"Cuervo???" Yes Cuervo! We tend to look to smaller houses in The Spirits Project. However, sometimes we look to smaller projects from larger houses. There is no doubt Cuervo Gold is everywhere. I had an argument with a bottle of Cuervo Gold once in college. The Cuervo won. This is a horse of a different color. Supposedly, the Reserve de Familia was originally just that, the private stock aged extra long and mixed with some even older reserves and used by the family. Now of course, it's not that anymore. They sell it. So the name really just means that it's an extra special reserve (hopefully in the style of some family reserve).
It's 100% Añejo Blue Agave, aged in oak barrels for an average of 3 years. Only the estate’s finest 10-year-old agaves are hand-selected. Only the most flavorful inner portion of the agave’s piña (heart) is used. The final blend is finished with the addition of small amounts of family reserves aged over 30 years.
Cuervo says the "Reserva de la Familia" recipe was secret over 10 generations. In 1995, to celebrate their 200-year anniversary, the Cuervo family decided to share this blend of its special Tequila reserves with world. It is produced in limited quantities with a distinct personality that varies from year to year, Reserva de la Familia has been recognized with several prestigious awards in Mexico, the United States and Europe. Each bottle is handmade, numbered, dated and sealed in wax, and every year the Cuervo family commissions a different Mexican artist to design the new collectible box for Reserva de la Familia.
We will open one bottle at 6:30 precisely. When it's gone, it's gone.
Next Week in The Spirits Project: Tequila Ocho Anejo "Les Corrales Single Estate" 2010 High-Altitude, Single-Estate Tequila
The julep predates the "cocktail" by many years, and it's constituent components can vary more widely than you think. The only things constant are a liquor (brandy was once as common as Bourbon is now), a flavor component like mint or fruit and, of course lots of crushed ice. The julep is America's adult snow cone. The Mint Julep of course, is the granddaddy of all. While we associate juleps with The South, the arrival on the scene of a Vermont's Sapling (maple) Liqueur got us thinking. Brandy, Mint, Sapling and lots of crushed ice make for a winning and refreshing combination.
We featured this libation once before, but as it was the Friday of July 4th weekend, not many people got a shot at it. Friday we will once again serve this product of Yankee ingenuity for just $9. We will pass hors d'oeuvres Friday until 9 PM and all the most discerning cocktail enthusiasts of The Garden State will be in attendance, as is their custom. I hope you will join us.
This Sunday will witness the return of the Pig Roast to downtown New Brunswick. We're making quite a departure from last week's Alabama whiskey. This week we're going to feature some extraordinary beers at exceptional prices from two of the world's greatest beer-drinking nations. In the one corner, we will feature several of Belgium's finest brews and in the other corner, Sam Smith will hold the banner for Jolly Old England.
The pig will roast slowly on the sidewalk all afternoon. At roughly 5 PM, we will remove him from his fiery box and then you should toast. If you prefer the English beer, let out with a rousing "Cheers!" If the Belgians get your nod, it's "Op uw gezondheid." Either way the suds will be great.
Lambic Ales From Belgium 12 oz $9
Lindeman Kreik (Cherry) Beer
Lindeman Framoise (Raspberry) Beer
Lindeman Peche (Peach) Beer
Rochefort Strong Dark Ale 6 12 oz $10
Rochefort Stronger Dark Ale 8 12 oz $10
Westmalle Double 750 ml $20
Samuel Smith Beers 12 oz $5
Nut Brown Ale
India Pale Ale
The pig will come off the coals at roughly 5 PM. He will be served along with the rest of our Stage Left Dinner and Bar Menus
The original Bruichladdich was built by Barnett Harvey in 1881. The ‘Laddie’, as it is affectionately known, is often considered to be the fruitiest, most inventive Islay malt. Indeed, there has been some contention as to whether it has truly attained Islay-status. Bruichladdich countered these doubters with the introduction of the Port Charlotte range and later with the 2008-released Octomore, the world’s most heavily peated whisky. We've featured in The Spirits Project, different iterations of Octomore and other various whisky from Bruichladdich that push the envelope. The larger-than-life personality behind the contemporary revivification of the distillery and its trail-blazing whisky has been Jim McEwan. Now that Bruichladdich has been sold to Murray McDavid, it's anybody's guess what will happen to this little corner of Islay.
