Set the tone for an evening of well designed drinks in a well designed space
Advertorial content: The most memorable summer nights involve good company and good drinks in a properly outfitted setting to match. To set the mood for winding up or down with Tanqueray, Cool Hunting has selected seven unique pieces for a convivial, comfortable and impeccably designed outdoor party to keep the…
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Celebrate the season with the Hamptons’ local juice
Taking the motto “Made with love in Montauk,” Sweet ‘tauk Lemonade is a locavore juicer located at the far reaches of New York’s Long Island. Founder Debora Aiza makes lemonades that blend local ingredients and lemons imported from optimal growing conditions, sweetened with a touch of raw agave nectar. On a recent weekend in the Hamptons we paired ours with club soda to make refreshing—though we have it on good authority that they shine as cocktail mixers as well.
The unpasteurized drink foregoes sugar in favor of the natural agave for a mild sweetness that packs fewer calories than the standard summer juice, while flavor combinations like watermelon and cucumber and the season’s pitch-perfect iced tea-lemonade mix make Sweet ‘tauk a superior gourmet choice over sugary concentrates. At around $10 per quart, the lemonades are also a bit pricier than what you might see at a stand, but they’re well worth it for the small batch production and all-natural attributes.
The just-launched juices are currently available at East Hampton Gourmet Foods and Balsam Farms in Long Island, NY, though we expect to see Aiza’s concoctions making their way off the island sometime soon.
Three small batch breweries rethink the The Big Smoke’s take on beer
Nothing goes better with a carefully constructed burger or a gourmet hot dog than an equally well-crafted beer. With London’s independent food scene heating up, a number of local producers are creating brews to match this artisanal sentiment. Born from the quest for better-quality beer, here are three we’ve found that stand out for their distinct flavor and meticulous brewing process.
Following an unfiltered brewing process, Bethnal Green’s Redchurch Brewery bottles each beer live for the most in flavor and maturation. The 10-barrel brewery launched a year ago by lawyer-turned-brewer Gary Ward, who aims to raise the bar for traditional English beers by adding more depth to the classics with big, hoppy flavors. The Redchurch range currently includes aptly titled brews like Hackney Gold, Hoxton Stout—a rich, dark beer modeled after Guinness Foreign Extra—Shoreditch Blonde, Bethnal Pale Ale, India Pale Ale and Old Ford Export Stout.
Located in South London, The Kernel Brewery also bottles their beer alive, allowing it extra time to grow and mature while in the bottle. Now three years old, the brewery is the upshot of former cheesemonger and Kernel founder Evin O’Riordain’s trip to Brooklyn, where he became inspired by the level of attention paid to both producing and consuming beer. His range has grown to include a handful of porters, pale ales and IPAs, as well as an award-winning stout based on a recipe used by a London brewery back in 1890.
Started just a year ago, London Fields Brewery reflects Hackney’s industrious spirit and artistic fervor. The 10-barrel brewery currently handcrafts five regular beers, including Pale Ale, Hackney Hopster, Unfiltered Lager, Wheat Beer and Love Not War—a nod to the London riots, which trapped the first batch inside the brewery. An integral part of the community, London Fields also frequently collaborates with their peers to create both experimental beers and neighborhood food events, like their summer affair with The Dead Dolls Club and their pop-up with Tomscoopery gelato.
LA bartender Matt Biancaniello whips up a sweet summer cocktail with a new liqueur
From Heaven Hill Distilleries, makers of Elijah Craig whiskey and Rittenhouse Straight Rye, comes Mariposa, the first agave nectar liqueur on the market. Mariposa, which is concocted from 100% agave tequila and premium vodka, is named for the Spanish word for butterfly, paying tribute to the Monarch species indigenous to the Tequila region of Mexico. With an aroma of gardenias and rose oil, the liqueur makes for a highly mixable ingredient for sweet cocktails. For those wishing to limit or eliminate processed sugars from their diets, agave has become a popular alternative, and bartenders have found agave to be a helpful substitute for simple syrup and honey.
Bartender Matt Biancaniello of the Library Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel in LA created a special cocktail with Mariposa that incorporates the flavors of summer. Biancaniello fills his bar with the freshest ingredients from no fewer than three local farmers markets every week, and strives to create new combinations from seasonal flavors he finds. Inspired by the Nicholas Family Farms blueberry juice, Biancaniello bucked his usual habit for intricate, ingredient-rich cocktails to blend a simple recipe that can be easily replicated at home.
