The Intoxicologist

Imagine the extreme pleasure and surprise that occurs when one opens a plain brown box to find a bottle of unreleased to the open market Jim Beam Red Stag.  Undeniably my name did appear on the box and envelope contained within.  I double checked.  The goose bumps spreading across my torso and arms revealed the significance new spirits take on in the cocktail world in which I taste, experiment and create.  Ridiculous?  Possibly.  For some the same rush of excitement occurs with chocolate, shoes, purses, NASCAR or the return of football season.  Each of us has our own tidal wave of enthusiasm that runs parallel to some deep rooted interest.  Mine happens to be the spirits industry and the multi-faceted aspects of cocktail culture.  Jim Beam infused my senses with the flavor of Red Stag Black Cherry on a Thursday afternoon, invigorating my imagination with the possibilities lying in store for bourbon enthusiasts and those who may have never picked up a bottle of Jim Beam before the flavor infusion.

 

Red Stag by Jim Beam extends the flavor of the original Jim Beam Whiskey through an exclusive, artisanal, natural infusion process in which black cherry flavors are gradually and expertly infused into the four year old Bourbon.  The selection of black cherry flavor was not random, but rather chosen due to its complementary nature to highlight the flavors already present within Jim Beam Bourbon.  This well thought out combination was two-fold in purpose:

·         To produce a sophisticated, well rounded taste.

·         The pursuit of fun.

 

Red Stag by Jim Beam Official Tasting Notes:

Aroma – Distinctively fruity, without disguising the familiar, rich nose of Jim Beam Bourbon

Taste – Corn sweetness and mellow oak accented by a hint of black cherry for smoothness and balance

Finish – Satiny and judiciously sweet, with a true bourbon warmth

 

My bourbon introduction began with the Small Batch bourbons which taste quite different than the original Jim Beam Bourbon.  Jim Beam Bourbon is best described in comparison as a base from which the others begin.  It is the foundation spirit.  Jim Beam Bourbon comes across more raucous and rowdy than the rest, but then again Jim Beam Bourbon is the brand’s driving force.  It paves the way; leads tradition.    

 

Perhaps it is the spirit which surrounds Jim Beam as a brand and the loyalty of its followers that caused a bit of a stir when news of Red Stag by Jim Beam first leaked to the public months ago.  Chuck Cowdery’s review began with, “This is either brilliant or insane, I can’t decide which.”  But ultimately he gives his assessment of whether he enjoys the Red Stag or not.  One online site went so far with their thoughts about the news of Red Stag by Jim Beam’s impending release that they had this to say:

“With the announcement of Red Stag, a black cherry flavor infused bourbon, Jim Beam has done something that really should not have been done…This marketing ploy needs to stop before we have as many different flavored bourbons as we do vodkas.” – My Wine Education

What came up as a repeated theme in many circles is this new product would be perfect as an ice cream topper, but many saw it as a far stretch from traditional bourbon.  But that really is the point isn’t it? 

 

Red Stag by Jim Beam is created using the base traditional bourbon, but it is another way of expanding the brand while enhancing one’s experience with Jim Beam.  It is also another way to include nontraditional bourbon consumers into the fold, so they too can become introduced to the brown spirits with ease.  Almost everyone dips their toe into the water before they dive directly into the pool.  Quite a few people wade in first to warm up before going all the way under.  Red Stag by Jim Beam gives consumers the opportunity to get acquainted with bourbon products in a way that has been extremely limited in the past.

 

Since feelings on the Red Stag have been a bit mixed it makes since to compare it to Original Jim Beam even though it is a bit like comparing, well, corn to cherries.  The color is quite different.  Original Jim Beam is straw color to golden.  Red Stag contains a deeper hue with specific amber red tints.  Original Jim Beam is thinner in viscosity by comparison and contains the deep bourbon warmth that could make your eyes water if you breathe incorrectly with that first swallow.  The aroma of Red Stag gives this one away.  It is candied cordial cherries with a chocolate element to it.  The taste is significantly different from traditional Jim Beam.  Red Stag is very sweet with vanilla, cherry cordial sweetness, cocoa hints and creamy smoothness.  It contains the viscosity one would relate to thick liqueur.  There is only the faint characteristic of original Jim Beam in the lingering finish of the Red Stag.  The color, sweetness and flavor of black cherry are a dead giveaway that Red Stag plays more to cocktail culture rather than straight bourbon fans. 