This is one of Jim's projects however, and I can't wait to taste it tonight. The Scotch is aged in sherry casks, but not just any Sherry casks. The vast majority of Sherry is made from the Palomino grape. Historically the sweeter sherries were made with a small proportion of a grape called Pedro Ximenez (PX). Like Palomino, PX is a white grape; but it is much sweeter and heavier and the Sherry-making process turns PX much darker. Pure PX Sherry can be the color of molasses and just about as sweet. PX went on the decline since the 70s as world palates favored lighter and lighter tastes. While it is undergoing a revival right now among the cognoscenti, it's still a rather rare bird. While it is common to age Scotch in a Sherry barrel, it is rare to do so in a PX Sherry barrel. Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's whisky was aged in just such a fashion. As I have not tasted it, I can only speculate. I am a fan of wine-barrel aged whisky and of the dark and brooding potential of PX, therefore it I am more than excited to sample this whisky tonight.
It occurs to me as I write this, that I first visited Jerez in 1989 and that was about the time that this whisky was distilled. Now I'm feeling old.
The full name of tonight's whisky is Bruichladdich "Cuvee 407 PX - La Noche Bocca Arriba" 21. "La Noche Bocca Arriba" (The Night Face-Up) is a famous and dark and twisted story by Argentine writer Julio Cortazar who lived and wrote in Europe beginning in the 1950s. It certainly wouldn't be wrong to call the work surrealist, but to me it always seemed to be the precursor to Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the school of Magical Realism (look Mom, I finally used that Literature degree). The story is a crazy and dark tale that keeps switching you back from a motorcycle accident in the 20 century and an Aztec war in the 17th. Definitely worth reading, so pick up a copy on your way to The Spirits Project tonight. Have a dram and commence reading. FYI, it's in a short story collection called Final del Fuego (End of the Game).
We will open one bottle at 6:30 precisely. When it's gone, it's gone.
Next Week in The Spirits Project: Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo
We preserve about 10,000 pounds of Jersey tomatoes every year. The time is now. There's a lot of red in our kitchen these days. We use these preserved tomatoes in Catherine Lombardi's red sauces and in many other applications throughout the year. In addition to all that preserving going on we're really enjoying them fresh with our made-to-order mozzarella in Catherine Lombardi.
In this summer of wacky weather, many of the local crops were of middling quality this year. Not so corn and tomatoes. So we're going to really celebrate these two major local crops. Beginning tonight and through next Thursday August 15, we are going to feature a Jersey Corn Tasting Menu in Stage Left. Then, we're going to feature a Jersey Tomato Tasting menu the following week from August 16th to the 22nd. Then, we'll come back to the corn menu for the next week and then Tomato for the week ending September 5.
The menus are fantastic, innovative and most important, delicious. Make a reservation here or at 732-828-4444. The cost is $79 per person plus tax and service.
Jersey Corn Tasting Menu
August 9-15th / 23 - 29th
Taquito of Crab & Charred Corn Tomatillo & Cilantro
Dreyer’s Farm Corn Ravioli Truffled Corn Milk & Australian Black Truffles
This is one of Mark and my favorite nights of the year and Big Night is our absolute favorite Foodie Film. A cult classic, it's a hysterical account of the sometimes heated relationship of two brothers who open a very forward-looking Italian restaurant in not-so-forward-looking New Jersey of the 1950's. It stars Stanley Tucci, Tony Shaloub, Isabella Rossellini, Mark Anthony, Minnie Driver to name just a few. The Italian Feast at the center of the film will be recreated immediately following. We will dine at large communal tables in Catherine Lombardi.
The Private Screening Room at The Heldrich Hotel right across the street is a wonderful place to see a film and the bar remains open during the movie. If you haven't seen the film, you should! If you have, you know you should come. It's just so darned civilized.
