Braiden-Rex Johnson: Cool Cocktails

It was a red-letter day in June when the editors of Food & Wine magazine’s Cocktails 2009 named ART Restaurant and Lounge in the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle as one of the top 100 bars and lounges across America. Food & Wine’s annual cocktail compendium presents more than 150 of the best cocktail and party recipes from cutting-edge bartenders coast to coast.

I was particularly pleased when ART was chosen since it’s right across the street from our downtown Seattle condo, so it’s easy to slip across the plaza for a sip and a nosh without getting in the car.

ART took home the bacon for one of its signature cocktails--Sorriso. The creative cocktail--which translates as “smile” in Italian--includes pear vodka, gin, cream sherry, cherry brandy, and Angostura bitters, all garnished with a twist of lemon.

Recently, I’ve been taken with another of ART’s signature cocktails--The Big Dill. It’s the kind of drink that’s fashionable of late, with savory ingredients (fresh cucumber) muddled with herbs (fresh dill) and mixed with freshly squeezed lime juice and agave syrup (a healthy sugar substitute, although simple syrup works just as well). The citrus and sweet syrup create a sort of sweet-and-sour effect, while good-quality vodka adds the final cool, crisp, alcoholic punch.

Since I’m really more of a wine aficionado than cocktail expert, I turn to books by two of Seattle’s cocktail kingpins and buddies of mine, whenever I have a question.

Just this spring, Seattle celebrity chef Kathy Casey whipped up a delightful new tome (her ninth) entitled, Sips & Apps: Classic and Contemporary Recipes for Cocktails and Appetizers.

With a hip, yet retro feel, the book is stylishly produced in Casey’s signature colors--robin’s egg blue, celadon, chocolate brown and silver--and includes more than 100 appetizer and cocktail recipes, a bar-basics section, recipes for cocktail cornerstones such as infused syrups and fresh fruit purées, along with insider tips.

A.J. Rathbun, kitchen editor at Amazon.com, is one of the most prolific writers I’ve ever met. His award-winning Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist is an entertaining and engaging collection of 450 classic and contemporary cocktail recipes with quirky names (Headshrinker, Flaming Dr. Pepper, Obituary Cocktail), lively headnotes, and gorgeous photos by the aptly named Melissa Punch.

For those who want to try their hand at making a cool cocktail at home, here’s a recipe for The Big Dill courtesy of ART Restaurant and Lounge.

The Big Dill
Serves 1

Ingredients:
3 sprigs fresh dill, leafy parts only (no stems)
4 (1/2-inch) slices fresh cucumber
1/2 ounce agave syrup or simple syrup (See Cook’s Hint, below)
Juice of half a fresh lime
1-1/2 ounces Square One Vodka or other good-quality vodka 

Directions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, with a muddler or wooden spoon, gently press the dill and 3 slices of the cucumber. Add the agave syrup and gently press to combine the ingredients. Add the lime juice and gently press to combine. 

2. Add the vodka and enough ice to fill the shaker and cover. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass until you reach the last half inch of liquid, which should be discarded as it may contain large flecks of dill.

3. To garnish, slice the remaining cucumber halfway into the center and position it on the rim of the martini glass.

Cook’s Hint: To make simple syrup, in a small saucepan, bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate in a glass jar for up to 1 month.

--Braiden Rex-Johnson

Photo of Braiden by Ingrid Pape-Sheldon