 

Thinking of the straight bourbon drinkers though I did want to sample a traditional Jim Beam Manhattan versus one made with Red Stag.  The Jim Beam Manhattan is an inoffensive almost watery cocktail when consumed on the rocks.  The sweetness is so faint it is barely there.  The flavor of cherry is so indistinct it is decidedly non-existent with the exception of the one bite of maraschino garnish should one choose to actually eat it.  It is easy to see why bourbon lovers consume this particular cocktail; to taste the bourbon rather than a flavored liqueur or something heavily soaked in sugar.

 

Manhattan

1-3/4 ounce Jim Beam Bourbon

3/4 ounce Sweet Vermouth

Dash Bitters

Cherry Garnish

 

Build over ice in a rocks glass.  Garnish with cherry.

 

A Manhattan built along the same guidelines with Red Stag does not match up to a traditionalist’s standards.  A traditionalist will typically reach for Jim Beam Bourbon and possibly use Red Stag as the cherry flavor accent…maybe.  Red Stag is powerful and its flavor rings predominant in the Manhattan cocktail at different ratios.  For bourbon purists the Manhattan will never be slighted with the likes of Red Stag.  However, the beauty is in exploration and transformation.  Cocktail culture is a beautiful thing built for fun, much like the Red Stag, and Red Stag by Jim Beam is not about following the herd, but forming new tracks. 

 

Red Italian – created by The Intoxicologist

1-1/2 ounce Averna

1/2 ounce Red Stag by Jim Beam

Brut Champagne

Lemon Twist (zested into the glass)

 

Combine Averna and Red Stag in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake until chilled.  Strain into a champagne flute.  Zest a lemon twist over the champagne flute so the essential oils spray into the mixture.  Place the Lemon twist as garnish on the champagne flute.  Top off with champagne. 

 

Red Italian updates the bourbon cherry cola from corner beer bar status to cocktail couture.  This creates an elegant cocktail that brings bourbon to the flute, the girl to the bourbon and the traditionalist to their knees wondering ‘what just happened to my bourbon and cola?”

 

 

 

Black Cherry Truffle – created by The Intoxicologist

3/4 ounce Red Stag by Jim Beam (chilled)

3/4 ounce Godiva Original Liqueur (chilled)

 

Layer chilled Godiva and Red Stag in a shot glass.  Shoot. 

 

If you love smooth as silk chocolate covered cherries, you will love the Black Cherry Truffle even more.  More of the bourbon shines through with the Red Stag in this as the chocolate seems to bring out the flavor by playing off the cherry notes.  I tried this with Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur as well.  The flavor was creamy, rich and decadent and extremely sweet, but not nearly as wonderful as the Godiva Original Liqueur turned out in the Black Cherry Truffle recipe. 

 

Red Truffle Silk – created by The Intoxicologist

1 ounce Red Stag by Jim Beam

1 ounce Godiva Original Liqueur

1 ounce Half & Half

1/4 teaspoon Valrhona Cacao Nibs Garnish (found at Whole Foods)

 

Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice.  Shake until chilled.  Strain into a martini glass.  Sprinkle cacao nibs on top as garnish. 

 

Please, try to sip rather than gulp…it’s so much more attractive!  What can I say?!  Not only have I become a bourbon fan in the last year, but this cocktail could just possibly make me a chocolate convert, too.  I’m not sure what the world is coming to.  Usually I can’t really finish a chocolate cocktail due to its sweetness and well, the chocolate factor.  However, I’m writing as I sip and this one is half gone already.  Crunching the cacao nibs that act as garnish contributes to the ‘awe’ factor of this cocktail.  Cacao is bittersweet rather than sugary.  The texture is also a nice addition sort of like the crunchy toffee bits in a candy bar.  The Red Truffle Silk truly is silky smooth with that added bourbon warmth that reaches the toes after a few minutes.  This makes a great dessert cocktail or before dinner warm up.  Heck, have one for the sheer pleasure of it.  It just works.

 

Speaking of ‘just works’ – Red Stag by Jim Beam definitely paves the way to expand the horizons of consumers that until now may have been reluctant to venture into the realm of bourbon.  Jim Beam carefully chose the flavor to complement traditional bourbon, but as the bottle says Red Stag by Jim Beam is writing its own exciting chapter in the story of Jim Beam.  The Original Jim Beam will never be left behind.  Red Stag is the continuing saga.

