Monthly Archives: October 2010

If you didn’t make it to Home Slice on Friday night, you were clearly doing something that sucked.  It was a stone jam.  A rad bash.  A shit show, in the best possible way.
Tons of great Detroit food companies were there, Slow’s, Porktown Sausage Project, Brother Nature, etc., all showing off their wares and donating a portion of their sales to the museum.  I was fortunate enough to get to run the bar (as The Sugar House) and put together the cocktail menu.  Fortunately my buds Evan and Todd were willing to help out – I would have been boned otherwise.    Here’s what we were mixing:

The Archbishop
The Archbishop is a traditional “mulled wine,” made with claret, mixed with spices, orange peel and sugar. The recipe comes from Jerry Thomas’ 1887 book, “How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant’s Companion.” Slightly sweet, with strong notes of orange, clove and cinnamon… served warm, a perfect fall drink.

Autumn Old Fashioned
Franklin Cider Mill cider is reduced down to syrup, paired with Angostura bitters and Rye whiskey, served over ice. Our seasonal variation on the venerable classic, this true cocktail is tart, slightly sweet and nutty.

Champagne Cocktail
This classic Champagne cocktail is made with cognac, bitters and sugar, and topped off with sparkling brut, served in a champagne glass. A balance of sweet and dry, with hints of spice and a citrus nose.

Cherry Bounce
The Cherry Bounce, as detailed by Lord Kendal Banning in his publication from 1784, “The Squire’s Recipes,” is a mixture of whiskey, cognac, cherries, almonds and spices which have been macerated for “three fortnights.” Slightly dry, extremely complex, and quite potent. Simply served over ice.

Fig Leaf
From Trader Vic’s Illustrated Guide to Bartending (1947), the origins of this mysterious drink are unclear but it’s fantastic flavor is anything but. Aged rum, Italian vermouth, lime juice and bitters, shaken, and served down.

Gin Gin Mule
Created by Audrey Sanders at the Pegu Club in New York, this variation on the Moscow Mule is an instant classic. The botanicals of the gin are complemented by the mint and ginger flavors, while the soda makes this a light, yet complex beverage.

Here’s a shot of the syrups, juices and the Cherry Bounce…

I made 96 oz. of cider reduction, simple syrup and ginger & black peppercorn syrup.  Evan and I squeezed 4000 ml of lime juice, and I made 5000 ml of Cherry Bounce, which sat about six weeks.  The biggest seller was the Gin Gin Mule – we used up all the ginger syrup, so we must have made about 128 of them.  The Autumn Old Fashioned was a close second, I am thinking we made about 90 of those, and somewhere around 70 of the Fig Leaf and Cherry Bounce.  Probably 50 or so Champagne Cocktails, and maybe 30 Archbishops… it comes out to about 438 drinks, over five hours.  As I said, a total shit show.  If you’re local to Detroit, we’ve got an article coming out in the Metro Times, with a few shots from the event.  Stay tuned.

1.5 oz. Cruzan Black Strap Rum

.75 oz. Tawny Port

.25 oz. Creme de Cacao

.25 oz. Carpano Antica

Coffee Bitters

Mix, pour over a large cube.  Sip slowly.