Foxy Lady; Purple Haze

October 16, 2024 steveboilard1 Comment

I spent the afternoon meeting several old friends (sequentially) in downtown Sacramento. It was a perfect California fall day: the morning started out with a light rain, then the sun came out and the temperature got into the low 70s.

So I found myself sitting outdoors as the venerable Fox and Goose pub. It’s a British-themed restaurant and bar that’s been a popular Sacramento destination since 1975. (I intend to be at next year’s 50th anniversary celebration, on January 17.) Fox and Goose resides in a historic brick building that was originally constructed for the Fuller Paint and Glass Company in 1913. It’s one of those places that doesn’t follow trends. My favorite menu items have been there for decades now; there isn’t a TV in sight; and much of the decor now qualifies as antiques.

*Bronze fox and goose sculpture in front of Fox and Goose, created by former Sacramento lobbyist Richard Ratcliff.*

I had come to share a pint with my good friend Peter. But realizing that I still had a blog entry to write, I asked the bartender to instead make me a Halloween-themed cocktail. He suggested the Violette Haze, which he believes is the most Halloweenish of their fall specialty drinks. Here’s how the menu describes it: “Real del Valle Blanco tequila, Banhez mezcal, pomegranate, jalapeno syrup, lime, Creme de Violette.” The bartender explained that the Creme de Violette is the secret ingredient that gives this drink a distinctive purple color that, to him, gives off a Halloween vibe. Let’s try one!

Conceptual Soundness: The ingredient list is a little “busy,” but I like the general thrust: Take tequila and its cousin mezcal, dress them up with some unusual and sharp tastes (pomegranate, jalapeno), and add a purple liqueur for color. I’d call it intriguing and creative. 4 points.

Appearance: This drink is appealing enough. The color is more a pink-violet than a deep purple, and that means it loses some of its Halloween cred. But the dried lime wheel floating at the top is somewhat gnarly and unexpected, like a desiccated body in a watery grave. I’ll give it 3 points, which would have been kicked up to 4 if the color were darker or the glass were rimmed with black sugar.

Taste: I have to admit, the bartender warned me that this wasn’t one of his favorite drinks. And he added that the brand of lime juice they use tastes a little unusual. And he told me he’d be surprised if I enjoyed the taste. I have to give him credit; he certainly can’t be accused of over-positioning this drink.

I don’t think the lime juice tasted bad per se, but it is definitely too dominant in this drink. The jalapeno taste does get through, but the Creme de Violette doesn’t have a chance. It’s a delicate liqueur, flavored with violet petals. Even the smoke from the mezcal seems to get lost among the stronger jalapeno and lime. I’m afraid this drink only earns 1.5 points for taste.

Ease of Preparation: This drink uses six ingredients (not counting the garnish), and a couple of those ingredients are probably not in your home bar. Mixing the drink, though, isn’t complicated. I’d call the job of making this a mid-level lift. 2 points.

Total Treat Score: 10.5 points/16 points. I don’t think it would be worth buying a bottle of Creme de Violette. But if you happen to be in downtown Sacramento, you could do worse than pop into Fox and Goose and order one of these, just to celebrate the season. And maybe I’ll see you there at their 50th anniversary!

Out of Her Gourd

October 15, 2024 steveboilard3 Comments

Everyone, it seems, likes to decorate their home for the Halloween season. Some go for the scary look, such as the house I saw in Benicia last weekend that had blood splatters and decapitated mannequins. Others seem to be aimed at young children, with friendly ghosts or cute bats or (somewhat confusingly) Minions. But even if you’re not into Halloween per se, it does seem that virtually everyone puts out a pumpkin or two. They might get a real pumpkin that they’ll carve on Halloween, or they might get one of those plastic, light-up pumpkins. (Our daughter-in-law found a high-tech pumpkin whose face is animated while it sings various songs.)

My point is that pumpkins are de rigueur for Halloween. And our house here at Chasing Phantoms Headquarters is no exception. You see, my wife has gone all-in on the pumpkin theme. How all-in, you ask? Well, I’ll show you a few pictures, and you see if you can spot the pumpkin display that graces our home:

If you picked any answer, you’re right. They are all actual, unretouched photos of the Pumpkin-mania that’s descended on our home.

So, surrounded as I am by the festive gourds, I figure that today’s Halloween Cocktail should somehow feature a pumpkin. So here’s my contribution to the pumpkin theme:

Today we’re making a Pumpkin Pie Martini, as described on the Pioneer Woman website. Who said I’m not open to new experiences??

