Herbaceous Vodka Cocktails
August 20, 2011
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| Szarlotka |
Used centuries ago in eastern Polish celebrations, bison grass was believed to promote power, wealth and youthfulness. Now it can be found in vodka. Zu bison grass flavored vodka is sealed with a blade of bison grass (or zubrowka) in the bottle and features the natural flavors of the herbaceous grass indigenous to Poland as well as notes of chamomile, coconut and vanilla.
Ginger Bison
SERVES ONE
1 ½ ounces Zu Vodka
½ ounce ginger ale
Dash of bitters
Lime
Fill a highball glass with ice and add vodka, bitters and ginger ale. Stir well and garnish with a lime wedge.
Szarlotka (Apple Pie)
SERVES ONE
1 ½ ounces Zu Vodka
½ ounce unfiltered apple juice
Lemongrass
Fill a highball glass with ice and add vodka and apple juice. Stir well and garnish with bison grass or lemongrass stalks.
—STEPHANIE STARK
A Sinful Sparkling Cocktail
August 18, 2011
As summer’s end draws near we feel the need to indulge our every whim, and this Godiva cocktail combines two of our favorite vices: chocolate and vodka. Created by Beauty & Essex mixologist Beate Kiser the Spring Fling is sinfully rich with a hint of spice and sparkling flavor.
The Godiva Spring Fling
SERVES ONE
1 1/2 ounces Godiva Chocolate Vodka
1/2 ounce ginger liqueur1/2 ounce sparkling wine
Fresh mint
Add vodka, ginger liqueur and a sprig of fresh mint into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a Champagne flute filled with ice. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
—STEPHANIE STARK
David Loewenberg's East End Empire
August 17, 2011
David Loewenberg
Thanks to the opening of little/red in Southampton this year (along with Kirk Basnight), David Loewenberg’s East End restaurant empire is now four strong. As I saw firsthand a few weeks ago at Beacon, he is hands-on and on top of things from start to finish—characteristics that are surely at the heart of his success.
There are a lot of food and beverage trends out there right now. What has your attention and what are you tired of?
DAVID LOEWENBERG: Trends come and go. When you think about it slow food, farm-to-table, sustainable farming—these are not really new ideas. My attention has always been given to the regionality of our restaurants. It is important to me that we provide smart and healthy selections for our diners. Sourcing from our own backyard makes it all the better. What trends am I tired of? While I support the idea of exciting and fun cuisine, I can get impatient of those who only follow what is “hot.”
You have several successful restaurants with varying cuisines. What do you cook at home?
DL: I love to cook at home be it for my wife Sarah and daughter Lucy or a full house of friends. When I cook in the summer I mix in some “shopping” at the restaurants: cous-cous from Beacon; endive and watercress salad from red/bar; and quinoa from Fresno) with grilled striped bass or rib eye steaks. When cooking off-season it can be a whole-day affair with hearty braises, pâtés and terrines and great tarts and cobblers to finish off.
If you were on Iron Chef, what secret ingredient would you love and what would you hate?
DL: I love Iron Chef. It’s always fascinating checking out the serious cooking and different techniques. My secret ingredient would be local blackfish but only if I could have chefs Sammy, Erik, Bobby or Gretchen to bail me out! I wouldn’t know what to do with sea cucumbers.
What has been your go-to beverage this summer?
DL: Rosé. Pink is my favorite color.
And on a slightly different note, I hear you like watches. What was your most recent purchase?
DL: I haven’t bought a watch for two years. My 10th wedding anniversary brought me my first Rolex, a classic Submariner. My 20th landed me my Panerai Marina, which is almost always on my wrist. I’m presently looking at vintage Omegas and Rolex models from the 1970s.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARYANNE RUSSELL
Original Moonshine Reaches the Hamptons
August 13, 2011
It’s been 78 years since Prohibition ended in the US—and we are still finding reasons to celebrate. Hailing from Culpeper, Virginia, where it’s distilled four times in a Prohibition-era copper pot still, The Original Moonshine clear corn whiskey is now being sold in the Hamptons. Using hundred-year-old methods, the 80-proof artisan whiskey is made in small-batches and imbued with the sweetness of freshly picked corn and raw sugar, making it the perfect complement to a summer barbecue. That comes as no surprise considering Moonshine was created by well-known chef and barbecue restaurateur Adam Perry Lang, along with third generation moonshine distiller Chuck Miller. The pair created Original Moonshine with a recipe that can be savored neat, mixed or blended. We recommend sipping it chilled and neat in a Mason jar glass. Enjoy at 75 Main, 75 Main St., Southampton, 283-7575
—STEPHANIE STARK
Grown-Up Limeade
August 11, 2011
As the summer heats up, we crave citrus-infused drinks to cool us down. Leave the lemonade stands to the kiddies and try this grown-up limeade.
Keri Glassman’s Limeade
SERVES ONE
2 ounces Bacardi Light Rum, or your favorite white spirit
1 handful chopped cucumber
1 handful sliced lime
1 tsp. agave nectar
12 fresh mint sprigs
4 to 6 ounces club soda
Gently muddle cucumber and limes in a pint glass. Add mint and agave nectar with a splash of club soda and gently muddle. Fill glass with shaved or crushed ice, add alcohol and gently stir. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and cucumber wheel dusted with a pinch of rock salt.
For more recipes from Keri Glassman, visit nutritiouslife.com
—KERI GLASSMAN, MS, RD, CDN
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