Jody Kurash • August 8, 2013

**VINCENT: Did you just order a five-dollar shake?
MIA: Sure did.
VINCENT: A shake? Milk and ice cream?
MIA: Uh-huh.
VINCENT: It costs five dollars?
MIA: Yep.
VINCENT: You don?t put bourbon in it or anything?
WAITER: Nope.
VINCENT: Just checking.**

Movie aficionados will recognize this conversation from Quentin Tarantino?s 1994 cult favorite ?Pulp Fiction.? Hit man Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta, is taking out his boss?s wife, Mia Wallace, played by Uma Thurman, for a night on the town while the big man is away. Vincent is questioning the high price of Mia?s choice of beverage. While he does later recant after sampling it, ?I don?t know if that shake?s worth five dollars but it?s pretty damn good.?

Well, if Vincent would have lived through the movie, he would have been able to indulge in an adult milkshake that bears his name at the Satellite Room bar near the 9:30 Club in D.C. The ?Vincent Vega? is a creamy vanilla shake, spiked with Bulleit bourbon. Although Vincent may have gone into sticker shock at the $10 price tag. Yes, prices have risen since 1994. But just like the movie, the same shake can be ordered without alcohol for only $5.

Adult milkshakes have been one of the hottest trends in D.C. in recent years, a perfect have-my-dessert- and-cocktail- too treat, for the area?s scorching summers. These concoctions are basically your cherished childhood treat boozed up with liquors ranging from rum to Kahlua to cr?me de menthe.

[Ted?s Bulletin](http://tedsbulletincapitolhill.com/) on Capital Hill started the trend. Their Baileys caramel macchiato will make you wish that Starbucks could add a lethal shot to their frappuccinos while their white Russian shake, would probably earn the approval of ?the Dude.? If fruit is more your style, Ted?s offers the buzzed berry forged from raspberry schnapps and rum.

In Adams Morgan, the weekend gathering hub, the [Diner](http://www.dinerdc.com/) has four adult milkshakes on its menu. The apple bottom is creative mixture of Sailor Jerry?s rum, vanilla ice cream whipped together with apple pie. The peppermint shake combines, cr?me de menthe, with ice cream and crushed candy canes. But perhaps the most interesting concoction merges the adult shake trend with the ?bacon in everything? craze. The bacon bourbon float takes and old-fashioned brown cow (or root beer float) spikes it with Jim Beam and tops it off with fluffy head of whipped cream covered in freshly made bacon bits.

I recently indulged on the Diner?s bacon bourbon float for a late-afternoon pick-me-up. The D.C. heat index was 105 degrees. I had spent two painful hours at the dentist, and I was looking for something satisfying, cooling and numbing at the same time.
Like so many other bacon foods, it may sound strange, but the hearty salty smoky bacon, merges well with the spice of the root beer, with the bourbon lending a sweet, oaky and powerful bite. My companion Dan Breen, a Baltimore-based artist and music promoter, gave it a thumbs up as well.

[The Satellite Room](http://satellitedc.com/) has the longest list in town, with ten celebrity-named ice cream elixirs. In additional the Vincent Vega, customers can say ?cheers? with the Norm Peterson shake, made with Murphy?s Irish stout or an ?Absolutely Fabulous? Patsy Stone made from pineapple, coconut, orange and nutmeg with Captain Morgan spiced rum.

If you are looking to give your childhood treat an R-rated makeover many of these ice cream cocktails can be easily made at home with a blender, a pint of Haagen-Dazs and your favorite spirit. Get creative, or use a popular cocktail as a guideline. For example, for a pi?a colada mix together rum, pineapple juice and coconut ice cream.

**If you would like to replicate the Diner?s sinful treat, here is a simple formula:**

Add two ounces of bourbon to a parfait or pint glass. Add one large scoop of vanilla ice cream slightly softened. Fill the glass with your favorite root beer. Cover with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle generously with bacon pieces. ?

Jody Kurash • March 12, 2013

Aside from being a literary genius, Ernest Hemingway is also known for his legendary drinking habits. Evidence of his fondness for the bottle can be found throughout the world.