Conceptual Soundness: This is a drink with pumpkin puree, rum, vanilla vodka, maple syrup, half-and-half, pumpkin pie spices, and whipped cream. Here’s how Pioneer Woman describes the drink: Made with real pumpkin puree (which your PSL is most likely not) and topped with a dollop of frozen whipped cream that melts into a heavenly foam topping, this recipe is equal parts fall dessert and fall cocktail. You had me at “heavenly foam topping.” Any drink with the key words “pumpkin pie” and “martini” is a sound concept indeed. 4 points.

Appearance: Admittedly, everything looks good in a martini glass. But this drink has a distinct pumpkin/syrup color, a creamy texture, and nice dollop of whipped cream. To me, that’s both inviting and alluring. If only I’d had something to rim the glass with. But that’s on me, not the recipe. I give this 3.5 points.

*In the words of The Big Bopper: Oh, Baby, that’s a-what I li-i-i-ike!*

Taste: I really wanted to like this. I was anticipating something like a boozy milkshake. Alas, my first sip was a disappointment. The flavors seemed off. It might have been the spices, which seemed like a risky addition. Or the uncooked pumpkin puree might have been too dominant. Or maybe it was the uneasy interaction of the whipped cream with the rum and vodka. Whatever the reason, that first sip was a disappointment.

The second sip, however, was a different story. Maybe my taste buds just had to acclimate to the unexpected flavor. But that second sip was pretty good. The third was great. The final sip was in nectar-of-the-gods territory.

I know what you’re thinking; You think the accumulation of alcohol in my bloodstream weakened my judgement. But I really think this is a solid drink. The flavors, while unexpected, come to grow on you. (Literally.) I confess I ended up making myself a second glass. But I settled on my rating (3 points for flavor) before that indulgence.

Ease of Preparation: It’s more work than I’m used to for a cocktail, but it’s not a huge lift. You need to chill your martini glass and freeze a few dollops of whipped cream ahead of time. Otherwise, you just throw everything into a shaker with ice. The only item I had to go out and purchase was pumpkin puree; everything else I had on hand. (Technically, I didn’t have vanilla vodka, but Frontier Woman says I can just add vanilla extract to my plain vodka). 2.5 points.

PS: While gathering supplies at the bar, I noticed some additional pumpkin decor. It’s endless!

2024 Halloween treats · Halloween Cocktails

That’s So Raven

October 14, 2024 steveboilardLeave a comment

Attentive readers will recall that I recently returned from Poe Fest in Baltimore. Edgar Allan Poe produced a large number of poems and short stories in his short lifetime, though most people today could probably only name a few of them. One of those well-known works is his poem “The Raven,” which Poe published in 1845. He was paid $9 for it.

*The last stanza of the poem, in Poe’s hand.*

Though it never made Poe rich, the poem made him famous. It has been reprinted in countless publications, and various artists have tried their hand at illustrating the atmospheric, spooky tale. At Poe Fest I had the opportunity to admire 27 steel-plate engravings that famed illustrator Gustave Doré made for an 1884 edition of “The Raven.” (Sadly, Doré died just months before that publication saw the light of day.) Poe had himself died in 1849, so Doré couldn’t consult with the author when he made his illustrations. Still, it’s a haunting series of etchings.

Indeed, I was so taken by the etchings that I immediately purchased a modern volume that includes Dore’s illustrations, along with the original text.

*Nice Addams Family house on the cover.*

Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, I see that the publisher managed to mar Poe’s prose. Some of the words have changed (“farther” instead of “further,” “thus” instead of “this”), and the punctuation is quite different from that used in more authoritative texts. However, this does beg the question: How do I know which version of “The Raven” is truly authoritative? I was unable to find the full poem in Poe’s handwriting (which to me would be the gold standard), but know that we here at Chasing Phantoms are on the case!

*Clearly the bottom of this page contains a couple of obvious typos.*

All this talk of “The Raven” leads us to today’s Treat of the Day. This week we’re shifting our focus to Halloween-themed cocktails. Providentially, I stumbled upon a recipe for something called The Raven. It combines 1 oz rum, 1 oz vodka, 1 oz. Blue Curacao, and 1/2 oz Chambord. A quick check of my bar confirmed that all those ingredients are present, so let’s make one!

Conceptual Soundness: I think the concept here is simply leveraging the Raven name by making a dark, almost black, drink. It’s not a bad concept, although it’s not especially inventive. Let’s give it 2.5 points.

