Friday, April 26, 2013

the adams

1 1/2 oz Diabolique Bourbon
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Lacuesta Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Kümmel
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
For my second drink at Estragon, bartender Sahil Mehta mentioned that he had used kümmel in another drink called the Adams. The Adams was named after a guest who requested something similar to a Boulevardier, and Sahil took the idea in a more spiced route. On the nose, the Bourbon and Campari aromas were joined by the caraway and cumen of the kümmel. Next, a grape sip led into whiskey, Campari, and a chocolatey note on the swallow. After a few swallows, the kümmel began to work rather well to complement this chocolate aspect.

3 comments:

CST said...

Wow...this newbie is impressed! Just found you and can't wait to learn more...in the meanwhile, can you help me figure out why my new batch of blackberry shrub won't stop bubbling even after I've added vinegar? Help, I promise you a bottle if you can help me figure it out...BTW this is NOT my first shrub rodeo....been making them with much success. In fact, am just about to bottle my first batch of Uniquely San Antonio Loquat Shrub...would you like to play with some? I'll just hope and wish for a response in your comments...while I learn to make some of these awesome sounding drinks! Thanks in advance...CST

frederic said...

It depends on how you're making the shrub -- like if you let it ferment with the sugar for a while before adding the vinegar or if you do it a hot method like making a syrup and then adding in the vinegar.

With the former, the yeast and acetobacter will work in conjunction with the other. The yeast will break down sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide (the likely bubbles you're seeing) and the live microbes in many vinegars (not in industrial vinegars cleaned up over a still) will convert the ethanol into acetic acid/vinegar.

Read more: http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2010/08/notes-about-shrubs.html

CST said...

Thanks so much for your response, Frederic.
Should have told you yesterday that the reason I am so impressed with "the adams" is that my Hungarian grandmother sipped kummel as an aperitif...it was so amazing to me that caraway seeds could be become something so exotic...now I can try it myself.
I am especially grateful for your input about my blackberry shrub...which, by the way looks far less bubbly today. Your oh-so scientific expertise is much appreciated. In fact, if you'd share some sort of mailing address, my partner and I will ship some right off for you to experiment with. We have made at least a dozen varieties so far, using the very finest locally sourced fruit and are quite proud of them...Uniquely San Antonio Loquat is our latest endeavor and would certainly be included. Again, please know that you have some enthusiastic new followers in San Antonio, Texas.