In Havana, the El Floridita erected a statue of Hemingway at the bar where he consumed his favorite papa doble Daiquiris. The author loved the bar at the Paris Ritz so much that when they renovated it in the 1990s, they named it after him. In Key West, visitors from across the globe flock to Sloppy Joe?s bar for the annual Hemingway look-alike contest, part of the island?s Hemingway Days celebration.

Many of Hemingway?s favorite tipples make appearances in his written works. In ?The Sun Also Rises,? the main character Jake Barnes drinks a Jack Rose in Paris while waiting for Lady Brett Ashley. In ?A Farewell to Arms,? Hemingway describes martinis as ?cool and clean? and in ?Islands in the Stream,? he mentions two of original concoctions: the Green Isaac?s Special, named for the Isaac Islands in the Bahamas, and the papa doble Daiquiri.

While much has been written about Hemingway, Phil Greene, a Washington resident and founding member of the Museum of the American Cocktail, has managed to capture another side of this prolific man. Greene?s book, ?To Have and Have Another,? is a historical account and collection of drink recipes based on the writer?s life and work. Greene focuses on Hemingway?s peculiar drinking habits and written descriptions of food and drink.

Greene, who discovered Hemingway in high school, says he ?was drawn to him for his style of writing, the vivid and compelling way he described scenes, people, food and drink, so much so that you could see, feel and taste what the characters were seeing, feeling, etc.?

As far as his interest in cocktails, you could say he was born into it. Greene is a descendant of Antoine Peychaud, the New Orleans pharmacist who created Peychaud?s Bitters and is credited with inventing the Sazerac, which was declared the official cocktail of New Orleans by the Louisiana legislature in 2008.

These two interests collided while Green was in his 20s. ?I sought to learn more about beer, wine and cocktails, I naturally took notice when Hemingway wrote about them,? he says ?When I encountered a drink I?d never seen or tasted before, the Jack Rose, absinthe, the Fine a l?Eau, Chambery Cassis, etc., I wanted to know what he/his characters were drinking. As a cocktail historian, it was a natural that I?d want to dig a little deeper here.?

?And finally, all through my 20s and 30s I wanted to write like Hemingway,? Greene recounts, ? By the time I reached my 40s, I figured I might as well write about Hemingway.?

Greene?s book is filled with interesting anecdotes about Hemingway?s preferred drinks. For example, he was not a fan of sweet drinks. ?For the Daiquiri,? Greene writes, ?he didn?t want sugar in his drinks (likely because he was diabetic), so he called for just a touch of maraschino liqueur in its place, and also added grapefruit juice to the usual lime juice.

Hemingway liked his martini ice cold. Greene describes the way he ?froze the glasses, made giant ice cubes at 20 degrees below zero using metal tennis ball cans, he froze his cocktail onions so they?d help keep the drink cold.?

Most of Greene?s research was done by scouring through Hemingway?s writings, biographies and letters. He traveled to Key West to interview Hemingway?s friends and children of friends and to Boston, where the Hemingway Collection is housed within the JFK Presidential Library.

Even if you are not a Hemingway buff, this book is full of interesting tidbits that make it a delightful read. ?I?d like to think there?s something for everyone,? Green says ?biography, literature, drinks recipes, folklore, pop culture, great old photos and ads, you name it.? The book is available at local stores including Politics & Prose, Kramerbooks, Barnes & Noble, Salt & Sundry and Coco Blanca.

**Green Isaac?s Special**
-2 oz. Gin
-4 oz. green coconut water
-1 oz. lime juice
-4 drops Angostura Bitters
-Fill highball glass with ice, add all ingredients, stir, serve. Optional garnish, wedge of lime.

To learn about upcoming events with Greene, visit [www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org](http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org)

Jody Kurash • December 13, 2012

During this festive season, Washington revelers will gather at holiday soirees and indulge in glasses of punch, eggnog and seasonal cocktails. The year 2013 will be rung in with Champagne toasts. But in Peru and other parts of South America, special occasions have been marked by drinking chicha, a tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years.