Appearance: Strictly following the recipe, the color is not especially dark; its mainly just Curacao blue. So I added an activated charcoal capsule (left over from an earlier Halloween effort), which seems to have done the trick. Now my drink is dark like a raven–it clearly screams “Halloween.” That’s worth 3 points.

Taste: This drink tastes festive, or at least it comes across as something that’s special and different from your average cocktail. There’s a lot going on here: The first thing you taste is the rum, and then the vodka’s extra boost of booziness hits you soon afterward. Next you notice the sweet citrus from the blue curacao. On the finish, you get more sweetness and some distinct raspberry notes from the Chambord. Those various layers actually works together quite well. The Raven has two ounces of 80-proof spirits, plus another 1.5 ounces of 25-proof liqueurs, so it’s probably not a good idea to pound these drinks. Ask me how I know. 4 points.

Value/Ease of Preparation: As we shift our Treat Reviews to cocktails this week, the rating category of “value” will be replaced with “ease of preparation.” This category combines the ready availability of ingredients, the hit they make to your wallet, and the complexity of the recipe. In the case of The Raven, this is a simple drink to prepare. The ingredients are pretty much staples in a well-stocked home bar. I give it 3.5 points.

Total Treat Score: 13 points/16 points.

MAILBAG

Attentive readers will recall that our first Halloween treat review this month was the Starbucks Racoon Pop. We gave it a middling score of 8 out of 16 points.

Loyal reader Detlef K reports that his granddaughter recently got her hands on a raccoon pop, possibly as a result of her mother having read our review. Sadly, the little tyke didn’t seem too taken by the treat.

BTW: We’re told that this is a girl who has no problem shoving lasagna and zucchini into her water glass and drinking the soggy mess.

Halloween Cocktails

Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2022 steveboilard7 Comments

Here we are on the 31st day of October, ready to make our 31st Halloween cocktail. What a long strange trip it’s been.

I’m about to settle down on the sofa with my wife (aka Mrs Columbo) and we’re going to watch Hocus Pocus. Neither of us has seen this 30-year-old movie, but we’re told it’s one of the few Halloween movies that both of us could appreciate. Besides, a couple of years ago I visited the location where the movie is set (Salem, Mass.), and it should be fun to see if I can recognize any of the buildings.

*One of the actual homes in historic Salem that appear in Hocus Pocus.*

But before settling down for the movie, I have one more cocktail to make. I tried to select a final cocktail using some of the lessons I’ve learned this month. To wit:

Creamy concoctions seem to beat out the less viscous drinks in terms of taste.
The drink’s container helps to set the mood.
Gimmicks are good.
Avoid Chartreuse at all costs.

Accordingly, I’ve found the following Halloween cocktail that seems to incorporate all those lessons. Here we go!

The Recipe: The “Ghostbuster Cocktail” is made as follows: First, you have to make a little ghost. Whip up some whipped cream (heavy whipping cream and sugar), and put it in a piping bag. Now, pipe out a ghost shape on a silicone mat. Add eyes using black icing, and freeze it in the freezer.

For the drink itself, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add 2 oz vodka, 1 oz Bailey’s Irish cream, and 1 oz. Kahlua. Shake it up (as Rick Ocasek would say) and pour into a hollowed-out small pumpkin that will serve as a cup. Seat the ghost on the rim of the pumpkin.

The Ratings: The appearance is great–You have a pumpkin and a ghost. What more could you want? This screams Halloween. Four points.

The taste is less exciting. This strongly tastes of Bailey’s. The vodka just adds alcohol without imparting any real taste, and the Kahlua just gives a slight coffee flavor. This is mainly Bailey’s. Which is fine, but it reminds me of St. Pat’s rather than Halloween. The taste gets only 2 points.

The name is kind of fun. People my age (i.e., who were born during the Kennedy Administration) remember Ghost Busters well, as an innovative and fun comedy/horror movie. And the little ghost on the side of the pumpkin echoes that theme. Two points.

