Two New Spirit Book Reviews

I had two new spirit book reviews published in the 2013 Fall/Winter issue of Distiller Magazine.

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Art in Fermented Form

Brett Vanderkamp is the president and co-founder of New Holland Brewing & Artisan Spirits. Vanderkamp and Greg Smith have written an engaging and thought provoking essays on importance and artistry of beer and spirits. My full review can be read in the online version of Distiller Magazine.

The book can be purchased online through amazon.

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Bourbon Whiskey: Our Native Spirit

Bernie Lubbers is currently a brand ambassador for Jim Beam's Knob Creek. His book Bourbon Whiskey is part memoir and part bourbon folk history. Despite some of its flaws the book is interesting and easy to read. My full review can be read in the online version of Distiller Magazine.

The book can be purchased online through amazon.

How to Make Homemade Nocino Part 2

Before

Left Jug: Walnuts, raw sugar, & alcohol

Right Jug: Walnuts, lemon peel, simple syrup, & alcohol

After Two Months

Nocino color turns black as night.

Two months ago I wrote about beginning the process of making homemade nocino, an Italian walnut liqueur. Well the day has arrived to decant the two jugs of nocino into smaller jars. Over the past two months these walnut, sugar,and alcohol mixtures have transitioned from greenish brown to an almost black liquid. As an aside, the pigment from walnut skins has been used for centuries as an ink and dye and, as I found out, if you spill some on your kitchen counter without wiping it up right away, it will stain that too. 

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Vanilla pods, Vietnamese Cinnamon, Star Anise, and Whole Cloves

One of the primary distinguishing factors of one nocino to another are the spices used to flavor the liqueur. I looked at a number of recipes and the four most common spices were cinnamon, clove, vanilla, and lemon peel. The nocino that Bill Owens gave me was flavored with cinnamon and star anise, which from my research is an unusual combination but it tastes really good so I decided to add it to my list of spices. One important decision at this point was to determine which of the three common varieties of cinnamon to use. When I created my spirit aroma kit I included two different types of cinnamon so I turned to it for help. The Vietnamese cinnamon has a pleasant yet spicy note like cinnamon and maple syrup over oatmeal, while the Ceylon cinnamon was hot and sweet like a fireball candy. For the nocino, the Vietnamese cinnamon seemed most appropriate. Another part of my experiment was to make half the nocino with lemon peel and half with out. In the pictures above, the jar with the white lid also included lemon peel. When I tasted them, both were still pretty bitter but the nocino with lemon had a much dryer finish. 

Nocino Spice Experiments

Finally, before I began the process of decanting each jug into smaller jars I decided on a couple of spice combinations to see what I like best.

1. Cinnamon & Clove 2. Cinnamon & Star Anise 3. Cinnamon, Clove, Star Anise, Vanilla 4. Vanilla & Star Anise 5. Lemon, Cinnamon & Clove 6. Lemon, Cinnamon & Star Anise 7. Lemon, Cinnamon, Clove, Star Anise, Vanilla 8. Lemon, Vanilla & Star Anise.

After I filled the jars with the right spices labeled and labeled them I strained the contents of the first nocino jug into a large glass dispenser with a nozzle that made filling each jar really easy (this was my wife's idea). I'd like to say this went smoothly but I made a bit of a mess with nocino spilling and splashing on the counter top and floor. But, once the first jug was decanted I filled and topped the first four spice experiments. With a little left over, I decided to fill a half pint jar without any spices to see how the nocino ages just on its own. Decanting the second jug of nocino went a little smother than the first time but there was still some spillage from one jug to the other. Despite looking fuller, the second jug, which had the lemon peel, contained a little less fluid and I was only able to fill 3 and 3/4 pint jars (pictured in the gallery below).

Now the jars of nocino with their labels fix and lids securely screwed on were placed in a cool dark corner of our apartment to age for another eight months. Once the eight months has elapsed I will taste them again and hopefully settle on a single recipe that I like the most. If the bitterness has smoothed out enough I will think about proofing them down a bit, bottling and giving them away as gifts.

In the mean time I will continue to enjoy the nocino I have in my cabinet and dream of next year's harvest.

Cheers!

Equipment

Pint Jars, 2 gallon jugs of nocino, spices, and a large jug with a nozzle for decanting.

Nocino Phase 2

These jars will sit in a cool dark place for another 8 months before bottling.

Read Part 1                          Continue to Part 3

EZdrinking in Hawaii: Cocktails on Maui

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When I think of cocktails in Hawaii, tropical drinks like Mai Tais, Daiquiris and Pina Colada immediately come to mind. The irony is that the Mai Tai and many other famous tiki drinks were invented in California. The first tiki bar, "Don the Beachcomber" was founded in LA in 1933, quickly followed by Trader Vic's in Oakland while the first Hawaiian tiki bar didn't open until after World War II. But, despite being about a decade late to the tiki scene, Hawaii has fully embraced these tropical cocktails as their own.