2 ounces Mariposa
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce fresh blueberry juice
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker, fill with ice. Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with fresh blueberries and a slice of lime. (Alternative options: pomegranate or grape juice would also work well with the floral notes in the Mariposa.)
Mariposa is currently launching across the US this summer, and will be available for $25.
Organic hydration in an eco-friendly powdered mix
Powdered varietals of anything can be a bit hit-and-miss. As coconut water aficionados, we approached YogaEarth‘s “Purity” coconut water with a due degree of skepticism. While it didn’t quite live up to other fresh offerings, the mix was met with unanimous approval. Powder—while not the sexiest of states—has the advantage of extended shelf life, commuter-friendly packaging and a lower ecological footprint since you’re transporting powder in biodegradable paper rather than liquid in plastic bottles.
YogaEarth’s personal relationship with their farms ensures fair treatment of workers at the source, and their commitment to health keeps the crystalized coconut water 100% organic. The virgin coconuts are hand-harvested in Brazil and Java, and no ingredients are added to enhance the flavor.
YogaEarth’s recently released ready-to-go sticks are also a boon for commuters in need of convenient hydration. The powder fully dissolves without any gritty dregs for a slightly sweet drink or a healthy addition to smoothies. Teeming with electrolytes and minerals, coconut water is the recovery drink of choice post-workout and post-Saturday night.
Purity Coconut Water is available from YogaEarth’s online shop.
Organic ingredients and natural sweetness from six boutique soda makers
Channeling the flavors of childhood without the sugary side effects, natural sodas keep the fizz while eliminating harmful preservatives. Instead, these sustainably sourced drinks call upon organically grown ingredients for the freshest in flavor. The following is a selection of six sodas that combine light sweetness with a bit of zest for a satisfying substitute to that classic can of Coke.
The 100% local, fresh ingredients packed in a bottle of Hot Lips bring the best of the Pacific Northwest straight to your lips. Recycled glass bottles house some spectacular essences, and we’re partial to the velvety Boysenberry—a rare flavor in the soda world—which is made from fruit out of Western Washington’s Willamette Valley.
Handcrafting cordials since the 70s, Belvoir Fruit Farms
creates perfectly balanced sodas that reflect their freshly picked contents. The assortment of fizz-filled “pressés” actually quench your thirst while tingling your palate with the delicate flavors of elderflower, lime and lemongrass, cranberry and English apple, among others.
Created by Bruce Cost, the author of “Ginger East to West”, Fresh Ginger Ale is arguably the purest ginger drink around. The lightly carbonated soda is made exclusively from fresh ginger and cane sugar, and is left unfiltered with a rich, full-bodied flavor profile. While perfectly good solo, the drink shines when paired with a plate of fresh sushi or mixed with a measure of gin.
The century-old soda maker Fentimans prides itself on a “botanically brewed” process, which involves infusion, boiling and a seven-day fermentation period. Made from natural ingredients like ginger root, dandelion leaves and juniper berries, many of the heavily spiced concoctions drinks also pack a strong caffeine punch.
Dry Soda Co. was born from the intent to create a non-alcoholic drink with full flavor and a small amount of pure cane sugar. Clear and elegant bottles contain exotic flavors of rhubarb, juniper, lavender and lemongrass alongside more mellow offerings of blood orange, cucumber, wild lime and vanilla bean.
Old-fashioned Maine Root is rightfully known for flagship root beer, although we’re partial to the Spicy Ginger brew and regional favorite sarsaparilla, which is touted as a lighter alternative to the root beer. The Portland-based company uses fair trade ingredients and organic evaporated cane juice for sweetness.
Tipu’s latest micro-ground mix
Generally skeptical of the western appropriation of Indian traditions, we do find the occasional diamond in the rough. The self-billed “chai snobs” at Tipu’s recently introduced Chai Now, a fully loaded chai latte that stacks up nicely to their already stellar selection. Building off of their successful Microground Instant Black Chai, Chai Now adds non-GMO soy powder and evaporated cane juice to the instant mix.
Tipu’s uses high-quality, non-irradiated spices to produce powerfully flavorful chai mixes and concentrates. The caffeine content is noticeable, and the mix can easily replace a morning cup of coffee. While bold, the flavors are well balanced to prevent any one note from becoming overwhelming. The level of sweetness remains nicely mild, which is definitely a rare quality in mass-market chai. Tipu’s recipe comes from founder Bipin Patel’s grandmother’s recipe, crossing continents to find its way into this ready-to-drink mix.