 

Copyright 2009 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved

 

www.theredstag.com

Red Stag by Jim Beam on Facebook

www.jimbeam.com

Averna has a rich heritage beginning with Benedictine friars, honors bestowed by kings and the proud privilege to be identified as Sicily’s first licensed spirit.  Today the company, Fratelli Averna S.p.A., is run by the fourth generation of the Averna family and now includes the Friulian winery Villa Frattina and Piedmont confectioner Pernigotti.  By remaining firm to the traditions in which it was founded, Averna has grown and remained the number one spirit brand in Italy and leading Italian Amaro in markets around the world. 

 

What is this Averna Amaro?  Simply; an after-dinner drink or digestivo.  However, there is nothing simple about this complex liqueur.  Averna is a complex spirit distilled from a delicate balance of flowers, herbs, dried fruits, spices and licorice with a touch of caramel.  This produces a full-bodied, bitter sweet finish to the taste buds.  Despite its classification as a digestivo, this liqueur is anything but. 

 

I tried the Averna four ways:  traditionally on the rocks, in Duggan McDonnell’s signature cocktail the Vertigo, and in two more cocktails supplied by the company; the Intercontinental and Sicilian Triangle. 

 

Averna on the rocks is a delicious blend of botanicals, luxuriantly textured and pleasantly composed which leave a unique balance of smooth bitter sweetness in its finish on the palate.  My experiences with after-dinner digestivos thus far have not had the polish in completion that Averna has mastered.  This is a beautifully, full bodied, complex sipping spirit. 

 

The Vertigo is a refreshing highball drink made with ginger ale and a splash of lemon juice.  At first sip I thought it was average, but I built the drink in incorrect order and forgot to slip in a stir stick.  The Averna is a heavy aperitif, so it stays at the bottom of the glass if it is added first and time is not taken to gently stir.  My second sip was absolutely delightful.  There is a reason this is Duggan McDonnell’s signature cocktail.  The ginger ale is light enough to allow the Averna all of the glory in this drink with the perfect balance of lemon to give it that spring/summer feel. 

 

The Intercontinental caught my eye in the recipe listings due to its use of maraschino liqueur and cognac.  The most common cocktail reference for maraschino liqueur is the Papa Doble or Hemingway Daiquiri.  A delicious cocktail if you have not tried one.  The Intercontinental is very rich in color but comes across entirely too sweet for my tastes.  Possibly if some lemon juice were added to lend some tartness to the cocktail this could be cured.  However, the Averna shines through magnificently and the maraschino liqueur is a perfect addition.  They both blend together well on the palate.  My thought is there are more cocktails to be rendered from the Averna and maraschino matchmaking. 

 

For a bit of exotic, tropical fun the Sicilian Triangle is a must try on anyone’s Averna cocktail list.  It has a mix of rum and fruit juices along with the Averna to stir up good times.  With such a diverse blend of flavoring to this cocktail I was a little undecided as to whether the Averna would be able to hold its own in the drink.  With the first sip, pineapple is the primary flavor tasted.  Given only a moment, the lone pineapple flavor disappears leaving the real flavor of the cocktail to linger on the palate.  Once again, the Averna displays its true character throughout, leaving a well rounded mixed drink to enjoy in true Sicilian style.

 

Left to stand alone and sip or to rise above the rest in a cocktail glass, Averna definitely leaves its unique stamp on the spirit world.  With the unique flavor profile of this particular bitter sweet aperitif and its exceptional mixability, it is understandable how Averna has stood the test of time through four generations and is still the leading favorite Amaro of Italy.

 

Vertigo

1/2 ounce Lemon Juice

Ginger Ale

2 ounces Averna

Lime Wedge for Garnish

 

Stir lemon juice and ginger ale over ice in a highball glass leaving room for Averna.  Float Averna and garnish with a lime wedge.

 

Intercontinental

1 ounce Averna

1 ounce Cognac (Courvoisier)

1/2 ounce Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

Orange Twist for Garnish

 

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and stir 30 times over ice.  Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.  (This one is a bit sweet.  Try adding a quarter ounce of lemon juice for tart or decrease the maraschino liqueur.  This is an excellent cocktail to tweak to your liking.)

 

Sicilian Triangle

2 ounces Averna

1 ounce White Rum (Bacardi)

1 ounce Pomegranate Juice

1/2 ounce Orange Juice

1/2 ounce Lemon Juice

Splash of Pineapple Juice

Pineapple Wedge for Garnish

 

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously over ice.  Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge. (I used approximately 1/4 ounce of pineapple juice or less as a splash.)

 

Copyright 2008 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved