ½ teaspoons saffron pistils 7 tablespoons butter, cubed, at room temp. 1 small yellow onion, minced 1 ½ cups Vialone Nano rice or Arborio rice ½ cup dry white wine ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano ½ tsp salt Heat the stock to just below boiling. Remove ½ cup of it to pour into a bowl, and drop in the saffron to dissolve. Set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter…
  
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• The 1763 Martini

  Posted in: DIY: Cocktails & Recipes

  

  The 1763 martini began with the marriage of gin and wine. With the huge improvements in both gin and wine production, not to mention the delicacies Bombay Sapphire has to offer, or the fact that so many good wines were close at hand, Jamie Walker was struck by a thought. Was this relationship between gin and wine worth a second, closer look? He decided to experiment with many different wines to see how they would compliment Bombay Sapphire’s subtle nuances. Could they be coaxed down the aisle together again, nearly two and a half centuries later? They could. Very…
  
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• Braised Beef Short Ribs

  Posted in: DIY: Cocktails & Recipes

  

  Who doesn’t look forward to a day off...or at least a day with nothing to worry about and no reason to rush out of the house? Especially with the cold weather fast approaching, today is the perfect day for braising. The best part is that one does not necessarily need the luxury of a full day of vacation to put a gorgeous braised short rib on the table. Braising is one of the easiest preparations to master. With relatively few ingredients and little preparation, the meat practically cooks itself without even having to…
  
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