Chicha is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from corn that originated with the Incas, who used it during rituals and festivals. Mills in which chicha was made were found at Machu Picchu. Archaeologists from the United States uncovered an ancient chicha brewery in the mountains of southern Peru believed to be more than 1,000 years old. When I visited the ruins of the pyramid tombs of Sipan in late November, the unearthed buriel sites included, along with human remains, gold and semi precious adornments and idols, and ceramic pitchers used for chicha.

While chicha de jora, the traditional indigenous drink is forged from corn, across the Latin America chicha is made from many different grains and fruits including quinoa, apples, cassava and grapes. Another popular beverage in Peru is chicha morada, a deep purple non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn, lemon and spices.

Chicha de jora is prepared from a specific kind of yellow corn called jora. It has a pale yellow hue, a somewhat opaque milky appearance, and a somewhat acerbic and sour taste that some find similar to an unfiltered beer or a strong hard apple cider. While the flavor is a somewhat acquired taste, I found it to be quite refreshing when enjoyed outdoors under the powerful Andean sun.

Chicha is prepared by germinating corn, extracting the malt sugars, boiling the worth, and fermenting it in large vessels, traditionally huge earthenware vats for several days. The process is similar to production of beer.

Traditionally, Inca women made chicha by chewing corn to a pulp and then spitting the mixture into a vat of warm water. Once the corn was masticated and spit into the warm water, it would sit for a few days before it was ready to drink.

Today chicha is not commerically produced, it is generally an unregulated and unlicensed business similar to moonshine. Many people make it in their homes or restaurants and it is often sold straight from the ceramic containers where it was brewed.
I was first introduced to Chicha, by my Shaman, Illapa Naveda. He purchased it from a small bodega, it came in a large unmarked recylced glass bottle sealed with a cork. He touted it to me as a healthier choice than other alcohol such as commerically produced beer or rum, since it is homemade from natural ingredients. There may some truth to his statement, at only about 2- to 3-percent alcohol, chicha is a better alternative than higher-proof potables.

Before drinking the chicha, he dripped a portion of on the ground while saying the word ?Pachamama? which is Quechua (Incan language) for ?mother earth.? This ritual is an indigenous tradition. He explained to me that the earth is hungry and the chicha was a ceremonial offering for the earth.

Today Chicha remains an important part of Peru?s history, and is often used to mark special occasiocns and celebrations such as weddings, baptisms or holidays. It is a communal drink and generally served in a small, hollowed-out gourd, called a pilche, and passed from person to person.

So this year, going with my ?When in Rome? mantra, my holiday plans include, celebrating the Navidad season with my new friends and enjoying this unique and historical tipple.

Jody Kurash • September 20, 2012

Travelers have flocked to Latin America for years as a means of escape. As you head south of the border, the climate heats up, the beaches become more tropical and the party starts a little earlier in the day. In places like Rio de Janeiro, Costa Rica and much of Mexico, the clock always seems to read 5 o?clock.

Many Latin American countries produce their own native liquors, which are as varied as their people. These drinks are a source of pride and nationality. Mexico?s tequila is probably the most well known. In Brazil, the most popular cocktail is the caipirinha, which is forged from cachaca. And anyone who reads my column should be familiar with pisco, after my posts from my Peruvian summer.

Before Peru, I had the luxury of stopping for two weeks in Colombia. The most popular drink there is aguardiente. This local spirit is a somewhat sweet elixir made from sugarcane and flavored with anise. Aguardient is not aged, so it boasts a strong and robust flavor. Aguardiente literally means firewater in Spanish; the name combines the Spanish words for ?water? (agua) and ?fiery? (ardiente).