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To be certain there is no shortage of Mai Tais on Maui, and even though almost all of them claim to best on the island, most of Maui's bars are well behind the cocktail revival that has transformed mixology into a culinary art form. Unfortunately, my search for great cocktails on Maui started off on the wrong foot with a horrible pre-mixed Mai Tai complements of Alaska Airlines. Even the Mai Tai at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel's historic Tiki Bar was boozy and unbalanced. However, a few duds not withstanding, Maui has a couple of fantastic spots for cocktails that are definitely worth seeking out.

Aloha Mixed Plate

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Photo by Alex Pollitt

Located in Lahaina, Aloha Mixed Plate is a nice beach side restaurant, that serves local food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Along with their tasty food, Aloha Mixed Plate has a full bar and makes a variety of tropical cocktails. We came for the lunch and I honestly didn't expect much from cocktails but I was pleasantly surprised. We both ordered Mai Tais and they came garnished with a lime wedge and a flower. The Mai Tai was well balanced, so that neither the alcohol nor the juice overpowered the other. It was simple, well executed, and perfectly suited to pair with lunch or dinner. The Mai Tai at Aloha Mixed Plate demonstrates that not every cocktail needs to be overly fancy or complicated to be enjoyable.

Monkeypod Kitchen

Located in Wailea, Monkeypod Kitchen is a full service bar and restaurant that prides itself on using fresh local produce. The food menu has a wide range of option and everything we ate was quite tasty. Also, if your are a fan of craft beer, they have the best selection on the island. We came to Monkeypod Kitchen in part because of their cocktail menu and we were not disappointed. Their Mai Tai was probably the best I had on Maui. Served in a large old fashioned glass, it features locally distilled Old Lahaina Light Rum and Maui Dark Rum, and comes topped with a delicious house-made honey-lilkoi (passion fruit) foam. Our second cocktail, the Pod Thai, was a tasty rum drink that captured the spirit of Pad Thai and came in a fun tiki glass. The last drink I tried was their D'yer Mak'er cocktail, in part because I wanted to try a drink that use Swedish Punsch. The D'yer Mak'er had complex flavors that were well balanced between sweet, sour and baking spicy. The drink had a dry finish which worked well with our food. Besides rum drinks, their menu includes a dozen vodka, gin, tequila and whiskey cocktails that are sure to catch your eye and entertain your palate.

Monkeypod Mai Tai

Old lahaina light rum, maui dark rum, lime, mac-nut orgeat, orange curacao, honey-lilkoi foam. Photo by Alex Pollitt

Pod Thai

Old lahaina light rum, crème of coconut, lime, lemongrass-cardamom syrup, thai basil.

D'yer Mak'er

Smith & cross Jamaican spiced rum, Kronan Swedish punsch, lime, honey, angostura bitters

Dazoo

In the heart of Paia, on Maui's North shore, Dazoo is a farm to table restaurant that has an amazing cocktail program that is creative and artfully crafted by a great team of bartenders. Visiting the bar at Dazoo is a must for any local or visiting cocktail enthusiast. We popped in for drinks on our second to last night on Maui only because a local told me how good their cocktails were. I got excited to try Dazoo because my source told me that they make their own falernum, an essential ingredient for one of my favorite rum drinks, the Corn N' Oil. I was very glad he told me about it because none of my research on where to find great cocktails in Maui had mentioned it, and they didn't have their cocktail menu online.

When we saddled up to the bar I studied their cocktail menu that offered a dozen drinks created by James Shoemaker and his team. Two called out to me, and we spent the next half-hour sipping them and marveling at how incredibly unique and delicious each one was. The Dharma Initiative was the perfect blend of sweet, sour, and bitter with a fantastic creamy texture. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Pho-Bang was an incredibly tasty cocktail that mimicked all the key characteristics of Vietnamese Pho: savory, tart, slightly spicy, and fresh. If we had discovered Dazoo sooner we would have returned to try more of their cocktails, but since our trip was at an end we will just have to wait till next time. But, if you happen to find yourself in Paia, do yourself a favor and stop by for a cocktail.

Dharma Initiative

Okolehao, lemon, orange, rosemary, maple, egg white

Pho-Bang

Pau vodka, lapsang souchong, Thai basil, ginger, lemongrass, lime, jalapeno, kimchi olive.

EZdrinking in Hawaii: Maui Cafes & Coffee Roasters

In anticipation of my recent trip to Maui, a friend of mine ask me if I would bring her a pound of Kona coffee back from Hawaii. Before her request I hadn't thought much about looking for good coffee in Maui and I assumed that Kona coffee was just another “exotic” gimmick tourists brought home like macadamia nuts. However, I was pleasantly surprised at what I found. First, I learned that Maui has had an operating commercial coffee farm since 1988, growing four varieties of arabica coffee: Red Catuai, Yellow Caturra, Typica and Moka. Second, I discovered a couple of local coffee roasters who know what they are doing and how to get their coffee to sing.