The only real drawback of Chai Now is that sediment in the mix tends to settle at the bottom of the glass, though that’s relatively easy to avoid. We preferred the “slow brew” mixes since they allow you a bit more control over strength, sweetness and milk levels. That said, Chai Now is perfect for your spring camping excursions—just add water and enjoy a spicy cup on a cool night.
Chai Now is available along with the full line at Tipu’s online shop.
The sweet shop warms up with Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Churning out a flavorful variety of portable ice cream, yogurt and sorbet snacks from their NYC shop, popbar has us hooked on a warmer sweet.
The newest addition to the brand’s all-natural, kosher-certified lineup (including vegan sorbet varieties) is Hot Chocolate on a Stick, a treat as simple and sweet as the name implies. To whip up an instant mug, dip a chunk of dark, milk or vanilla-white chocolate into hot milk, stir for a minute and sip. Popbar’s chocolate-bar consistency seems to blend more easily than typical powder cocoas and, most importantly, does so quickly. Add more milk to temper the sweetness, or split one between two cups for just a hint of flavor.
Hot Chocolate on a Stick is available at popbar’s West Village shop and, for those outside New York, on Amazon for $3 a piece or in gift sets of six for $18 and 12 for $36.
Scotch whisky manually mixed for smooth flavor from a blend of three malts
As one of the few remaining whisky distilleries in the world still using manual mixing techniques during the production process, Monkey Shoulder makes a rich and uniquely flavorful blend. This hands-on turning of the barley was once known to cause a temporary ailment for which this whisky is named. Monkey Shoulder has adopted the same time-tested techniques under better working conditions—and without the risk of injury—to create their signature triple malt Scotch whisky. The spirit has been available in its native U.K. for some time, but just recently launched in the U.S. in January 2012.
The first distillery to blend three malts, Monkey Shoulder is made from a trio of fine Speyside single malts—Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie. Once selected, the malts are left to mature in bourbon casks for a length of time only the “malt master” knows. This process lends the whisky subtle, but distinct smokey notes of oak that compliment the spirit’s naturally sweet vanilla and brown sugar flavors. Each batch contains just 27 individually taste-tested casks to keep quality consistently up to grade.
Monkey Shoulder is now available in the U.S. from select Chicago stores and online nationwide at the brand’sBinny’s for $30 per 750ml bottle. For more information on the production process and for heaps of inventive cocktail recipes head to e-shop.
Stockholm’s only microbrewery mixes creative enthusiasm and culinary expertise with modern results
Giving Stockholm its first and only microbrewery, friends Niklas Hjelm and Magnus Mårdberg opened Södra Maltfabriken in mid-2011. Besides a bit of experience in home brewing, Hjelm, an award-winning digital creative director, and Mårdberg, a successful chef and restaurateur, bring to the operation a refreshingly unique point of view.
Blending creativity and a well-honed palette, the small company has quickly gained a reputation for properly quenching the demand for quality, high-end beers in Sweden. “Magnus started to see his diners asking for beers, as well as wine, to go with their meals,” explains Hjelm. “So he wondered if his palette might translate from cooking to brewing.”
Sweden’s larger producers are known for producing high-quality ales, and the nationalized, government-run liquor chain, Systembolaget is the only outlet authorized to sell anything containing more than 3.5% alcohol to the public during very strict opening hours, setting the bar high for the fledgling small-batch brewers. “Although we’ve both done a bit of home brewing, it’s not as simple as just increasing the ingredients and amounts,” says Hjelm. “You’ve got to show the establishment that you can actually make good beer—there is a legacy of strong Swedish ale brewing to match up to. We want to show this in a different way to a new audience, an audience which you’ve got to work hard for all the time and in every respect both in terms of taste and aesthetic.”
Södra’s label design, for one, showcases this progressive approach. Working with designer Hanna Werning, the microbrewery has created its distinct look with a subtle combination of form and color for each of the three ales. “People are beginning to swap a bottle of wine for a good, attractive, well-designed beer,” says Hjelm. “What we try and do is make sure that the beer looks refined on the table and that the design looms strong in the customers mind as a reminder of the specific Södra taste.”
At present Södra Maltfabriken offers Rude Lager, a rich-tasting beer from Perle, Saaz and Cascade hops with a twang of Amarillo, an IPA called Poking, which is a deep and powerful tipple with a 7.5% alcohol content to put some hair on the chest, and a clean, refined pale ale—Initial—which marks the real jewel in the crown.
Hjelm also tells us that a couple of extra blends are in the pipeline, including his own personal favorite, a brown ale that would add nicely to an already very mature selection. As the passionate creative partnership expands, so does its very real potential to give the bigger brands a bit of a lesson in modern tastes.
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