Arriving in Medellin in June was a delight in itself. When I left D.C. earlier in the day, it was 104 degrees and humid. Medellin, perched in the Andes, is known as the city of everlasting spring due to its pleasant year-round climate, which averages in the mid 70s. Humidity is low, and fresh air rushes in from the surrounding jungle-filled mountains. In addition to its near-perfect weather, Medellin boasts a vibrant art scene, where Fernando Botero is a native. The city also has a thriving nightlife.
Many of the fashionable bars and clubs are located around Lleras Park in the tiny Poblado neighborhood. I quickly find the locals have a very relaxed partying style. While the open-air watering holes that ring the park are filled with partygoers, so is the park itself. Folks gather together on the benches and ledges to enjoy each other?s company while sipping on a tipple. Open containers laws do not apply here.

It is here I get my first taste of the local firewater. As I?m enjoying a beer on a park bench, my seatmates Carla and Roberto eagerly offer me a taste of their aguardiente. The flavor is strong and torrid. It burns and makes me grimace. I am happy to have my beer to chase it. In defense of the aguardiente industry, I don?t believe my first taste was of the highest quality. It came packaged in a box.

I soon realized that aguardiente was a common thread between the people of Medellin, affectionately called paisas. During my visit, I sampled aguardiente in small bars, people?s homes, trendy restaurants and my favorite hangout, Periodista Park. The flavor, after I had the chance to taste some of higher quality brands, grew on me. The same way the licorice taste of ouzo grows on you in Greece.

Aguardiente is generally served straight up neat in a glass. But when I ventured to Cartagena on Colombia?s Caribbean coast, where rum is the preferred beverage, I noticed that it was also used in cocktails.

The most interesting one I indulged in was a variation on the mojito with aguardientes substituted for rum. While at first the idea of anise mixed with lime and mint sounded a bit odd, I must admit that the combination came off as multilayered, refreshing surprise. Somehow the spicy anise balanced itself with the mint, while the lime provided a pleasing tart background.

The most popular brand in Colombia is Aguardiente Antioque?o, which has won several international awards. If you?d like to experience aguardiente for yourself, the most readily available brand in the Washington area is Cristal. Try it straight up, first but if the taste is a little too overwhelming, mix it in a mojito.

*Aguardiente Mojito*

2 oz. aguardiente
8 fresh mint leaves
1/2 lime in wedges
2 tablespoons simple syrup or sugar
Club Soda
Crushed Ice
Sprig of fresh mint

Muddle mint leaves and lime in a glass. Add simple syrup or sugar; top with ice. Add aguardiente; top with club soda. Stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Jody Kurash • September 6, 2012

On a bitter and chilly night, nothing soothes the soul quite like a toasty warm cocktail. Cold days are not the norm in Washington during August and September, but I spent the majority of this summer in the winter of the Southern hemisphere, where I experienced plenty of recent nippy winter evenings that were heated up with a hot toddy.

In Cusco, Peru, the days are filled with brilliant blue skies and powerful rays of sun due to its altitude of over 11,000 feet in the Andes. Once the sun goes down, the historical city center is illuminated with golden streams of floodlights, and the mercury drops to a brisk spot in the low 50s. While the tourist bars and salsa clubs near Plaza des Arms and San Blas get packed with party-goers downing pisco sours and Cusquena beers, my friend Suzanne introduced me to a mellow locals-only spot tucked away on a side street where we quenched our thirst and warmed our spirits with a steaming pitcher of coca tea and pisco.

This combination blends two of the most popular beverages in Peru. Coca tea or mate de coca, is an herbal tea brewed with leaves from the coca plant, which is grown throughout Northwest South America. The tea can be made by steeping raw coca leaves or commercially made tea bags in boiling water. This Andean beverage has an earthy flavor similar to green tea but with a sweeter finish.
The beverage has many beneficial effects. It is often recommended to combat the effects of altitude sickness. During my months in the Andes, I found no matter what my ailment ? cough, sore throat, hangover ? the locals would convincingly advise me, ?Drink coca tea!? Or, you can skip the drinking altogether and just chew on the raw coca leaves like many native Andean people do.

The tea also works as a stimulant, for it is brewed from the same leaves that are used to make cocaine. Hence, it is illegal to import or sell in the U.S., although I found a few websites, including Amazon.com, where the tea bags were available.

Pisco, which is the national drink of Peru, is a clear white spirit distilled from grapes that dates back to the 16th century. It is considered a brandy and has a distinctive grape flavor.