Maui Grown Coffee

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Maui Grown Coffee operates the 500 acre Ka'anapali Estate where all of Maui's coffee is grown. The estate represents a small portion of land that once belonged to the historic Pioneer Mill Sugar Company. The estate is open to the public with paved roads and viewing platforms throughout the farm that provide excellent views of the plantation as well as the Ka'anapali coast. The estate is situated on the West coast of the West Maui Mountains and ranges from 350-1800 feet above sea level. The coffee trees seem to thrive in the rich volcanic soil, warm sunshine, and cooling trade winds.

The Ka'anapali Estate Company Store sells brewed coffee, whole roasted beans, green coffee, shirts, and mugs.

Smokestack for the old Pioneer Mill Sugar Company 

View of Ka'anapali from the coffee fields

A short drive South of the Ka'anapali Estate is Maui Grown Coffee's Company Store in Lahaina. The Company Store offers a variety of roasted whole bean blends as well as green coffee for those that like to roast their own. The company store cafe also does a great job of educating the customers that come through by offing a free flight of all their brewed coffees. The flight moves from light to dark through their single variety and coffee blends. I particularly liked their peaberry; a medium roast coffee that was bright with nice fruitiness on the front end and finished with a well rounded earthiness. After the flight, I ordered an iced version of the peaberry which has enough sweetness and balance as not to need any cream or sugar.

Maui Coffee Roasters

Not far from Maui's Kahului Airport, Maui Coffee Roasters Cafe is a must visit for any serious coffee lover. Founded in 1981 by Nicky Matichyn, Maui Coffee Roasters (MCR) offers a variety of single origin coffees including two coffees from the Big Island and one from Maui. The cafe has a standard menu of brewed coffee, espresso drinks, tea, pastries, and sandwiches yet it is clear they pay close attention to the quality of their ingredients and process. Despite being in a nondescript shopping center, the cafe has a quirky neighborhood feel with a mix of regulars, locals and tourists.

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Without a doubt Maui Coffee Roasters is hands down the best place for coffee on the island. In four visits I sampled five coffees: an espresso, a cappuccino and three single brewed coffees from Hawaii. The espresso was sweet with a counterbalance of clean acidity. The flavor was a rich mix of dark chocolate and crème brulee. Their cappuccino was good, though I wasn't crazy about it. However, my less than enthusiastic opinion of it has more to do with the fact that I prefer, what one might call, “Third Wave” cappuccinos, common in specialty coffee shops, that are more like short lattes than traditional cappuccinos. As for there brewed coffee, they are quite delicious. Their 100% Kona Extra Fancy is a lightly roasted coffee that starts off with lots of rich roasted notes that, as it cool, becomes brighter and the fruity notes start to sing. Their Ka'u Estate coffee comes from the Big Island just South of Kona and it is full bodied, with notes of cacao and cherry jam. The finish was long and dry which allowed me to linger over it while simultaneously wanting another sip. Finally, their Maui Red Roster is a dark roasted blend of Caturra and Mundo Novo varieties. The cup is full bodied and has a pleasant taste of toast with raspberry jam.

Anthony's Coffee

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Photo by bayzest.

Founded in 1995, Anthony's Coffee Company is a quaint and comfortable coffee shop located on the North Shore of Maui. Anthony's is right on Hana highway in the heart of Paia, a relaxed beach town that it popular with locals and tourists. But despite its great location and nice ambiance, I found Anthony's coffee a little disappointing. Anthony's sells dark roasted coffees made from both international and Hawaiian coffees. Like many traditional roasters who veer towards dark roasts, Anthony's seemed to miss the perspicacious point at which the richness and complexity of the coffee is masked by the roasting process. The espresso I ordered was overly bitter, with a dry almost ashy mouthfeel and void of any real character.

Now to be fair there are a couple important factors that need to be taken into consideration before taking my assessment of Anthony's as gospel. First, I only had the one coffee one time. Second, it is possible that shot was pulled poorly by the barista or third, the coffee itself was bad. I do not have enough coffee tasting experience to identify the difference yet. Fourth, and probably most importantly, I had my coffee awakening in the Bay Area with a cup of Ritual coffee. The Bay Area is known for its lightly roasted coffees and I know that they are defiantly what I prefer. That being said I have also had some traditional dark roasted Italian espresso in North Beach that were fantastic. All this to say, the coffee probably started off at a disadvantage with my taste buds. If you like dark roasted coffee, give Anthony's a shot but I can't recommend it.

One Gripe

The only complaint I have about the roasters I visited on Maui was that no one does cold brewed iced coffee. I'm not sure why that is, but in my experience cold brewing iced coffee creates a sweeter cup without any of the bitterness that can develop in over-extracted hot brewed coffee that is then iced. The warm weather called out to be cooled by a refreshing cup of ice cold coffee but I just didn't risk it on this trip. I've been burned to many times by poor quality hot brewed, iced coffee. Aside from that, I was pleasantly surprised by high quality coffee I found and I know that on my next trip my coffee needs are covered.