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A Gin Primer -- LeNell It All

Photo: Demián Camacho Santa Ana


Besides being a great addition to your beef marinades, juniper berries have long been used for medicinal purposes: fighting off infections, stimulating the kidneys, and even serving as an early Viagra. References to juniper use in health tonics have been found as far back as the 1200's. Franciscus Sylvius de la Boe, a professor at a Dutch university in the 1600's, often gets credited for mixing juniper with alcohol, creating the world's first gin -- however, juniper and alcohol had already made friends at least a hundred years earlier according to old Dutch distilling records.

Genever is one of the earliest styles of gin. Since 2008, the EU has granted genever a protected status, regulating where and how it can be made. Most genever comes from Holland; however Belgium and Department 59 (Nord) Department 62 (Pas-de-Calais) of France as well as the Nordrhein-Westfalen (bordering Belgium and Holland) and Niedersachsen (north of Nordrhein) areas of Germany are also allowed production rights. Genever styles range from a light almost vodka-like flavor to sweetened, fruity, almost liqueur-like bottlings. I spent a month in Holland last year "studying" genever, so let me just say there's not space here to outline in detail all the wonderful variations of this spirit. The brands you might find in the US include Zuidam, Boomsma, Schlichte Steinhäger, and the big daddy Bols.

More after the jump...
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Filed under: Drinks

Presidential Burgers and Molto Gusto - The Chicago Tribune in 60 Seconds

Photo: Martin H. Simon-Pool / Getty Images


  • Bursting with attitude unparalleled by vodka, gin cocktails dominate the bold new face of mixology.
  • Renowned for his gluttonous appetite -- and portly physique -- Mario Batali reveals a transformed outlook on food in his new cookbook Molto Gusto, which trades rich decadence for simple, healthy, everyday Italian fare.
  • "The love for regional food chains burns hottest of all," a reality largely due to local community pride and further strengthened by the recession.
  • Find out which whites pair best with the other white meat.
  • Even President Obama is eager to roll up his sleeves for a burger, returning to Ray's Hell Burger with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev after his burger venture with Joe Biden in May 2009.

Filed under: In 60 Seconds, News

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Three Spring Cocktails - Tip of the Day

Spring's here! Mix up a fresh, simple cocktail to ring in the season. Here are three to choose from.
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Filed under: Tip of the Day

Hot Hesper - LeNell It All

Photo: LeNell Smothers.



"Anna likened you to Phosphor the morning star, and herself to Hesper, the mortal star of evening, and when I told her those twin stars were one and the same, and not a star at all but the planet Venus..." - John Barth

A perfumist friend made me a delightful custom scent he called Gin Hesper -- inspired by the aromas of DH Krahn gin and perhaps my "Hesper'ness." A relatively new gin on the market, DH Krahn offers a less pronounced juniper flavor with a nice citrusy note. I took the perfume's name as inspiration for this drink I created during the 2008 holiday season -- perfect for festive occasions with its beautiful, deep ruby-red color. Even better, it combines both the DH Krahn gin and my love for rye whiskey.

Dusting off the crock pot and having mugs out for guests is one of my favorite ways to serve a holiday gathering of friends and family. Self-serving out of the crock pot sure beats your having to worry about serving guests individually. And wouldn't you rather be caroling, eating, opening presents or most importantly, just basking in the glow of those around you?
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Filed under: Drink Recipes, Entertaining

Cocktail Ingredients Quiz

Can you identify the ingredients in a martini, cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Mai Tai, Long Island Iced Tea, Harvey Wallbager and more? See how well you know your cocktails.

Cocktail Ingredients Quiz

Crazy for Cosmopolitans? You'll need vodka, Cointreau or triple sec, lime juice, and one other ingredient to shake 'em up at home.

  • Grenadine
  • Orange juice
  • Cranberry juice
  • Pink grapefruit juice

Some folks get fancy with the recipe, but a traditionally-made Mai Tai gets its signature flavor from lime juice, dark rum, grenadine (or simple syrup), curacao and what other key ingredient?

  • Almond syrup
  • Mango juice
  • Coconut milk
  • Orange juice

Shaking up vodka, cream, and this variety of liqueur results in a White Russian.

  • Coffee
  • White chocolate
  • Vanilla
  • Peppermint

The rim of a Sidecar glass is coated in what tasty substance?

  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Cocoa
  • Honey

The non-alcoholic classic Shirley Temple contains ginger ale (or lemon-lime soda), orange juice and a sweet splash of what?

  • Fruit punch
  • Cranberry juice
  • Grenadine
  • Pineapple juice

Vodka or gin would need just this ingredient to be shaken or stirred into a gimlet.

  • Roses Lime Juice Cordial
  • Olive juice
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Pickle juice

Rye (or bourbon), vermouth, bitters and a cherry are the components of which classic cocktail?

  • Negroni
  • Old Fashioned
  • Manhattan
  • Rob Roy

Mix up rum, lime and Coca-Cola to make this drink.

  • Cuba Libre
  • El Presidente
  • Bronx
  • Corpse Reviver

Mint, sugar, lime, soda water and this liquor come together to be muddled into a mojito.

  • Cachaca
  • Tequila
  • Rum
  • Pisco

Standard ingredients in a Negroni include gin, vermouth and what other liquid?

  • Lemon juice
  • Egg whites
  • Angostura bitters
  • Campari

It's not just a punchline -- the Harvey Wallbanger is a fern bar staple featuring vodka, orange juice, and this odd liqueur.

  • Goldschlager
  • Rumplemintz
  • Galliano
  • Peach Schnaaps

When this is popped into a Martini in lieu of an olive, it becomes a Gibson.

  • Jalapeno pepper
  • Lime wedge
  • Gherkin
  • Cocktail onion

James Bond may be more commonly associated with the Martini, but writer Ian Fleming also had him slugging down Vespers, which are concocted from Lillet Blanc and which two liquors?

  • Brandy & Scotch
  • Gin & Vodka
  • Vodka & Bourbon
  • Bourbon & Brandy

Mix orange juice and this spirit for a hard-hitting Screwdriver.

  • Rum
  • Vodka
  • Champagne
  • Whiskey

Sure, you could ask for a vodka & cranberry with a lime wedge, but it's much more festive to order it this way:

  • Greyhound
  • Salty Dog
  • Cape Cod
  • Madras

If you've got bourbon, mint, and a splash of soda, you're on the right track to make the Derby Day classic, a Mint Julep. What's still missing?

  • Lime
  • Sugar
  • Bitters
  • Nothing

The Bloody Mary is a brunch standard, but this addition transforms it into a hearty Bloody Bull.

  • Beef broth
  • Red Bull
  • A whole hot pepper
  • Pepper vodka

Creme de menthe and cream are terribly tasty together, but if you want a Grasshopper, hop to the store for a bottle of:

  • Vanilla vodka
  • Creme de Cacao
  • Green food coloring
  • Mint extract

A Greyhound gets its distinctive flavor from vodka and this mixer:

  • Sweetened lime juice
  • Pineapple juice
  • Cranberry and orange juice
  • Grapefruit juice

We all know that a Long Island Iced Tea has no tea in the mix, but what liquor isn't part of the standard recipe?

  • Bourbon
  • Vodka
  • Rum
  • Tequila

Filed under: Quizzes, Drink Recipes

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