According to SouthAmericanFood.com, there are numerous explanations for how this brandy got its name. Some say that the word comes from the Quechuan word ?pisqu?, which was the name of a bird found in the Inca valley region of Peru. Another theory is that it is named after the town of Pisco, a port city where pisco was shipped to Lima as well as popularized by sailors. The name is also said to come from the large pre-Colombian clay pots, called piscos that are used to ferment the grapes.
When mixed together to make ?Te Macho? the coca and pisco combination results in a steamy yet potent tipple. Not being one who likes sugary cocktails I found this drink to be delightfully refreshing. The homey and robust tea combines brilliantly with the subtle sweetness and woodsy spice of the pisco.

Soon after my excursion with Suzanne, I discovered that the pisco and coca tea formula was a popular way for locals to enjoy their national beverage and stay snug in their unheated homes. I spent many frosty evenings in the rural town of Huasao sipping pitchers of te macho with my Shaman, Illapa, his brother, Fernando, and their various followers. This easy-going down-to-earth punch, along with the company, had such a comforting and uplifting effect, that soon I felt like I had a home away from home.

**Te Macho**

2 cups pisco
3 cups boiling water
4 bags mate de coca tea

Add two cups of pisco to heatproof pitcher. Add two cups of boiling water. Step tea bags until the liquid turns a yellowish green color. Serve hot and garnish with coca leaves (if available) Serves 5.

Jody Kurash • May 30, 2012

Just in time for the upcoming summer season, the Museum of the American Cocktail hosted an event last week at the Georgetown Four Seasons Hotel celebrating popular drinks from South of the Border. Three bartenders from Bourbon Steak?Duane Sylvester, JP Caceres and Jamie McBain?each prepared cocktails featuring spirits from Latin America and the Caribbean. Sylvester, whose family hails from Trinidad and Tobago, presented two rum drinks, a classic punch and mojito. Caceres, from Bolivia, presented two traditional South American cocktails, the caipirinha, made with cachaca from Brazil, the pisco sour, and the forged frompisco, a Peruvian grape-based spirit.

McBain presented the only original cocktail of the evening?a crimson-red tequila and beet juice concoction called ?We Got the Beet.? Being a tequila lover, I am always on the lookout for non-traditional agave tipples. But for a person who doesn?t like beets, I approached this concoction with hesitation. I later learned that Jamie, himself, doesn?t eat beets either.

He developed the recipe after receiving multiple requests as a bartender for flavored margaritas. ?I get asked to make flavored margaritas, which I don?t,? Jamie said sternly. ?This is my small concession.?

The classic margarita is a simple formula. Consisting of tequila, lime juice and a sweetener?usually an orange liqueur like Cointreau or triple sec?it yields a pleasing sweet and sour and potentially salty profile if you enjoy a salted rim.

Jamie?s five-ingredient recipe of tequila, beet juice, agave syrup, lime and Averna Amaro, creates a multi-layered complex cocktail. Amaro?meaning ?bitter? in Italian?is an herbal liqueur, usually enjoyed as an after-dinner digestif. It is produced by macerating herbs, roots, flowers, bark and citrus peels in alcohol, mixing it with sugar syrup, and allowing it to age in casks or bottles. Averna has a distinct herbaceous flavor that tempers the sweetness of the beet juice and highlights the root vegetable?s earthy quality. The result is a harmonious balance of sweet, sour, bitter and salty.

For tequila, Jamie uses Partido Reposado for this cocktail. Reposado?meaning ?rested? in Spanish?refers to any 100 percent agave tequila, which has been aged between two and 12 months in oak barrels. Jamie enjoys the subtle smoky flavor the reposado tequila imparts in this drink.

