 Have you ever seen a movie with
someone sipping something from a snifter after dinner? There's
something very romantic about it, isn't there? Now, imagine that
sort of vibe at your place. Being able to offer an after dinner
drink could move things in that direction. About Brandies, Cordials, Fortified Wines, and Liqueurs- Brandy is a spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.
- Cognac
is distilled from fermented grapes from the Cognac region in
France. Thus, all cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac
- Port
is a fortified wine (brandy or sugar is added to stop the fermentation
process). Similar types of fortified wines are madeira, marsala, and
sherry.
- Liqueurs and cordials are liquors redistilled, mixed
with aromatic flavors, and highly sweetened — think sambucca, crème de
menthe, etc.
For cold weather or as a substitute for dessert,
coffee drinks do the trick. First you have to know how to make a
good cup of coffee (see below). By substituting liquors, you can
flip the flavor and make dozens of different drinks, but as a rule of
thumb, the origin of the primary liquor usually determines the type of
"coffee" you're having. Hence, Spanish Coffee is made with Spanish
brandy, Jamaican Coffee with Jamaican rum, and so on. The caveat
is that you have to make coffee (see below). We provide you with a
recipe for Irish Coffee, an old standby.
Irish Coffee - 4 oz. coffee
- 1 oz. Irish whiskey
- 1/2 oz. Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
- Whipped cream
Pour coffee, whiskey, and coffee liqueur into a mug. Top with whipped cream.
Making Coffee: If you're a coffee drinker, you know this is more challenging than it sounds. It starts with good beans,
so spend the extra money on loose beans from a reputable
market. Many grocery stores sell loose beans by the pound, so you
don't have to go out of your way for something better than Maxwell
House. Just determine what type of coffee you like (full bodied,
lighter, acidic) and purchase beans accordingly. You can grind the
beans at the store or if you own a mill at home, you can grind to
order. We prefer espresso grind to get the most flavor out of the
beans. Warning: there may be a small amount of sediment in the coffee
with this grind. Use 1 heaping tbsp of coffee per 8 oz. of water.
If you're making coffee for just a few people (two or three) consider
getting a French press. It uses a fine mesh screen and a plunger in a
carafe to filter the liquid from the coffee grounds. Place the
grounds in the carafe. Boil water, pour it over the grounds in the
carafe and insert the plunger. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes before
serving. Depress the plunger and serve. While working at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel:
Brian
served many a late-night couple in the Fairfax Bar. They were
usually coming from dinner or the theater and would curl up on one of
the sofas or in the leather chairs near the fireplace and sign off on
the things to come next with a cordial or brandy or other late night
drink. Sometimes, it was just coffee. On occasion, folks
couldn't wait to get home — garter belts were flying, toupees were
overturned, and once a whole tray of drinks was lost when a waitress
disturbed an intimate discussion on the finer points of oral hygiene. |
Your Place 