The Menu:
Italian Wedding Soup
Trio of Traditional Risotto
Timpano Stage Left Style
Mixed Family Style Feast:
Roasted Organic Chicken
Whole Roasted
Branzino
Roasted Suckling Pig
Zucchini Flowers
Roasted Garlic with Broccoli
Rabe
Our famous Garlic Bread
Flambé Pascal
Film starts at 6:30 - Dinner immediately following in Catherine Lombardi.
Why not make a night of it? We'll make the hotel reservation for right across the street at The Heldrich Hotel!
After serving in World War II, Clyde May returned to Alabama to farm his land and raise a family. Though Clyde reared eight children, his farming endeavors were not as successful. Following in the well-worn footsteps of many before him, he turned to the illegal trade of whiskey-making, or “branch-farming” as he liked to call it, to help supplement his income. May sold much of his whiskey unaged, right from the still, but some he put down in barrels. He spent a large portion of his life perfecting the art of small batch whiskey-making and continued to experiment with different methods until he finally developed what came to be known as “Mr. Clyde’s Special Reserve.”
Well. Mr. Clyde's family has recreated this whiskey a mash bill that consists of corn, rye, malted barley and then age in charred oak barrels. It's a delicious and refreshing, lighter style of whiskey. Sunday, we'll be offering tastes of Clyde May's, as well as two different libations. The first is a drink of our creation called "The Belle of The Ball." It's a variation of a Jack Rose with our own house-made grenadine and Alabama whiskey in place of Applejack. It's extraordinary. Clyde May's also works really well with ginger, and we're serving it long, over ice, with Blenheim's Ginger ale. Each of these will be $6 and we'll be offering samples of this fine former moonshine.
The pig will come off the coals at roughly 5 PM. He will be served along with the rest of our Stage Left Dinner and Bar Menus and some specials of Black-eyed Peas, Collards and Corn Bread.
Here is a cocktail of our own creation and we're very much in love with it: A real quaffer. The Belle of The Ball is a twist on a Jack Rose, using our own house made grenadine and Clyde May's Alabama-Style Whiskey in place of Applejack. We'll pour it on Sunday in our pig roast and also Friday as our featured cocktail. Friday evening at The Cocktail Bar at Catherine Lombardi, we will offer The Belle of The Ball for $8. Hors d'Oeuvres will be passed until 9 PM Friday. The most tasteful cocktail enthusiasts of The Garden State will be in attendance, as is their custom. We hope you will join us!
Historically, Balvenie Castle lent its name to the adjacent farm, Balvenie Mains. It also lent some stones to Balvenie New House, a replacement dwelling rather easier to heat and maintain than a medieval fort. After several decades the house itself stood empty, but soon developed a new role as the heart of a brand-new distillery from which the first spirit flowed on May Day 1893. The basement became a warehouse, the first story a malt floor and upstairs a loft to store the barley from the fertile thousand acres of Balvenie Mains. In the 1920s they built a new maltings right next door, using stone blocks from the now leveled New House. Little else has changed over the years. They've added stills, but they’re the same special shape. They're one of the few distilleries left to malt their own barley (pictured above). They’ve matured malt in many different casks and pioneered new expressions, but it’s still the same spirit that goes in.
The Balvenie 'Thirty' is a rare and fine single malt scotch that has been crafted from specially selected barrels by Malt Master, David Stewart. By marrying Balvenie, slowly aged in traditional oak whisky casks with European oak sherry casks, David Stewart creates a rich, silky smooth, honeyed Scotch whisky. The nose has mellow oak and hints of candied orange peel giving a taste of great depth with rich dark chocolate, hints of plum, marzipan and caramelized pear. 'Thirty' is bottled at 47.3% Alcohol and we look forward to tasitng with you on Thursday.
We will open one bottle of Loki at 6:30 precisely. When it's gone, it's gone.
Next Week in The Spirits Project: Mortlach 17 Year Single Malt Scotch