For those planning to make this cocktail at home, finding the beet juice can be tricky. A health food store that sells fresh juices may be your only pre-made option. Otherwise, you?ll need a juicer to make it at home. At Bourbon Steak, Jamie uses beets that have been steamed first. But if you would prefer a more pronounced earthy flavor in your cocktail, he suggests roasting the vegetables before juicing. In addition to their unique freshness, the beets, will give this cocktail a stunning scarlet hue.
If you don?t have access to a juicer at home, you can sample the ?We Got The Beat? at Bourbon Steak located inside the Four Seasons hotel in Georgetown. For more information on upcoming seminars being hosted by the Museum of the American Cocktail, please visit www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org

**We Got The Beet**

1.5 ounces Partido reposado tequila
.5 ounce beet juice
.5 ounces Agave nectar
.5 ounce Averna
.5 Ounce lime juice.
Salt
Salt half the rim of your cocktail glass. Mix four ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake.Strain intoglass.

Jody Kurash • May 16, 2012

While Mardi Gras may be the biggest party of the year in New Orleans, visitors looking for a grand shindig that showcases the city?s musical heritage will head to the Big Easy for the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival. Those who made it to the recent 2012 event were entertained by local acts like the Neville Brothers and Dr. John as well as by international superstars, such as Cee Lo Green, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.

For many, a trip to Bourbon Street before and after the show was all part of the musical fun. In a town known for drive-through daiquiri shops and go-cups, partiers can wander through the French Quarter with a choice of mind-numbing beverages like the cyclone, hand grenade and jungle juice. Long before these frosty concoctions hit the streets, there was the drink that may have caused more Crescent City hangovers than any other: the Hurricane.

Bright red and cloyingly sweet, a version of this tipple can be found in any watering hole in the French Quarter. While the drink?s formula has changed through the years, its history can be traced back to World War II when it was invented at Pat O?Brien?s.

For the first-time visitor to New Orleans, Pat O?Brien?s deserves a place on their to-do list. While some dismiss this well-tracked spot as ?touristy,? there?s a special allure about visiting the bar that the New Orleans Times-Picayune referred to as ?Disneyland for serious drinkers.? Founded by Pat-O?Brien, a bootlegger, and Charlie Cantell, a wholesaler, this Louisiana institution opened its doors as Prohibition was repealed. With its charming fountain courtyard, live piano music and storied history, Pat O?Brien?s is memorable stop in a city filled with saloons.

The invention of their signature drink came about as a practical necessity. Back in the 1940s, liquors such as Scotch and Bourbon were in short supply. There was a glut of post-Prohibition rum, and the dealers wanted to move it. The bar?s partners were forced by liquor wholesalers to order as many as 50 cases of rum in order to purchase a few cases of the whiskeys they wanted.

Barmen played around with a mixture of fruit juices and passion fruit until they came up with an alluring combination: a tasty and potent cocktail, containing four ounces of rum in each serving. They began selling the new creation in a Hurricane glass and the drink?s moniker was born. The Hurricane caught on, and the rest, as they say, is history.

While the atmosphere at Pat O?Brien?s has remained a constant, today?s Hurricanes have changed dramatically since the cocktail?s inception. Due to the high volume of visitors, Pat O?Brien?s now makes their hurricanes from a pre-made mix.

The ingredients are fairly simple a rum, grenadine, citrus and passion fruit juices. Pat O?Brien?s sells its own brand of Hurricane rum, made in the Virgin Islands, and mix, that can be ordered online. Nevertheless, creating your own hurricane from scratch will result in a rewarding and delicious refresher.

Even though this fabled tipple is not what it used to be, a stop at Pat O?Brien?s is still a fun diversion for those planning a visit to New Orleans. ?We have such a long and colorful history,? reminded Pat O?Brien?s spokesperson Jamie Touchton. ?Visitors want to experience the legend that people have been talking about for decades. The hurricane is the drink of New Orleans. Many try to imitate it, but none can compare to the taste, strength and the overall experience of being in Pat O?Brien?s.?

**THE HURRICANE**
2 1/2 oz Mount Gay Silver Rum
1 1/2 oz Goslings Black Seal Rum
1 oz fresh orange juice
1 oz fresh lime juice
2 ? oz Passion fruit puree
? Oz Stirrings grenadine (made from pomegranate)

Combine the ingredients in a shaker, and serve over ice. Garnish with an orange slice