I’VE GOTTEN QUITE a few interesting questions over the last couple of days, so I thought I’d take the time to answer them.  Let’s see what we have in the inbox this week.

What is bitters?

Believe it or not, bitters is classified as an alcoholic beverage.  Despite being available on your grocers’ shelves, it weighs in at about 45% alcohol by volume (ABV).  That’s 90 proof if you’re counting at home.  The most common bitters, known as Angostura bitters, was developed in 1824 by a German physician living in Venezuela, Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, as a cure for sea sickness and stomach ailments.  It was later exported to England and Trinidad, where some creative minds began using it in cocktails.  Among its many uses, bitters can be used to stimulate your appetite.  When used in apéritifs and digestifs, bitters settles your stomach before a meal or before a night of drinking.

The most common ingredients in bitters are angostura bark, cascarilla, cassia, gentian, orange peel, and quinine.  The flavor of both Angostura bitters and Peychaud’s bitters is derived from gentian, a bitter herb.  Bitters is made by either infusing or distilling aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and fruits known for their flavor and/or their medicinal properties.

Several cocktails use bitters as a key ingredient.  Among those are the Sazerac Cocktail, the Manhattan, the Old Fashion, and the Pink Gin.  Brands of bitters that are most often used these days are Peychaud’s, Angostura, and Gammel Dansk.  Other beverages that fall under the category of bitters are Campari, Fernet Branca, Ramazzotti, Pimm’s No. 1, and Luxardo Amaro.

What are the other quality grades for Cognac?

As I mentioned recently, the official quality grades for Cognac were set forth by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC).  The grading system helps give you an indication of the age of the liquid in your favorite bottle of Cognac.  The following list should help you understand what the letters on the bottle mean.

VS (Very Special) – This means that the youngest Cognac or brandy in the bottle has been stored for at least two years in a cask.
VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) – This means that the youngest Cognac or brandy in the bottle has been stored for at least four years in a cask.
XO (Extra Old) -This means that the youngest Cognac or brandy in the bottle has been stored for at least six years in a cask, but average much closer to twenty years.
Napoleon – This grade is equivalent to XO.
Extra A – Cognac or Brandy with this grade are aged for a minimum of six years.
Vieux – This grade falls between VSOP and XO.
Vieille Réserve – This means that the grade for this Cognac or brandy is beyond XO.
Hors d’âge (beyond age) – The BNIC states that this grade is equivalent to XO, but in practice this term is used to describe Cognac or brandy of the highest quality and its grade is beyond the official age scale.

What is Ouzo?

Ouzo is an anise-flavored apéritif that is produced in Greece.  It is made by distilling pure ethyl alcohol that is 96% ABV with anise in a copper still.  Other ingredients such as cinnamon, clove, and star anise can also be added.  Ouzo production does not include multiple distillations or fermentation.

The precursor to Ouzo, Tsipouro or Rakia, was consumed during the reign of the Byzantine Empire and continued to be enjoyed throughout the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire.  A group of 14th century monks living in a monastery on Mount Athos are said to have helped develop what we know as Ouzo.  One of the many recipes that they used to make Tsipouro was flavored with anise.  This particular recipe eventually came to be known as Ouzo.  The Greek isle of Lesbos lays claim to producing what is considered modern Ouzo.  When the world-wide ban on Absinthe took place during the late 19th century, Ouzo was one of many anise-flavored products that gained in popularity.

The best way to enjoy Ouzo is straight up.  That’s my preferred method of consumption.  The traditional way to consume it is by pouring it over ice and mixing in a little water.  This causes the Ouzo to become cloudy and white, a process known as the Louching Effect.  It is a harmless reaction triggered by adding cold water to a beverage that contains anise.  It is a strong visual indicator that the beverage has been sufficiently diluted, making it less potent.  In the case of Ouzo, dilution isn’t necessary, but for those who enjoy Absinthe, dilution is vital since it is much more potent than Ouzo.  For those who don’t want to sip Ouzo alone, it pairs very well with appetizers such as calamari, clams, fried zucchini, salads, and sardines.

One word of caution when consuming Ouzo.  It is quite often referred to as a rather strong drink despite the fact that its ABV isn’t very high when compared to other liquors.  What makes it appear to be strong is its sugar content.  Sugar delays the absorption of ethanol in the stomach, giving the unsuspecting drinker the idea that he/she can drink more because they don’t feel drunk immediately.  Eventually, the cumulative effect will hit, thus the onset of sudden inebriation.  It is best to consume Ouzo with foods, especially those foods that contain fats or oils.  The presence of these foods in the upper digestive system prolongs the absorption of ethanol, which should ameliorate intoxication.

What is surfeit water?

Surfeit water is a medicinal liquid designed to alleviate the effects of overindulgence in eating or drinking.  The essential ingredients in these concoctions are alcohol, usually in the form of brandy or Aqua Vitae, dried fruits and poppy flowers.  Believe it or not, Papaver Rhoeas (corn poppy, field poppy, and red poppy) were often used.  This might not seem unusual at first, but it should be noted that this variety of poppy does not contain the alkaloids found in other opium producing varieties.  Evidence does suggest that there may be some mild sedative properties imparted by this particular species of poppy, which is probably one of the reasons it was used in this particular remedy for digestive discomfort.  Surfeit water was generally an aid prescribed by your local barkeep, not by your doctor.  The earliest documented use of the term surfeit water dates back to 1633.  It should be noted that during that century, there was very little distinction between a doctor and a barkeep.  The modern equivalent to this sort of remedy would be bitters or bitter liqueurs such as Fernet Branca and Ramazzotti Amore.  Cordials such as these are perfect digestive aids after a long evening of excess.

What is a Mickey Slim?

This question took a lot longer than I thought it would to be asked.  I intentionally mentioned it in my post on American-made gin just to see if anyone was paying attention.  I stumbled across the recipe while doing research and I was mildly surprised that such a drink could have ever existed.  But, I should never be surprised by the lengths that humans will go to in order to find the next out of body experience.  The Mickey Slim was a cocktail that had a short-lived existence during the 1940’s and 1950’s in the United States.  It was made by combining gin with DDT.  Yes, the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane.  The drink met its end when most countries banned the use of DDT because it was linked to numerous health problems.  Those who enjoyed this fine beverage claimed that its effects were similar to those experienced when consuming absinthe.  I shake my head at the thought of consuming this drink today.  I’m not even sure that I’d have tried it back then either.  One of the interesting notes on mixing it suggests using very small amounts of DDT because it’s not very water soluble.  That should have been a clue, not that its use as an insecticide wasn’t a big enough clue already.