Grand Total: 8 points

Now, for those of you who are interested, here’s the scores for all of this month’s drinks:

	Name	Appearance	Taste	Name	Total
Oct 1	Pumpkin Martini	3	3.5	1	7.5
Oct 2	Dark N Stormy	2	4	2	8
Oct 3	Haunted Graveyard	2	3	2	7
Oct 4	Herman	1	0	2	3
Oct 4	Lily	2	1.5	1.5	5
Oct 5	Corpse Reviver	0	0	2	2
Oct 6	Pumpkin Old Fashioned	2	2.5	1	5.5
Oct 7	Witches Brew	0	4	2	6
Oct 8	Absinthe/Green Fairy	4	2	2	8
Oct 9	Necromancers Martini	2	2.5	2	6.5
Oct 10	Halloween Jell-O Shot	3.5	3	0	6.5
Oct 11	N/A–Poe Trip
Oct 12	Zombie	1	2	2	5
Oct 13	Wolf BIte	2.5	3.5	1.5	7.5
Oct 14	Beetlejuice Cocktail	3	1	1	5
Oct 15	Smokey Cauldron	4	3.5	2	9.5
Oct 16	Vampire Kiss	3	1	2	6
Oct 17	Halloween Candy Corn Cocktail	1	0	0	1
Oct 18	Pumpkin Spice Mudslide	2	2	0	4
Oct 19	Zombie Socketini	3	3	2	8
Oct 20	Nightmare on Bourbon St	3	4	2	9
Oct 21	Death in the Afternoon	2	1.5	2	5.5
Oct 22	Headless Horseman	3	3	2	8
Oct 23	Black Magic Margarita	2.5	4	1.5	8
Oct 24	Jack Skellington	2.5	4	1.5	8
Oct 25	Screwed-up screwdriver	3.5	1.5	0	5
Oct 26	Green Ghost	0	0	2	2
Oct 27	Hell Fire	3.5	4	2	9.5
Oct 28	Don Muerte	2	3	1.5	6.5
Oct 29	Otto’s 1923	3	3.5	0	6.5
Oct 30	Smoke Mirrors and Colors	3	4	1	8
Oct 31	Ghostbuster Cocktail	4	2	2	8

As you can see, the #1 drink in terms of appearance was a tie between the Absinthe, the Smokey Cauldron, and the Ghostbuster Cocktail. The #1 drink in terms of taste is a tie between the Dark N Stormy, the Witches Brew, Nightmare on Bourbon Street, Black Magic Margarita, Jack Skellington, Hellfire, and Smoke/Mirrors/Colors. The drink with the highest total score is a tie between the Smokey Cauldron and the Hell Fire.

Thank you to everyone who stuck with me through this experiment, and thanks especially to those who provided feedback or offered their own suggestions. I have something even bigger and better planned for October 2023, so that’s something for you to look forward to (or not). I now turn this blog back over to its primary function as a travelogue.

Halloween Cocktails

Dan is Back!

October 30, 2022 steveboilardLeave a comment

This just in:

Yes, Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase are going to be in another movie together. This one will be based on a teen/young adult franchise by R.L Stine, so I don’t expect to be watching it. But Dan Aykroyd is a pretty decent fellow. For starters, he’s Canadian. He’s also the founder of a vodka company called Crystal Head. The notable thing about his vodka is the bottle, which is shaped like a skull. And that’s a good Halloween connection.

It turns out there’s a cocktail called “Smoke, Mirrors and Colors” which shows up on a couple of Halloween cocktail lists. It uses Dan Aykroyd’s Crystal Head vodka. It’s also very easy to make. So here we go!

The Recipe: Combine 1.5 oz Crystal Head Aurora vodka, 1 oz dry vermouth, and 1/2 oz Mezcal in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass with dry ice.

The Ratings:

Let’s get this part out of the way: There’s no “color” to this drink. It’s only the container (the skull) that potentially has some iridescence (that doesn’t seem to even be visible in the photo). (This is what’s distinctive about the “Aurora” version of Crystal Head.) That said, the dry ice is a definite plus in that it creates a spooky “smoke.” Otherwise, it’s just a clear drink. Let’s give it three points for appearance.

The taste is distinctive and flavorful. The vermouth lends a tartness which interacts with the smoky Mezcal perfectly. And while the dry ice is obviously there mainly just to create “smoke,” it also carbonates the drink and hyper-cools it. The mouthfeel reminds me of a very cold San Peligrino. The finish is slightly briny, with a nice tang. Overall, this is an approachable, honest, straightforward drink. I can’t think of any part that needs improving. I must give it four points for taste.

The name is a little lame. The smoke part is obvious (either the smoke from the Mezcal, or from the dry ice). The “colors” are presumably from the iridescent bottle (notably NOT from the drink). The mirrors….I have no idea. And I’m not sure how the name connects with Halloween. I suppose there’s something kind of outré about smoke, mirrors, and colors. But the best I can do here is 1 point for the name.

Grand Total: 8 points.